One machine operator has recently won a £4.2 million work accident claim for injuries sustained whilst on the job, according to recent reports.
Barnsley native Christopher Kaye, 57 years of age, was awarded the personal injury compensation award for serious brain injuries he sustained after he was struck in the face by a metal connecting bar that fixed a boom to a grapple. Mr Kaye had been attempting to change the excavator’s grapple attachment that had been carrying the connecting bar at a Sheffield construction site when it sprung loose, knocking him to the ground.
The 57 year old was rushed to the Sheffield Hospital where he had to endure life saving surgical procedures. However, the extent of his injuries necessitates round the clock care for Mr Kaye, according to his accident claim.
Euro Dismantling Services Ltd, the company responsible for the incident, initially denied all liability. However, the firm ultimately accepted 90 per cent responsibility for Mr Kaye’s injuries. The injured man is set to receive an initial lump sum of £1.75 million, followed by annual payments of £135,000 for the rest of his life in the wake of his October 2008 accident.
The training given to Mr Kaye had been inadequate, according to his legal team, who also said the gear which could have ensured the job could have been done in a safer manner was only purchased in the wake of his accident. Euro Dismantling denied the claim that an accident similar to the one in which Mr Kaye was injured had happened before in the past.
An injury specialist remarked that the key risks associated with the demolition injury included being injured from uncontrolled structural collapses, falling materials, or falls from height. This means that all structural alterations, dismantling, and demolition should be planned out carefully and supervised by project teams that specialise in the risks associated with such activities, the expert also said.