21st January 2008

Compensation For Injury Caused By Stepping Into A Hole In The Floor

John Heathcoat and Co Limited are to pay a textile worker £1600 in compensation after he suffered an accident at work.

Mr Redfern from Tiverton in Devon was injured at work in May 2005. He was working in the dyeing and finishing department for his employer and began to make his way to the tea bar for his break.

As he did so, his foot went down a hole in the floor. He reached out with his left arm and instinctively grabbed the closest thing to him, to break his fall. He managed to grab onto a valve. As his hand grabbed the valve, his left arm made contact with an unlagged pipe which was extremely hot. He suffered from an immediate burn injury.

Mr Redfern explained: “Before my accident, there had been a large machine in the area where I fell. It had been replaced by a smaller machine. There was a gap in the floor where the large machine had previously been secured. My arm was burnt instantly and I was in agony. I had difficulty sleeping because I couldn’t put any pressure on my arm. The wound unfortunately became infected and I had to have more bandages to cover the wound. I still have a scar on my arm.

Kevin Digby from Clear Answers’ lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors, who represented Mr Redfern said: “This case shows the need for employers to regularly review risk assessments to take account of changes in the workplace. Employers must react to these assessments to make the workplace safer.”

Compensation Claim

Teams of experts are waiting to help you at Clear Answers’ lawyers, should you decide to instruct us to represent you in your claim. We specialise in slips, trips and falls and all types of personal injury claims, whether you were injured in a public place or as a result of an accident at work.

Our service will be cost-free for you, the person responsible for your accident will pay our legal fees. You will receive 100% of your compensation if you select Clear Answers to represent you in this matter.

Please ring us on 0800 783 9019 if you or a family member has been injured in these circumstances, and speak to one of our advisers. They will be happy to provide you with expert legal advice, answer any questions you may have regarding your claim and talk you through the claims process in plain English. Alternatively, you may prefer to complete one of our online compensation claim forms and one of our representatives will contact as soon as possible.

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