6th October 2006

Manual Handling At Work

Clear Answers lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors, recently represented a client that had suffered an accident at work. The claimant was moving rubbish bags from the top of one vehicle to another, the vehicle in question was approximately eight feet high and the client had to stretch in order to reach and remove the bags and place them in the other vehicle. As the client was doing this a badger fell out of one of the rubbish bags striking the claimant in the face causing him to fall over and suffer injury.

Unsafe Working Practices

The claimant argued that the system of work employed by the company where employees had to stretch to lift objects from above head height was unsafe. In employing this particular method of working it was impossible to tell what was in the bags, how heavy the bags would be and whether or not the were able to support the weight of the contents inside them.

Employer Negligence

The defendants argued that the system was a safe one and that the accident suffered by the claimant was not foreseeable and there were no reasonable measures that they could have put in place in order to prevent the accident at work form happening. The judge came to the conclusion that this particular working practice of the company was unsafe and that it was an accident waiting to happen.

Compensation Claim

Have you or a member of your family been involved in an accident at work through no fault of your own. If so contact Clear Answers expert accident at work solicitors on 0800 783 9019 or fill out an online compensation claim form.

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