Unsafe working practices lead to amputation of fingers

Mr R was employed by Steton Associated Works Limited in Kent. Whilst preparing for a job, Mr R was attaching a trailer to his work van.  He noticed that the tow-arm was improperly aligned over the hitching arm, so he nudged it back into position.  As he was doing so, the jockey-wheel that holds up the tow-arm collapsed, causing his right hand to become trapped between the components.

Mr R suffered a traumatic amputation of the middle and ring fingers through the middle phalanges on his right hand.

A specialist personal injury lawyer was instructed by Mr R. Thomson Snell & Passmore argued that Mr R’s employers were negligent as they had failed to warn employees, including Mr R, of the defects in the trailer or to prevent them from using the defective equipment when it was unsafe to do so.

Liability was admitted and an initial offer was made in the sum of £50,000. Further evidence was obtained from a Consultant Hand and Plastic Surgeon and, following careful drafting of the Schedule of Loss, we were able to show that Mr R would be at a disadvantage on the open labour market if he attempted to get another job, because of his amputated fingers.

Thomson Snell & Passmore successfully obtained an out-of-court settlement of £90,000 to compensate Mr R for his pain and suffering and to take account of any difficulties he may have in finding employment in the future.

If you would like to ask us a question about a potential case, or if you have a general query about any personal injury, contact Thomson Snell & Passmore solicitors on 01892 510000 in confidence. We offer no win no fee agreements on the vast majority of our clinical negligence and personal injury cases.