£40,000 Compensation for Wrist Broken in Workplace Fall

A textile factory employee who suffered a serious wrist injury when he slipped at work has won £40,000 in an out-of-court settlement.

The man, who is in his 60s, slipped on fluid that had leaked from a textile printing machine. He fell backwards and landed on his wrist, which sustained a compound fracture. He also injured his neck, back and shoulders.

He was taken to hospital, where he had metal plates and screws surgically inserted to fix his wrist bones into position. Two months later, he had a further operation to remove the stabilising plates.

He also had physiotherapy to help him recover, but still suffers from the effects of the accident. His wrist is now deformed and is often stiff, lacks strength and causes him pain. As he gets older, his condition is likely to get worse.

After the accident, he was unable to return to work for four months and relied on his wife to look after him during this time.

The man’s employer admitted liability for the accident and agreed a settlement of £40,000 in compensation.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, more than 10,000 workers suffered serious injury as a result of a slip or trip in the year 2009/2010. Often, the cause of such accidents is a leakage or spillage that has not been attended to, even though the risk that this poses to those in the workplace is obvious.