Thompsons Solicitors has successfully secured £18,000 in compensation for a West Midlands-based production operative who suffered painful injuries after tripping on improperly discarded shrink wrap while unloading goods at work.
Working as an agency worker at MacDermid UK Ltd, the Unite member was injured after her foot became caught in shrink wrap that had been wrapped around a pallet. As a result, she lost her balance and fell backwards onto her outstretched left arm, sustaining a fractured wrist.
While medical evidence from an Orthopaedic Surgeon confirmed that she would make a full recovery over a number of years, the immediate impact of her injuries left her unable to work for several months, and she underwent physiotherapy treatment for approximately eight weeks.
Following the incident, the worker pursued a claim for her injury and related expenses, with her legal team, led by workplace injury law expert Sarah Greening, alleging that MacDermid UK Ltd had breached its duty of care by failing to provide a safe working environment.
The company’s insurers responded to the claim stating that they had been unable to carry out any meaningful enquiries with the company, due to lack of contact. The company’s insurers therefore agreed to deal with the Unite member’s claim based on the medical evidence.
With the support of Thompsons Solicitors, the case was successfully settled out of court, securing £18,000 in compensation.
Sarah Greening, a workplace injury lawyer at Thompsons Solicitors, who represented the Unite member, said: “This incident was entirely avoidable and highlights the importance of proper housekeeping in the workplace. A simple failure to dispose of shrink wrap safely resulted in a painful injury that impacted our client’s work and daily life.
“Through her Unite membership, we were able to secure fair compensation without needing to go to court. The case demonstrates the need for businesses to ensure that work environments are free from unnecessary hazards to prevent similar incidents.”
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