Success stories

Asbestos related disease

Widow's claim for engineer with mesothelioma

Our client was the widow of a retired engineer. Her husband was diagnosed with mesothelioma 15 years after retirement and he died from that disease. He had worked for a number of different employers, and our client knew little of his working conditions. A former work colleague was able to provide some information about those conditions. We investigated his employment and medical history, and analysed a large quantity of documents from a former employer. Legal proceedings were started and shortly afterwards we negotiated a settlement of £25,000.

Pipe lagger's asbestos injury

Our client worked as a pipe lagger at Michelin's plant in Stoke in the 1950s and 1960s, where he was exposed to asbestos contained in pipe lagging. Well after he had retired he was diagnosed with asbestosis. He was at risk of contracting lung cancer and would probably require specialist nursing care for the last years of his life. We took his case to trial and a High Court Judge awarded him over £63,000.

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Occupational asthma

Nurse's exposure to chemicals

Our client was a nurse who used glutaraldehyde to sterilise surgical equipment. Her employer failed to take special precautions when instructing staff to use the chemical. She became severely asthmatic from prolonged exposure to the chemical, and had to give up her nursing profession. We took her case to trial in the High Court in November 2000. The judge found that indeed the hospital's failure had led to our client contracting this most "insidious" form of asthma, and awarded compensation of £225,000 – the biggest award to date for this type of case.

Production worker, latex allergy

Our client was a production worker in a factory which re-cycled empty ink cartridges for computer printers. He was issued with latex rubber gloves, to which he was allergic. His employers failed to respond promptly or adequately to his complaints, and he developed asthma. We took court proceedings, which were settled shortly before trial for £50,000.

Production worker, electronics factory

Our client produced electronics components for the defence industry. She used a combination of fluxes, solders and cleaning fluids, some of which contained a known asthmagen. A substantial increase in the number of soldering operations, together with a new combination of chemicals, provoked an asthmatic reaction which became long-term. The claim was settled for £30,000.

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Vibration white finger

Roadworker's claim for nerve damage affecting fingers

Our client was a ganger on a road building and maintenance team. He used a jack hammer for up to 3 hours at a stretch without a break over a prolonged period. The vibration of the hammer caused his condition (also known as Reynaud's phenomenon). His fingers were blanched at the tips, causing him pain and stiffness and went numb in cold weather. The lack of any health and safety checks on the time he was using the hammer, and the lack of any warnings from his employers, contributed to the Defendant's wish to settle the case. He accepted the Defendant's offer of settlement of over £12,000.

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Assault at work

Assault on care assistant

Our client was a 62 year old care assistant at a psychiatric hospital. She was assaulted by a patient in the course of her duties. The assailant should not have been on the unit and the hospital. Our client was deeply traumatised by the event and was unable to return to work. We obtained compensation of £60,000 from her employer.

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Lifting injuries

Back injury caused by moving metal handrails

Our client worked for a company which specialised in weatherproofing and insulating roofs and balconies. He was working on a fourteenth floor balcony, clearing the area for laying insulation, and he and a colleague moved some metal handrails which had been left in the way by another firm of contractors. Our client injured his back.

He was treated with injections, and eventually had to have an operation to remove one of the discs in his back.

He had to have a lot of time off work sick, and was eventually made redundant, and he has been unable to work since.

We settled the case just before trial for £45,000 plus payment of our client's legal costs.

Nurses & care workers claim after lifting patients

Our client was a care worker working in an old people's home. As a result of the Council's unsafe lifting practices, she developed a back injury which prevented her from working. She was awarded £90,000 at trial.

Our client was a nursing sister who injured her neck while moving a large immobile patient in bed. Her injury prevented her from returning to 'hands-on' nursing. She found a clinic-based job, which did not involve any lifting or moving. We obtained £70,000 compensation for her.

Our client was a residential care worker. She injured her back when a resident in the care home where she worked lost his balance and fell on top of her. We recovered compensation of £20,000.

Unsafe lifting in the textile industry

Our client was a cloth cutter who injured himself whilst lifting a heavy roll cloth from floor/ankle level to above his shoulders. He recovered £12,500 compensation.

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Post-traumatic stress disorder

Carpenter overcome by solvent fumes

Our client, a carpenter, was overcome by solvent fumes in a confined space while using a strong adhesive to fit floor tiles. The employer had failed to assess the risk of this happening, or to chose a safer alternative product. Our client suffered hallucinations, thought he was going to die, and lost consciousness. He later tried to return to carpentry work but was troubled by flash-backs of the incident whenever he used adhesives. The employer resisted the claim, and we took the case to trial, where our client was awarded £145,000 damages.

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Repetitive strain injury

Keyboard operator's upper limb disorder

Our client worked for a large company. She was conscientious, and her work involved long hours of keyboard at the office, including weekends. She began to develop painful upper limb symptoms but struggled on until she was physically unable to continue. She was depressed, and reluctant to assert her claim, for fear of alienating her employer and jeopardising her company sick pay. We found that she had 3 different upper limb disorders, some caused by her work and some not. We negotiated a settlement of her injury claim, and advised her on a package of terms for voluntary redundancy, totaling £45,000.

Industrial machinist

Our client made large industrial bags for storage of sand and similar bulky materials. She had to make repeated unergonomic movements of her left arm and shoulder, which aggravated and accelerated an underlying medical condition by 2 years. Compensation was agreed at £13,000.

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Head injury

Client suffers head injury whilst working at McDonalds

Our client worked at a McDonald's restaurant.

She was serving a customer when suddenly a TV monitor fell from its bracket on the wall and hit her on the head, knocking her to the ground.

As a result our client sustained a minor head injury which caused moderate hearing loss, an increase in the number of migraines that she suffered as well as the intensity of the migraines and a degree of anxiety in that she became very nervous about things falling on her.

The migraines were very severe in nature as a result of the accident and affected 6 days out of every 4 weeks. We referred the Claimant to an expert who treated her migraines with migration which improved her symptoms greatly so that she has now returned to her pre accident level.

The ENT expert that we referred the Claimant to recommended that she use small digital hearing aides in both ears to remedy her hearing loss.

The Claimant was absent from work for 2 weeks but was paid in full.

We at Bolt Burdon Kemp obtained compensation for our client in the sum of £38,250.

Construction worker receives damages after being hit by concrete

Our client was a construction worker who suffered a head injury when he was struck by a falling concrete block. He sustained a fractured skull, loss of consciousness, permanent loss of sense of smell and taste. The psychologically effects included some cognitive deficits, reduced organisational skills, short term memory problems and mild depression. We secured £285,000 compensation for him.

Barmaid wins case after brawl in bar

Our client was a barmaid, who was injured when a fight broke out in the bar where she was working. An ashtray was thrown and struck her on the back of her head. She sustained a head injury and we recovered of £16,000.

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Back injuries

Dangerous construction sites result in pay-outs for workers

Our client was a labourer on a construction site. He suffered injury when a concrete breeze block fell on him, striking his back. We recovered more than £15,000 compensation.

Our client was working for sub-contractor at a nuclear bunker site. He slipped from a scaffold platform, fell 2 metres, and sustained fracture to his spine at T12, and left scapula. He was unable to work at all for 12 months, and thereafter was only fit for desk work. We took court proceedings and won £125,000 compensation.

Unsafe work practices injure cleaner

Our client was a cleaner and maintenance man. As a result of his employer's unsafe system of work, his back was injured when a sash window dropped onto it. Medical evidence showed that the spinal damage had exacerbated a pre-existing back problem. The employer admitted liability and the claim was settled for £23,000.

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Other construction site injuries

Dumper truck falls into a cable pit

Our client was employed as a ground worked at a construction site on Guernsey. He was driving a dumper truck moving soil from an excavation site to a spoil heap. The construction site had several cable pits which were not properly covered or marked. The ground beneath our client's truck gave way and the truck fell into a cable pit. Our client was thrown forwards and the left side of his chest hit the roll bar of the dumper truck. He suffered a back injury, several broken ribs and a haemopneumothorax which required hospital treatment and an operation. Our client tried to return to work but was unable to cope. The Defendant's insurers admitted liability for the accident and paid our client £70,000 in compensation for his injuries.

Crush injury to hand

Our client, a low-loader driver, had his left thumb crushed when loading heavy equipment as a result of his colleague's negligence. The employer admitted responsibility and after collecting evidence about his injuries and his future job prospects, we negotiated compensation of £113,000.

Accident on river

Our client worked on a structure floating on the Thames , constructed of scaffold poles and boards secured by rope, about 100m long. The boards were only a couple of inches above water level and were often wet. He was using a jack hammer which slipped off the wet concrete, and punctured his foot. We recovered £6,000 for him.

Broken bones

Our client was a shutterer working on building site. An RSJ fell onto his leg, fracturing his knee joint. He was off work 3 months, and made a full recovery. We won £30,000 compensation for him.

Fall from rooftop

Our client, a 34 year old shutterer, fell from an unguarded rooftop 30ft to ground below and fractured both wrists. We won £80,000 compensation for him.

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Other workplace injuries

Right hand caught in mill

Our client, a production worker, operated a large mill producing rubber mats for cars. As a result of the employer's faulty safety arrangements and inadequate safety procedures, his right hand was crushed by a roller. He has made a partial recovery. We got an admission of liability and compensation of £105,000.

Slipped on wet staircase

Our client's workplace consisted of a works floor and an office floor, connected by an external staircase which was open to the elements, broken, and poorly-lit. One winter's evening he slipped and fell, sustaining damage to his ankle ligaments from which he made a partial recovery. The company went broke and we had to restore it to the Companies Register before suing it and obtaining compensation of £31,000.

Burns caused by hot fat

Mr K was employed as a chef at the Greyhound Pub. The deep fat fryers were broken. The fault had been reported to the employers but nothing was done. Mr K was advised to use a pan of hot oil on the stove to deep fry food. During the course of the evening the fat became burnt. Mr K told the restaurant manager that the fat was burnt and no good for frying but he was ordered to continue cooking deep fried food. Mr K decided to move the pan of hot oil to the side of the kitchen. There was very little room to manoeuvre. Whilst he was moving the pan of hot oil his arm got burnt by the adjacent grill causing him to lose his grip on the pot of hot oil. The hot oil spilt on to his hand and the foot of a colleague. Mr K suffered burns to his right hand and forearm.

Mr K was sacked by his employers shortly after the accident and he resolved not to go back to work as a chef.

The insurers acting for Kushti admitted liability in June 2004.

Mr K felt that he had lost the opportunity to be promoted as a chef and therefore suffered a future partial loss of earnings. He was unable to continue with his passion for cooking

Proceedings were issued and served.

The claim was recently settled for £25,000 plus costs.