Farm accident compensation in Suffolk

Mr M found us when he searched on the internet whilst in hospital following a farm accident at work. Mr M worked in Oxfordshire as an assistant farm manager; he was employed at a chicken farm at Ashfield, Ipswich. Our client contacted us to help him claim compensation for the misfortune he had endured and the consequences of his injuries when he was faced with an accident at work.

When the incident occurred our client was attempting to move the stack of 32 packages that had been delivered, Mr M was unloading bales of chopped wood and straw shavings which were stacked on top of each other. As he removed the top bale the other bales became dislodged causing them to collapse onto his lower back.

Each package which was delivered on a pallet was 5 layers high. Each bale was approximately 3.5 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet, with each bale weighing approximately half a hundred weight.

Our client informed us that after commencing his employment he was not given any training in relation to manual handling. He also stated that although there were some risk assessments kept in the office at the farm, he did not have access nor had he seen them and was merely following the usual practice in how to dismantle the stack, as he had seen others do so as he was not informed otherwise.

After he had started his job a number of verbal requests were made by our client and his fellow work colleagues to their employers’ area manager and subsequently to the Senior Manager for equipment to assist them in the heavy lifting of the bales. Any movement of the bales from the stack was manual. However, the only reaction to these verbal requests was that “something would be sorted out”.

Unfortunately, there were no lifting aids available either, including a scissor lift, a small forklift truck or a little tractor which could have been used to remove the top bales in particular. There was also no pull cart in order to move the bales once they had been taken off the stack to where they needed to be placed.

Prior to his accident Mr M was fully fit, in full-time employment and was in a strong relationship with his girlfriend, they had been making plans to live together and were talking of starting a family. Unfortunately, the incident caused Mr M numerous problems with his back, including a prolapsed disc, loss of sensation to the groin area and also possible impotence.

Grieves Solicitors settled the Farming Accident Claim outside of court with Mr M receiving £25,000 for his injuries and financial losses.

Mr M stated that he wished to say “a big thank-you to all at Grieves for the help and support you have given me you have not only changed me and my Partner’s life but my little Girl’s too”.

If you have been injured in an accident that was not your fault please get in touch with Yorkshire’s leading No Win No Fee Injury Claim Solicitors at Grieves Solicitors.