Delivery Driver Wins £600,000 for Fall

A delivery driver who fell from his trailer has won £600,000 in an out-of-court settlement.

The man, who is in his 30s, had gone to a farm to collect a load of fertiliser, a job he had carried out many times before in accordance with the standard working practice at the farm in question. He was standing on the back of the trailer as the bags of fertiliser were being loaded using a forklift truck. As he was tying some of the bags together, he slipped and fell and was knocked unconscious.

He was taken to hospital, where he was treated for his head injuries and also underwent surgery to insert a plate to fix his fractured wrist.

Although he was discharged from hospital after only seven days, it became obvious over the next few months that the accident had had a severe psychological impact on him in addition to his physical injuries. He experienced nightmares and flashbacks of his ordeal and continues to suffer problems with his memory. He has also lost his sense of smell and taste and suffered damage to the hearing in his right ear.

When he tried to return to work, he found that he was unable to cope either mentally or physically. In addition, he has also undergone a personality change. Whereas he used to be mild-mannered and gentle, he is now inclined to be short-tempered and irritable.

It transpired that no assessment had been carried out by the owner of the farm with regard to the risks involved in the collection method used. Had this been done, the potential danger could have been identified and a safer procedure implemented.

The man’s personal injury claim was settled on the basis that he was partly responsible for the accident.

The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.