Driver of a Delivery Van Injured Due to Defective Door
In an incident of utmost callousness of an employer, a driver injured himself when the defective door of his delivery van slammed on his hand. The victim Mr David McCulloch’s index finger was damaged as a result of the accident for which he was compelled to stay absent from work for the next seven weeks.
The accident happened while David was distributing bread buns to Burger King in
After the accident, the victim approached his union the GMB, which directed Thompsons Solicitors to sue the firm for accident claims. The firm admitted their guilt and agreed to pay £7000 as damages in an out of court agreement.
David, who presently works as a driver for a different employer, feels relieved for the fact that his hand has recovered though he had to be absent from work for almost one and a half months. He feels happy that his injuries were not very severe, as he relies on his hands to earn his income.
Carol Sears from the GMB voiced concern over the callous attitude of the employers towards their employees saying that David had to go through such an unpleasant experience just because of the defective door of his company’s van. Carol also stated that the victim should not have been made to work in a dangerous condition like this.
Martin Fell from Thompsons Solicitors also echoed a similar view stating that McCulloch became a victim of his employer’s negligence about providing sufficient safety at work. He felt that the vehicles used for work should have undergone regular inspection to track down such defects. He also felt happy for the fact that David did not suffer any major injuries and added that his injury could have been avoided altogether with a more responsible approach from the employers.
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