Andrew was working as a maintenance engineer in Lisburn when he was tasked to make repairs to a large malfunctioning piece of equipment. This required him to climb up a ladder to reach a platform that wasn’t big enough for him to stand up straight on. He had to crawl along it, however it was coated in oil and grease to the extent that he even attempted cleaning it with rags.
When his task was complete he crawled back off the platform and sat on its edge. Facing forward, he placed his foot on the top rung of the ladder, however with the oil on his boot, he slipped and fell 20ft to the ground below. Andrew broke his wrist in two places and required surgery to insert a plate and screws.
Andrew contacted Paschal O’Hare Solicitors
We contacted his employer who admitted liability but they also alleged that Andrew was half to blame because he attempted to come down the ladder facing forward. It was our case that it would have been even more dangerous if Andrew had tried moving backwards onto the ladder given the lack of space on the platform.
High Court proceedings were issued and an inspection of the accident’s location took place with a third-party engineer that we consulted with. With the engineer’s report, we entered negotiations with Andrew’s employer and we settled the case for £22,500.
If you fell in work like Andrew, learn more about how we can help you or contact us for a free, no obligation discussion with one of our solicitors.
