Finn was involved in a serious work accident when he was employed as a general labourer. He was assisting in the building of a milking parlour where shutter panelling was being erected. The foundations had been dug for the panels. The milking parlour was rectangular in shape. The foundations were laid with concrete and the panels placed on the concrete with stone and an acrow prop on either side to support it.
The first shutter panel had been built. This consisted of 16 panels at one panel high. Finn was working on the first panel of the second wall. There were two acrow props on each side of the total length of 7.2 metres. The base of the acrow prop lay outside the foundations. Suddenly, the acrow prop on Finn’s side failed. His next recollection is of waking up at the scene. The panel was lifted off him using a telescopic lift. An ambulance was called before Finn was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital.
As a result of this accident, Finn sustained multiple fractures across his pelvis, a fractured nose and jaw, a number of ribs were fractured; in addition he punctured his lung and diaphragm and suffered some damage to his spleen. He also developed nervous shock as a result of this accident.
Finn contacted Paschal O’Hare to pursue an accident at work claim
Finn was worried about his injuries and decided to pursue a personal injury claim. He carried out an extensive internet search and decided that Paschal O’Hare Personal Injury Solicitors had the appropriate specialist experience to deal with his claim. His case was dealt with by our Senior Partner Patrick O’Hare.
Given the severity of Finn’s injuries and the diverse type of injuries he sustained it was necessary to obtain reports from an Orthopaedic Surgeon, a Urologist, an ENT Surgeon, a General Surgeon, a Thoracic Surgeon as well as a Consultant Psychiatrist and a Plastic Surgeon. It was abundantly clear that Finn was very fortunate to survive this accident. Indeed, one of the experts acknowledged that Finn suffered from “Crush Asphyxia Syndrome” due to being trapped underneath this heavy metal plate. He confirmed that this was a life-threatening condition from which survival was uncommon. Due to the quick thinking actions of Finn’s colleagues, the plate was lifted off him quickly and he was satisfactorily resuscitated.
As a result of this accident, both Finn’s employer and the owner of the farm where the accident happened were successfully prosecuted under the Health and Safety Legislation. High Court proceedings were issued and, at an early stage, negotiations were invited. This case ultimately settled for £275,000 plus costs.
Our solicitors specialise in work accident claims. No case is too complex. If you or someone you know suffered an injury at work, learn more about our services or contact us today.
