We acted for an employee of a Swindon company (aged 35) who worked as a loader on one of their production lines. His work involved lifting and carrying heavy car seats with an estimated weight between 25 Kg and 30 Kg. In November 2006, he started to experience symptoms in his right shoulder. He coped with these symptoms for more than a year and did not go off work until February 2008. He was then told by his GP that he had developed an impingement syndrome and he had to undergo surgery for this problem in December 2008. He still complains of some minor residual symptoms but the prognosis is encouraging.
It was our case that there had been a breach of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, causing his injury. The case turned on establishing that the car seats were of a weight likely to cause an injury to a man of our client’s size, and his employer failed to take steps to reduce the risk of injury to the lowest level reasonably practicable.
This claim was vigorously disputed by his employer’s insurers and we were only able to reach a settlement shortly before this matter had been listed for a two-day trial at Swindon County Court.
S. J. Edney solicitors obtained compensation of £15,000 for this client in 2011