Young Man Who Lost Finger After Workplace Accident Wins Claim

A young man whose finger had to be amputated after his hand became trapped in a machine is set to receive compensation.

The teenager was an assistant supervisor at a recycling centre. He had been working there for less than two months when his hand became caught in a machine while he was trying to remove a blockage. The machine eventually stopped when he banged on the side of it, and he was able to remove his hand.

Although he was wearing safety gloves, he suffered severe damage to one of his fingers. He went to hospital, where doctors decided to amputate part of his finger. He experienced constant pain for some time afterwards, and continues to receive physiotherapy as well as support for psychological trauma.

A member of his family sought legal advice on his behalf and a claim was brought against his employer. It was alleged that he had never received training on how to remove blockages, and that his employer had failed to carry out an adequate risk assessment of employees' duties or to inspect its machinery.

His employer admitted partial liability for the accident and agreed to settle his claim out of court. He is likely to receive a significant sum in compensation.