Man sustains life-changing injury after employer neglects health and safety

Our client’s construction site accident

The man, a joiner, was working on a house extension when he was seriously injured while working on the construction of the roof.

Unbeknown to the man, some of the joists had not been secured and fixed into position. As he was crossing the roof to attach extra timbers, he stood on one of the joists which was not secured and fell to the ground.

The man was left in significant pain through injury to his right foot and needed urgent medical attention.

The owner of the company, a small construction business, was present at the time of the man’s fall – but he continued to work on the extension rather than take his injured employee to hospital.

“He made me wait about 45 minutes while he worked on the brackets for the roof, I was left there in dreadful pain. I knew something was badly wrong,” says the man.

Life-changing injury following a construction site accident

The man sustained multiple injuries to his right foot, including a complex multi-fragmented fracture to the heel. He was forced to undergo surgery but has been left with a host of ongoing consequences.

He has extensive scarring, a swollen ankle, pain when walking, calf wasting and walks with a limp. He lives with permanent numbness to his little toe and his heel is deformed. As a result, he cannot stand or put pressure on his right foot for any length of time.

He will also develop arthritis within the near future and will need further surgery in the years ahead.

Furthermore, the man has been left with anxiety and a depressive disorder, which has had significant impact to his mental health.

“This really has been a life-changing injury, and I will be living with the consequences of what happened forever,” says the man.

“I can’t get around like I used to and am very conscious of my limp. In the years ahead, I might have to use a mobility scooter. Even now, more than two years after what happened, I still have a lot of pain.”

Finding expert support – how Slater and Gordon helped

After being injured at work and having to undergo surgery, the man was unable to work for several months, which also saw him struggle for money.

“I wasn’t able to work so it was a struggle, I had to borrow money from my mum just so I didn’t get evicted,” he says.

“My employer also disputed how much statutory sick pay he had to pay me, and disputed how much holiday I had taken, so I was left with no money. It was a really difficult time so I turned to Slater and Gordon for help.”

The man was represented by Bob Miller, a senior associate in the serious injury team who specialises in employers’ liability cases.

Bob, who has been a personal injury solicitor for almost 20 years, was able to successfully secure a settlement for his client, despite denials from the employer over his responsibility for the incident.

“The defendant denied that our client was ever told to get onto the roof, and tried to allege his serious injury was essentially his own fault – but we were able to negotiate a settlement, backed by the findings from the Health and Safety Executive finding that the roof should have been constructed from below and that all necessary access equipment should have been provided,” says Bob.

“This was a really difficult and distressing ordeal for our client, which will impact him for the rest of his life. No one should ever go to work and worry that their employer has not taken all possible health and safety precautions to protect them from harm – we hope this case is a timely reminder for others who cut corners on their obligations.”

The man adds: “I’m really grateful to Bob. He did his job and did it well. At last, I could try and put things behind me and move on with my life.”

Looking to the future – moving forward after a construction site accident

While the man continues to struggle with his mobility and pain in his right foot and leg, happily he has been able to return to work. Initially he worked as a delivery driver, but now has taken the major step of returning to work on a building site.

He is now employed as a painter, and while he struggles with being on his feet for a lot of the day, the fact he has been able to return to work has been a huge boost.

“I have to stand for a lot of the time and wear boots, which is quite difficult, but I’m just really pleased that I can move on from what happened,” he says.

“This has been a really awful two years, and although I will live with what happened for the rest of my life, both physically and mentally, but I really want to look forwards now and not backwards.

“From telling my story, I would like anyone in charge of the safety of people at work to remember that injuries like mine totally change lives – it’s totally avoidable.”

Do you need support after a construction site accident?

If you have been hurt on a building site in an accident that was not your fault, you can access support from expert solicitors you can trust. Speak to our team today on 0330 041 5869 or contact us online to make an enquiry.