Jane Cooper

Jane’s client was working for a roofing company, carrying out the trial week before hopefully taking on a permanent job.  On the third day of the trial, he was working at a private residential property and was asked by his supervising colleague to remove a facia on a flat-roofed garage with a machine-powered saw.

The client was working on a platform about two metres from the ground. The accident happened when the saw bounced back off a nail in the fascia he was removing. The saw hit him in the chest causing him to be thrown off balance on the platform. As a result, the fell backwards and off the platform as there was no barrier to stop him from falling. Although the platform was about two metres from the ground, the client fell about three to four metres as he fell down some steps.

No training or instruction was given to the client before using the saw and no guidance on working at heights. The client was not given any personal protective equipment such as a hard hat.

The client was in immediate pain and despite this being obvious, he was not offered first aid. He continued helping during the day, even though the pain was excruciating.  He had to take himself to hospital where it was confirmed that he had sustained two fractures in his back and bruising at multiple sites.

Although it had been agreed that he would be paid for the trial, he was not paid for the three days he had worked.  He was not able to attend again due to his injury.  The client was out of work for about two months before he could secure alternative employment.

The client contacted Graysons to see if he was able to claim personal injury compensation for the accident.  Jane took up his case.  Jane contacted the employer, who disputed liability, and she had to start court proceedings before the employer decided to settle the claim.  Using her extensive knowledge of personal injury accidents, her ability to gain evidence from the best medical experts and her excellent negotiation skills, Jane achieved a five-figure settlement for her client.

The client said:

“Graysons were extremely helpful after the first phone call I had with them. They made everything clear from the outset and got the desired outcome that I wanted. I cannot thank Jane Cooper enough for her hard work and for clearly outlining the whole process for me. I would highly recommend using Graysons and I will again in the future if needed.”

If you have had an accident at work and wish to claim personal injury compensation, contact our experts now.  We will offer you a free interview in which we can discuss your case and if we can take it on, we will offer you a no win, no fee arrangement.

Author: Jane Cooper, partner and head of Graysons’ personal injury team.