£8,500 compensation for back injury

A lorry driver who suffered a back injury caused by a 35 kilo steel bar has received £8,500 compensation. He was injured when he was loading a trailer. A metal beam, used to support and partition the trailer’s roof, collapsed as he was sliding it into position. The beam was on a runner and bolted into place but the bolt came off causing it to fall suddenly. He ended up taking the beam’s full weight, jarring his back. He suffered a soft tissue injury to his back and thumb and had to take more than four months off work. The trailer was later disclosed as having been identified as faulty at an earlier inspection. His employer admitted liability and settled the case out of court.