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Manual Handling Accident At Work

The Legal Line's personal injury solicitors recently represented a man who suffered an accident at work as a result of his employer’s negligent behaviour and disregard for the Manual Handling Regulations.

Injured at Work

The client was delivering beer for a brewery and on one of his stops he lost his balance on the back of the delivery truck and fell to the ground. This happened because the claimant thought that he was moving a full 36 gallon cask of beer. He braced himself to move the load; however, it turned out to be empty and much lighter than he had expected therefore the claimant used more force than necessary and fell off the truck.

Manual Handling Regulations

The claimant’s employers denied liability for the accident stating that the man was to blame for his misjudgement. The judge disagreed, stating that the accident could have been avoided if a visual inspection of the casks was carried out beforehand with a sticker being placed upon the casks to determine whether they were full or empty. This was in line with regulation 4 of the Manual Handling Regulations of 1992.

The claimant was awarded compensation as a result of his accident at work with a 15 per cent deduction for contributory negligence. This was with regards to the fact that he could have paid more attention to where the empty and full casks were stowed on the lorry.

Compensation Claim

If you or a member of your family has suffered as a result of an accident at work, we may be able to help you. Contact The Legal Line on 0800 032 8511 or complete an online compensation claim form for specialist advice.