Claimant Awarded £3,500.00 After Accident at Work

The Claimant was employed by a supermarket chain to deliver their produce from warehouses to individual stores.

When he arrived at one store what should have happened is that a scissor lift should have been used to off-load the merchandise contained in a dolly, and it would then be lowered to ground level for distribution.  Instead, as a shortcut, the warehouseman asked the driver to drop the suspension at the back and raise it at the front so the merchandise could be pulled off quicker.

On this occasion, however, the warehouseman pushing the dolly had not adjusted the lever correctly, so that the dolly was not fully lifted.  When the wheels hit the ramp the dolly toppled over causing the contents to fall on the Claimant, as a result of which he sustained injury.

The Defendant’s insurers admitted liability and immediately made a pre-medical report offer of £1,300.00

This is a tactic often used by Defendant’s insurers in the hope  that the Claimant will be desperate for the money and will accept the offer even though it is probably less than the sum that they would have received had they have proceeded to obtain a medical report.  Also, of course, the insurers do not have to lay out the cost of the medical report itself.

On this occasion however, Yorkshire’s Injury Lawyers properly advised the client to reject the offer and instead make a request for an interim payment to cover the pain and suffering and financial losses that he had suffered as a result of being unable to work following the accident.

An interim payment of £1,000 was negotiated, whereafter when he had fully recovered a medical report was prepared and negotiations ensued.

Initially the insurers offered £2,662.00, which was rejected, but after further negotiation the Claimant received a total of £3,462.00 in settlement of his claim for both the injuries sustained and financial losses.