Industry news
Employee gets £22,000 for back injury
Posted Fri, 23 Oct 2009
A driver who delivered newspapers and leaflets in Northumberland has been given £22,000 compensation after he injured his back as a result of improperly loaded newspapers.
While John Atkin was delivering papers for Johnston Press in February 2007, he noticed the load in the van had moved and was blocking the side door.
However, the pallets had not been loaded in delivery order, so when he tried to sort them out, he had to move them around more than would have been necessary.
The combination of the small space in the back of the van and the awkward position of the pallets of newspapers meant he damaged his back.
He sustained images to the cervical spine, which affects the top of his back, right arm and shoulder. It also triggered existing problems with his back that had previously gone undetected and that were unlikely to have caused problems for several years.
He was off work for eight months before having to leave the company. He is looking for work but is limited in what he can do, as he has been advised against lifting.
Nicola Waugh from Thompsons Solicitors said: "This injury could have been avoided had Johnston Press had a system in place to make sure loads were secure to stop them moving around in transit."
Copyright © Press Association 2009
Thompsons Solicitors