Welder Wins Compensation for Head Injury

A welder who suffered a head injury at work has won an out-of-court settlement in compensation.

Peter Hibbert worked as a robot operator for a company that builds forklift trucks. He was working on the machine that makes the lift mechanism when the accident happened. He was hit on the head by a metal clamp used to move parts around.

The blow knocked Mr Hibbert unconscious and he suffered whiplash injuries to his neck and shoulders. As a result, he was absent from work on sick leave for 18 months and was eventually made redundant.

Mr Hibbert still has short-term memory problems and struggles to keep up with conversations. He is also unable to lift heavy objects. Although he has been able to find alternative employment, his injuries mean that he is restricted as to the types of jobs he can do.

He brought a claim for compensation against his former employer on the ground that the machine on which he was working at the time of the accident was faulty. It was his contention that this had gone unnoticed because the company had neglected to put in place a proper inspection system. His employer disputed this but agreed to settle the claim out of court.