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Colin White Awarded GBP500,000 Compensation After Accident at Work
19 January 2011
A man has been awarded more than £500,000 in compensation after an accident at work left him temporarily paralysed and has meant that he will never work again.
Colin White, a 53-year-old father of two from Altrincham in Cheshire, was working as a driver and porter for national furniture distributors Home and Retail Deliveries when his accident occurred.
He and a colleague had been provided with a hire van which, unlike the regular company vans, was equipped with a tail lift, which neither employee had been trained to use. It was whilst unloading furniture from the van that Mr White used the tail lift to climb into the hold section; when he stepped back onto the platform the tail lift had been moved, causing him to fall backwards. Mr White hit the back of his neck on the tail lift as he fell and landed heavily on the ground, causing him several serious injuries including a prolapsed disc in his back which left him paralysed for a short period of time.
Mr White was taken to York Hospital, and was subsequently transferred to the neurology department at Leeds General Infirmary where he underwent emergency surgery to replace the prolapsed disc with a plastic one and have two of his vertebrae fused together.
Although Mr White’s early surgery and a series of intensive rehabilitation and physiotherapy sessions have meant he is no longer paralysed, he is still in constant pain and suffers from numbness and spontaneous spasms in his right leg meaning he cannot control any movement in his limb. He also endures frequent shooting pains in his arm and restricted movement in his wrist which necessitates him wearing a splint for support most of the time. Mr White now uses a walking stick and needs a wheelchair or mobility scooter for any excursions outside of his home. His wife has had to give up her job in order to take care of him full time.
Mr White said: "What happened to me could have been prevented if my colleague and I had been given training in how to use the equipment provided. Now if I want to do anything or go anywhere I need someone to come with me and assist me.
"Although the results of my accident have had a huge impact on my life, I’ve tried not to let my injuries affect me mentally. I know that to dwell on what has happened will do me no good, as I can’t change anything."
"This has been a terrible five year long ordeal, but my solicitor Jane Cooper of Russell Jones & Walker in Sheffield has been a tower of strength throughout the whole time."
Jane Cooper said: "Mr White’s life has changed beyond recognition since his accident, due to entirely avoidable circumstances. We hope the settlement gained will give some solace to Mr White for all of the pain he has endured."
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