I was interested to read that a company owned by former Rangers Chairman, Sir David Murray, were recently fined £50,000 after an employee suffered a personal injury.

Fifty year old Iain Sutherland was left with a broken right forearm and finger after the accident at Forth Steel Limited at South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh.

The accident occurred on 21st August 2009.  Mr Sutherland was working beneath a suspended steel plate that fell onto his arm.  The metal plate weighed more than 2 tonnes.  Evidence was heard from HSE who had carried out an inspection of the site only a month before the accident and highlighted the importance of using proper lifting equipment and the need for employees to have correct training and supervision. Undoubtedly had they heeded this advice then the accident would not have happened. However, Sheriff Kenneth McIvor described it as “an accident waiting to happen”.

It is now inevitable that Mr Sutherland will make a compensation claim against the company and on the face of it, the prospects of success are better than good. I can only hope for Mr Sutherland’s sake that he will make a claim and there is no firm better placed to deal with such a claim than Thompsons who have years upon years of experience in dealing with compensation claims involving accidents at work.