For some detailed examples of the kinds of cases we take on, browse through a sample selection of our clients' stories
Warehouse operator's slip on ice
Our client, who was involved in a slip accident at work on 28 January 2017, was employed as a warehouse operative by the Co-op.
His role required him to pick items for order, place them in cages, and take them to the loading bay to be transported to stores. The cages were attached to a low-level order picker truck (LLOP). On the night of his accident, he was working in the freezer department. He parked his LLOP in an aisle to retrieve a cardboard box full of bread, but as he was walking back to the LLOP, his left foot slipped on a patch of built-up ice. Despite trying to put his right wrist out to break his fall, he fell on to his back.
After getting to his feet, he tried to finish the order, but the growing pain in his wrist meant he couldn't continue, so he instead went to inform his team assistant leader about the incident. The assistant team leader took a photograph of the ice and then had our client looked over by a first aider.
Butcher's leg injury because of broken pallet
When he was involved in a workplace accident on 1 June 2015, our client was working as a supervisor and butcher for Scotbeef.
Our client's job requires him to organise meat that's sent to him from the slaughterhouse. He has to remove trays of meat from pallets and place them into trolleys, sorting them by their date.
Claim for warehouse operative's swimming pool injury
Our client in this case, who was employed as a warehouse operative, was involved in an accident while at the Kilsyth Swimming Pool on 9 February 2017, which was a Thursday.
He had taken his two sons to the pool for swimming lessons. After they both had finished their lessons, our client decided to spend some time with them in the pool.
The flooring of the pool is made of tiles. Unknown to our client, there was a sharp edge on one of these tiles. As he stepped on the tile while trying to exit the pool, the sharp edge stabbed his right big toe, immediately causing it to bleed.
Manufacturing technician electrocuted by fridge
Mr Scott McComish, our client, sought legal help from Thompsons after he was involved in an accident at his workplace in May 2016. At the time of the incident, he worked for Allied Bakeries as a manufacturing technician, a role which required him to look after a range of machinery and to ensure the factory kept running.
The accident occurred in the canteen while Mr McComish was having a break. He had filled his water bottle and placed it in the fridge so that he could drink it on his next break. However, as he reached up to place his bottle on the top shelf, he suffered a electric shock in his right hand. His arm was thrown back, and he felt immediate pain rush through it right up to his shoulder. His right arm was pulsing and also felt numb. After his manager and an electrician arrived at the scene to inspect the fridge, they realised that our client had been electrocuted by an exposed wire.
Mechanical engineer's claim for hearing loss
Between 1978 and 2015, our client was exposed to high levels of noise during the course of his employment as a marine engineer and mechanical technician for the offshore industry. Within these years, he worked for various companies, maintaining and operating boat engines and generators.
He primarily worked for Flotta Oil Terminal in Orkney throughout this time. However, as his employment was subject to TUPE transfer, his most recent employer, Wood Group (North Sea) Limited, were considered responsible for the whole of his employment, and so acted as the defender in this case.
The very high levels of noise that our client was subjected to on a regular basis led to him sustaining significant hearing loss.
Fall from height for team leader
This case involved a team leader working at BSW Timber who fell from height during his shift and sustained a back injury.
At the depot, our client dealt with wagons coming into the yard, loading and unloading deliveries. He was also responsible for health and safety.
On the day of his accident, our client had been working in the crow's nest, an area that required workers to climb two ladders, neither of which have handrails, to get to it. Our client needed to ascend the ladders so he could check whether the area needed to be cleaned.
There was a small platform between the first and second ladder. It was so small that two people would struggle to stand on it. The top platform (the nest) was much wider. Both platforms were enclosed by railings.
Our client was making his way up the second ladder when his foot slipped on one of the rungs, and he fell backwards onto the railing of the middle platform.
Compensation for factory worker's head injury
Our client, Mrs Elizabeth McKechnie, was employed by Lees Factory as a packer when she was involved in a workplace accident on 14 October 2016.
Mrs McKechnie's job requires her to pack confectionery products into boxes as well as clean up the factory area. On the day of her incident, she was sweeping up around line 3 of the factory. After she collected dirt on the floor, she bent over with a dustpan and brush to sweep it up, crouching down on her knees. As she stood back up, she hit the right side of her head on the metal box containing the on and off switch for the machine that sends boxes down the line. These switches are present at every line and protrude out of the machines they are attached to, putting workers at risk of colliding with them.
Waste and recycling amputation injury case study
In February 2011 our client, then 29-years-old, was employed as a production line supervisor at a recycling plant in Ayrshire when he sustained an amputation injury in a waste and recycling workplace accident.
The job required the pursuer to use and monitor the use of a 20-metre-long, 1.5-metre-wide rubber conveyor belt that was situated underneath a large shelter and up some steps; it was used to process aluminium, paper, plastic and cardboard.
At around 6.30am on the day of his accident, our client was called by a colleague in order to assist with a Quality Street tin which had become lodged in one of the three-inch-deep conveyor belt rollers and was causing the belt itself to move around one-inch to the side. He promptly sought to attend to the problem, moving through a gate to reach the conveyor belt. However, in attempting to extract the tin, his glove became caught in the roller, which caused his arm to be pulled in and to become trapped, very quickly severing the limb traumatically from just below his shoulder. A first aider was called and the injured man was taken first to Crosshouse Hospital and then to Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Assaulted hostel worker's claim for severe psychiatric injury
Our client was employed as a hostel assistant at the Perth & Kinross hostel when she was involved in an incident, the same as her colleague in the case study above.
In the early hours of 30 March 2013, a man who had been staying at the hostel tried to gain access. At this time, however, the hostel had been locked up for the night, and the staff were not permitted to let him in. The resident should have known this, but he continued to make attempts to get inside the building.
When our client and her colleague informed the man that they could not let him in the hostel, he became aggressive towards them. Knowing that the resident had a history of violence, the two hostel employees continued to ignore him, but he then proceeded to break a window and enter the building. At this point her colleague called the police. When he then began trying to break the reception office window with a fire extinguisher, our client and her colleague were forced to escape through another window and then climbed over the vehicular gate. In doing so, our client injured her shoulder.
