£500,000 Compensation for Welder's Life-Changing Injuries

A welder has won compensation of £500,000 after a metal jack collapsed under him, leaving him with life-changing injuries.

The 49-year-old man was working for a motor firm, welding together two pieces of steel, when the accident happened. When the metal jack collapsed, he was hit in the face, his eye socket was fractured and nerves in his cheek were severed.

Since then he has had five operations to rebuild his eye socket, but the extent of the damage to his face means that he has to wear a protective mask whenever he goes outdoors.

He suffers agonising pain due to the severity of his injuries. In an attempt to control the pain, he underwent surgery to his spinal cord and deep brain stimulation, but neither procedure was successful. He will never be able to work again and the accident has ruined his family life.

The reason why the jack collapsed was never established, but it was clear that the equipment was not safe to work with.

The man brought a claim against his former employer and won £500,000 in an out-of-court settlement. This will compensate him for his ongoing pain and suffering, as well as for loss of earnings.