Man Hit by Digger Bucket Wins £600,000

A construction worker has won a compensation settlement of £600,000 after his arm was partially severed in an accident at work.

The man was working on a construction site where a JCB digger was in use. The driver was having difficulty releasing the bucket of the digger so he and another worker offered to help.

After asking the JCB driver to engage the safety guard, the men set about trying to discover what was causing the blockage. When the driver got back into the cab, he knocked a lever, which caused the bucket to swing and hit the claimant.

In the accident, the man suffered multiple fractures to his arm and his hand was crushed and partially severed. He underwent several operations, and now has permanent scarring and a disability which impacts on all areas of his life.

The man brought a personal injury claim against his employer and the company that supplied the equipment and driver; a settlement of £600,000 was eventually agreed. This takes into account the man’s loss of past and future earnings as well as compensating him for the pain and injury suffered.

The Health and Safety Executive website features guidance on health and safety in the construction industry.