Personal injury compensation worth £70,000 for man hurt at work

A personal injury claim of £70,000 has been awarded to a man hurt in a workplace accident in Calthwaite, Cumbria.

Stephen Hyndman was operating a mechanical harvester when it became jammed, leading to his lower leg being pulled into the machine and suffering crushing injuries, the Mid-Ulster Mail reports.

The amount of personal injury compensation awarded was raised due to the fact the incident has prevented the victim from embarking upon his chosen career as a driver of HGV vehicles.

Contractor William Brown hired Mr Hyndman to harvest potatoes on a 700-acre farm in the north of England, close to the Scottish border.

A judge ruled him "vicariously liable" for the failure of another worker to turn off the mechanism while the victim explored the blockage, commenting: "I am satisfied that it was essential that employees should be expressly instructed how to remedy this type of situation and the precautions which they should adopt.”

A review is currently under way of the role of legal aid in personal injury compensation and some experts believe a reduction will be recommended in the final report.