IT Worker Sues Employer For £150,000

An IT worker from Kent is suing his employer for £150,000 after an accident left him with a misshapen right finger and unable to find work within, send texts, or use a computer mouse. The man fell down an “unsafe” staircase hitting his head and enduring a number of personal injuries. It is claimed that the old staircase and a live electrical cable combined to create an unsafe environment that led to the accident sustained by Mr Alpman while working for Music and Goods Exchange Limited.

Whilst working in the computer server room at the Music and Goods Exchange, Mr Alpman fell down a flight of stairs. According to his lawyer, the 59 year old hit his head and twisted as he fell to the ground. The accident led to a number of injuries which includes a misshapen right index finger. Mr Alpman has said that the injury is so severe that not only is he unable to use a computer keyboard and mouse but he has to get his son to send text messages for him.

Mr Alpman has issued a writ against his former employers, suing them for the sum of £150,000 because the staircase was unfit and it breached health and safety regulations. All employers are legally obliged to provide a healthy and safe working environment for their employees but the state of disrepair that the staircase was in, coupled with the live electrical cable that ran down the handrail on the left means that, according to Mr Alpman’s lawyers, he was unable to stop himself falling.

The badly injured finger wasn’t the only injury sustained by the IT expert. He suffered injuries to his shoulder, knee, hands, and spine. Extensive injuries of this nature can be commonplace in personal injury lawsuits and if it is determined that Music and Goods Exchange were negligent and therefore liable to meet the damages and compensation for Mr Alpman’s accident then the total figure could be substantial. Not only will they have to pay compensation for the injuries but may have to cover potential lost earnings.

Prior to the accident, Mr Alpman was an IT executive and at the top of his field. However, he believes that the injuries sustained put him at a disadvantage in the labour market and that they are preventing him from being able to find work. Mr Alpman was dismissed from his work within a month of the accident, which occurred in 2011, and he has been unable to find work since that date.

All employers must have employer’s liability insurance and it is this policy that is used to cover incidents and accidents such as the one suffered by Mr Alpman. If the court determines that Music and Goods Exchange, where the IT expert was employed at the time of the accident, were negligent and the injuries suffered were down to this negligence then the company will be required to pay compensation to the claimant. Mr Alpman is suing for £150,000 because of the extent of his injuries, his resulting disability, and the fact that he is now unable to find work.

Accidents At Work StockslegalJun 28th, 20130 comments