A West Huntspill man whose life was permanently changed when he shattered his foot in an accident at work has been awarded £185,000 of compensation.
The man – who has not been named – was working for a company on the refurb of an Asda store when the incident occurred in 2007.
He was part of a group who was tasked with dismantling and removing several industrial fridges, but he fell when he stepped on some flimsy plasterboard.
The 55-year-old said: “It was bridging a gap between the fridges, but it was covered with dust and looked like it was just part of the fridge.”
“When I stepped onto it, I went straight through and fell over six feet to the ground, landing awkwardly on my left heel.”
The fall shattered his heel in five places and he has since had three operations to insert screws and bolts into his damaged bones.
He spent 10 months on crutches, and was unable to work for 18 months. When he finally returned to work, he was unable to carry out the same sort of jobs as before the accident, and was made redundant in 2009.
An employers’ liability specialist helped secure the £185,000 out-of-court compensation settlement.
A spokesman said: “Four years after his accident, my client has finally won his fight for justice. No amount of money can make up for the loss of his career, but we hope this settlement will enable him to move on with his life.”
