A man who worked as a reception assistant at a mental hospital in Nottinghamshire has won £210,000 in compensation after a workplace injury caused him a series of health problems.
David Prince, was inspecting a lorry at Rampton secure mental hospital when the incident occurred. In order to examine the vehicle’s contents, the 58-year-old reportedly asked the driver to open the side curtains of the lorry. As he inspected it, the driver mistakenly let go of the curtain and an attached iron bar hit Mr Prince on the head.
The injury caused Mr Prince to suffer dizziness, blurry vision, pain, nausea and tiredness. He was taken to hospital but discharged soon after so he could return to work. However, since the incident occurred Mr Prince complained of health problems such as lack of concentration, chronic headaches and even “out-of-character” behaviour.
With the help of his workers’ union, Unison, Mr Prince successfully sued the owners of the lorry, E H Lee, and received £210,000 in compensation for his injuries.
As E H Lee’s vehicle was visiting the hospital in a business capacity, it is likely that the compensation payment would be covered under the company’s professional insurance policy, provided the owners of the firm had thought to take one out as a precaution.