Hand and Finger injuries are some of the most common injuries people experience in the workplace, particularly in factories or manufacturing plants. Because of the nature of the injuries, these types of claims often encompass significant loss of earnings (into the future) as the injured party is unable to return to work.
Here are some examples of hand and finger injury cases in which we have represented clients:
Case Study 1 – Injury at meat processing plant
We represented a man who operated a bandsaw in a boning hall in a meat processing factory. Our client sustained significant injuries when the saw he was operating cut the top of his thumb and his index finger off. The meat factory admitted liability and we obtained reports from several experts including a plastic surgeon, a psychiatrist, an occupational therapist and an actuary to determine the full value of our client’s claim. We successfully settled the case for €295,000.00 for our client’s hand injury and his future loss of earnings.
Case Study 2 – Hand injury at insulation factory
Our client worked for an insulation company and was in the process of cutting insulation products when he cut off the top of his left middle finger and the top of his ring finger. He underwent emergency surgery and a significant programme of rehabilitation. Our engineer confirmed that a lack of safety measures and/or safety equipment were the cause of the accident. On the day of the trial, the case settled for a significant sum of compensation together with legal costs.
Case Study 3 – Injury at food processing plant
We acted on behalf of a client who worked at a food processing plant. Her job was to slice sauce packets so that they could be individually packed. In the course of cutting the sauce packets, she cut off the top of her left index finger, requiring her to undergo emergency surgery. She suffered nerve damage to her finger and was lengthy rehabilitation. She further received treatment and medication for the psychological injuries she suffered as a result of the incident. After we issued proceedings on foot of various expert reports we had obtained, the Defendant approached us and we were able to negotiate settlement on behalf of our client.
Case Study 4 – Injury in bakery
We are representing a man who worked as a cleaner in a bakery when due to a shortage of staff he was asked to operate a machine frying donuts and transporting them on for further processing. Our client had no experience using the machine and was not trained to do so. Shortly after commencing work on the machine, our client’s left index finger was caught in a section of the conveyor belt that had had the rubber protectors removed. He sustained a severe crush injury. The matter is ongoing.
