A maintenance engineer has been awarded £25,000 compensation after sustaining a knee injury while carrying out repair work on industrial machinery.

The engineer was on a pallet, repairing some wiring when the accident happened. When he attempted to stand, the instep of his right foot slipped into a gap of approximately one inch in the pallet on which he was kneeling. His right knee slipped inward towards his left knee.

He sustained an acute torsional injury to the knee and was taken immediately to an accident and emergency department where he was provided with bandages, crutches and Voltarol.

An orthopaedic surgeon later confirmed that he had lost 20 degrees of full extension in the knee and suffered medial joint line pain. He needed crutches for approximately four months after the accident.

His mobility was very limited for approximately five months. He required help from his wife to carry out personal care tasks and chores. Before the accident he had played football daily with his son but afterwards he was unable to do so.

The injuries increased the risk of him developing a degenerative disease and advanced post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the knee that might result in the need for a total knee replacement.

He took legal action against his employer, alleging negligence in failing to comply with best practice and standards. The company disputed liability but agreed to an out-of-court settlement of £25,000.

Please contact us if you would like advice about making a personal injury claim.