A lorry driver from Leicestershire whose foot was crushed in a workplace accident has received £75,000 in compensation, thanks to Unite Legal Services and Thompsons Solicitors. 

Steven Cannon, 55, missed nine months of work and needed surgery after his right foot was crushed by a pallet of oil barrels weighing in excess of a tonne, which he was unloading from his HGV using a pallet truck. The pallet had become stuck on goods in the back of the HGV and pulling it out required excess force, causing it to roll over his foot.

“It was such a relief to have Unite Legal Services and Thompsons Solicitors on my side."

Steven Cannon Thompsons Solicitors' Crush Injury Client

Steven was working alone at the time and it took him several minutes to free his foot. He was eventually taken to hospital, where he needed surgery to repair soft tissue and bone damage. The accident also exacerbated a previous, unrelated injury to the same foot, which had almost healed, and doctors say he may need further surgery.

“I’d told my manager before the incident that the pallets were often too heavy and they were an accident waiting to happen,” he said. “Instead of taking this on board, my manager just told me to get on with my job, without giving a moment’s notice to the potential risks.

“I hoped that my foot problems would be a thing of the past after spending years recovering, but this accident has just aggravated it, and the thought that I may need more surgery is frustrating.”

Steven needed nine months off work and subsequently left the company. He has now found work as a HGV driver elsewhere, but still has pain in his foot.

As a Unite member, Steven was entitled to free legal support from Unite Legal Services and Thompsons Solicitors. With their combined support, he secured £75,000 compensation for his injury and the resulting lost wages.

Kevin Hepworth, East Midlands regional legal officer at Unite the Union, said: “Sadly, Steven was still in pain when he turned to us for legal guidance. With the help of Thompsons Solicitors’ accident at work team, we supported his compensation claim. Steven’s employer had failed to comply with health and safety regulations and had disregarded his initial concerns.

“As a Unite member, Steven had free access to our legal services. When his case was settled for £75,000 he got the amount in full – meaning he didn’t need to pay success fees and was not subject to any hidden costs. If he had gone to a ‘No Win No Fee’ firm he would be at least £15,000 worse off now. All Unite members unfairly injured in the workplace enjoy this same level of support.”

“It was such a relief to have Unite Legal Services and Thompsons Solicitors on my side,” Steven added. “Without them, I wouldn’t have had a clue how to start my claim.”