A delivery driver who was freed by the fire service when a faulty van door crushed his hand has received £7,000 in accident compensation.

David McCulloch, 52, from Bicester in Oxfordshire, was forced to take seven weeks off work following the shocking accident which left him with a broken index finger.

He was delivering bread buns to Burger King in Newmarket as part of his job for food delivery firm 3663 Limited when the accident happened.

Van door slammed shut and trapped hand

His van door was faulty and it slammed shut trapping his right hand. Staff from Burger King were unable to release his hand and called the fire service which freed him using specialist cutting equipment.

Following the accident he contacted his union, the GMB, which instructed its lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors to pursue a claim for compensation. 3663 admitted liability and settled the claim out of court for just over £7,000.

David, who now works for a different company as a driver, said fortunately he has not suffered any long term damage to his hand.

He said: “I was in agony when the van door fell on my hand and I’m lucky that people were around to get me help. The fire brigade couldn’t get the door to open and in the end used cutting equipment to get my hand out.

“My hand has healed well, but I had to miss out on seven weeks work. I’m just glad that my injuries weren’t worse. As a driver I rely on my hands to earn a living.”

Injured driver was working with faulty equipment

Carol Sears from the GMB said: “Mr McCulloch underwent a shocking ordeal all because his van door was defective. He should never have been put in a position where he was working with faulty equipment.”

Martin Fell from Thompsons Solicitors said: “Mr McCulloch was a victim of his employer’s inability to ensure it provided safe working conditions for its employees. All vehicles should have been part of a thorough inspection programme to pick up potential faults like this. Fortunately he has not suffered from any long term damage, but that does not negate the fact he was put in a dangerous position in the first place.”