I read this evening in the Edinburgh News that an oil worker has been awarded £160,000 in compensation having been involved in an accident whilst working on an oil rig in the North Sea.
It is reported that Mr Martin Brand had to have two of his fingers partially amputated following his hand being crushed when he was cleaning some pipes and some hydraulic slips unexpectedly moved back in May 2006. Most of this compensation was awarded on the basis that Mr Brand was disadvantaged on the open labour market. So what do we mean by this?
When we say that someone is at a disadvantage on the open labour market, this is to say that, because of the nature of the injuries they have sustained in an accident in which they were not to blame, they will struggle to either maintain the job they already have, progress their career, or will only be able to do certain types of work.
So for example, a window cleaner that loses both of his hands in an accident will be unlikely to be able to work as a window cleaner again; this is a disadvantage in the open labour market. Or say a labourer suffers a serious back injury whilst at work, meaning that he can no longer undertake heavy duties – his career as a labourer is severely blighted and he will have to look at fewer alternative chances of employment. In essence, your injuries may restrict the jobs that you are able to undertake, and where these injuries have resulted through no fault of your own, you are entitled to be compensated for this disadvantage on the open labour market.
In this case Mr Brand received £40,000 in respect of the pain and suffering that resulted from his accident, and the fact that he had to have part of two fingers amputated. The other £120,000 represented compensation for the fact that his ability to get certain types of jobs is restricted and this is through no fault of his own. As the judge said, Mr Brand ‘must receive an award to recognise that if he loses his present position he will be at a great disadvantage in the labour market’. After all, Mr Brand did try to return back to the rig, but because of his injuries, Mr Brand had to remain onshore and undertake work there.
If you have been involved in any kind of accident and believe that you may be able to make a claim for compensation, please do get in touch with The Injury Lawyers who will be able to provide you with some independent and free legal advice at the drop of a hat.
We are quality, professional injury lawyers with years of experience who are happy to confidentially discuss your claim with you with no strings attached. If you do decide to instruct us then we will ensure that you obtain the maximum compensation you deserve in the quickest possible time.
Call our expert legal team 0800 634 7575 to get your claim started today.
