The BBC News Website has recently featured a story involving a 45 year old man being injured after he was crushed on a passenger ferry.
The 45 year old man from Poland has not yet been named, however it is understood that he was a crew member on the ‘Julia’ Swansea to Cork passenger ferry and that he was crushed by a water tight hydraulic door during his hours of work at approximately 11:45pm on Monday 12th July.
When the accident happened the ferry was approximately 10 miles south of St Anne’s Head, Milford Haven. The man was given first aid and medical treatment by on board nurses and members of the Milford Haven Coastguard who were called by other crew members and he was then airlifted to hospital by a helicopter from RMB Chivenor at around 2:40am the next morning. He is now being treated in North Devon District Hospital for a suspected broken pelvis.
An investigation into how this accident happened is underway by health and safety officers, and the ship’s owners ‘Fastnet Line’ are also making their own internal investigation. Mr. Philip Jones, the Chief Executive of Fastnet Line made the following statement:
“We can confirm that there was an accident on board MV Julia last night where a crew member was injured by a hydraulic door. Milford Haven Coastguard was alerted and the man was airlifted to North Devon District Hospital. He remains stable with a suspected broken pelvis. We are conducting our own investigation into the accident and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch has been informed.”
This is an unfortunate story of a man injured whilst carrying out his normal work duties, and, although the investigation is yet to be completed, it is possible that the door in which he became trapped was faulty. If this is the case then it is yet another example of employers failing to ensure the safety of an employee, and it is likely he will seek to claim compensation for his injuries and any future loss of earnings he may suffer as a result of the injuries sustained.
If you have been injured in an accident in the workplace, you may be entitled to compensation. You should seek advice from a firm of specialist personal injury lawyers who can give you advice as to whether you can make a claim. It is important to remember that you have 3 years in which to make a claim, so ensure that you seek urgent advice from Solicitors such as ourselves who specialise in accidents at work, and can offer you a genuine No Win No Fee agreement that ensures that if your claim is successful you will receive 100% of any compensation awarded.
