Joiner Receives Compensation for Injury due to Insecure Load

A self-employer joiner, who was left semi-paralysed when an 8 foot piece of plyboard hit him during a storm, has been awarded more than a million pounds in compensation for injury due to insecure load in an out of court settlement.

Christopher Holmes (34) from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, was working on the roof of Longsands College in St. Neots in November 2007 when the tragedy occurred. While in the process of covering insulation which had been laid on the roof, a gust of wind caught the 8 foot piece of plyboard and blew it straight at Christopher – knocking him unconscious.

Christopher was rushed to Addenbrooke´s Hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with a severe spinal injury. Despite many return visits to the hospital for specialist treatment, Christopher – a father of three young children – is now semi-paralysed, unable to move his fingers or legs and requires round-the-clock care.

After seeking advice from solicitors, Christopher made a personal injury compensation claim against the contractors for the site – the nationwide firm R.G. Carter Construction Ltd – claiming that the plyboard which hit him should have been secured to prevent such an accident. Four years after his injury occurred, liability was admitted and a seven figure settlement was agreed in compensation for injury due to insecure load.