A GMB member who was seriously injured when he was flung from a barrow truck while working at haulage company GCT in Thorne has received £245,000 compensation.

The man, who worked as a shunter, was assisting to load pallets on to wagons, in October 2006. As he reversed the truck to straighten it up and move forward it suddenly slid and spun around, throwing him off.

His leg was trapped between one of the bars at the side of the truck and a barrier on a wall. It was crushed and he suffered a broken tibia. He suffers constant pain and has limited mobility in his leg.

Pay substantial compensation to their injured employee

Les Dobbs, GMB Midlands and East Coast Region Senior Organiser said: “Haulage is a dangerous industry and unfortunately our members working in it do suffer serious injuries. All too often there is insufficient or non-existent observance of health and safety systems that will prevent or reduce accidents.”

Carol Wild of Thompsons Solicitors in Nottingham said: “This was a serious accident that could have been avoided if the employer had ensured that there was proper maintenance and care of the workplace, which would have been a lot cheaper long term for the employer than having to pay substantial compensation to their injured employee.”