Lorry Driver’s Head Injury Leads to Calls for Safety Improvements
23/11/2009
A leading head injury solicitor has called on haulage firms to ensure that agency LGV drivers are given more information about their vehicle after a former soldier suffered a serious head injury when he hit the underside of a bridge.
Class 1 LGV driver Gordon Scott, from Leeds, has been awarded a six-figure compensation settlement by a leading global haulage company to provide for his future care following the crash in March 2005.
Head injury specialists at law firm Irwin Mitchell have secured the payout from DHL to support Mr Scott, who is now unable to work or lead an independent life following the accident.
Irwin Mitchell associate solicitor Joanne Ewart, who represented Mr Scott’s head injury claim, said DHL acknowledged that it had not provided Mr Scott with enough in-cab information about the height of the vehicle that he was driving.
“While there are duties on drivers in this situation, employers also have to make sure they do everything they can to ensure drivers are reasonably safe while at work,” she added.
“This is particularly true for agency drivers who will often swap between vehicles with substantially different trailer heights.”
Mr Scott served eight years in the Duke of Wellington Regiment 1st Battalion before becoming an LGV driver with a local agency to allow him to help care for his severely disabled daughter.
Mr Scott has five children and is a grandfather but will not be able to look after them due to the extent of his brain damage, caused when his vehicle hit a 14ft 3ins bridge on the A638 in Crofton, near Wakefield.
Joanne Ewart added: “Gordon suffered a very serious head injury in the crash and his world has been turned upside down by the fallout from the incident.
“He suffers severe memory problems and his personality has changed a great deal because of the extent of the damage to his brain.
“He will need care for the rest of his life so it was vital we were able to secure a significant level of compensation to provide the professional help and support he requires in the future.
“No settlement can ever compensate for what happened but with good care and expert rehabilitation therapy it may be possible to restore some quality of life for Gordon.”
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