A delivery driver who was forced to give up his job after suffering a back injury during the course of his work has won a £22,000 payout.
When the accident happened, John Atkin was driving a van loaded with leaflets and newspapers. As he drove, the load moved around in the back of the van and when he came to unload, he discovered the bundles were in the wrong order. Whilst trying to rearrange them, Mr Atkin suffered a serious injury to his cervical spine.
After the accident, Mr Atkin found he was no longer able to carry out manual lifting tasks and so had to give up his job. Because the injury is so painful, he has not been able to find alternative work.
An investigation was carried out to find out why the leaflets and newspapers had moved around in the back of the van. This revealed that they had been loaded incorrectly at the depot.
Mr Atkin brought a claim against his former employer, which admitted failing to comply with health and safety regulations. Mr Atkin agreed a £22,000 settlement to compensate him for his injuries, his loss of earnings since the accident and his future loss of earnings while he looks for a suitable new job.



