Settlement for man crushed by lorry

Paul Gelder, from East Ardsley, suffered serious injuries when he became trapped between a reversing lorry and the wall of a warehouse dock loading bay in Wakefield causing permanent pain in his back, hips and legs which means he is now unlikely to work again.

Mr Gelder, 54, was left with a shattered pelvis in a number of places and a ruptured bladder in the accident on November 13, 2008, and now has permanent symptoms of pain to his back causing him problems with mobility. During his treatment he needed a metal bar to be placed in his back to hold the pelvic bones in place and is now unable to do any heavy lifting.

Serious injury experts at Irwin Mitchell secured an out-of-court settlement for Mr Gelder from UPS (Supply Chain Solutions) UK Limited to cover his lost earnings, treatment, ongoing care and adaptations to help him around the home.

Specialists in work place injuries at Irwin Mitchell said the case highlights the “urgent need” to improve safety at work after UPS were fined £25,000 by the Health and Safety Executive.

Mr Gelder, who was working as an agency worker for UPS on Telford Way when the accident happened, said the past three years had been “horrendous” and it had been “a struggle to get back on track.” He added he was relieved the settlement was secured.