Recently, a paramedic was given £200,000 as compensation for an accident caused at his workplace that disabled him for life.

Michael Kirkham, the paramedic in question, was grievously injured when he fell after his bag was caught in a door handle. Apparently, at the time of the fall, the paramedic was carrying heavy emergency equipment that weighed nearly 60 pounds. The bag he was carrying was not meant for such heavy equipment. The fall led to the paramedic sustaining serious injuries in the shoulder region.

On examination, the doctors advised Kirkham at least four weeks of complete rest. However, post four weeks when Kirkham returned to work, he found that he had to struggle to cope with his responsibilities. A few months later, he lost complete sensation in his arm and started suffering from constant pain in the back and shoulder region.

West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust accepted responsibility for the accident and decided to settle the matter out of court by paying the paramedic £200,000 as compensation. It is pertinent to note that the paramedic had repeatedly brought the safety hazards in using the bag to the notice of the employers but to no avail.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service stated that this accident had occurred when the employee was employed with Staffordshire Ambulance Service prior to its merger with West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust. The latter had actually inherited the accident and its liability along with other assets and liabilities during the merger.

However, having said that, the spokesperson added that the Trust sympathises with the employee for his loss and it will endeavour to ensure that such accidents do not recur in the workplace.

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