Injured at work whilst sorting mail gets postie 5.5k

[POSTMAN]

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A postman who dedicated 13 years of his life to Royal Mail was injured at work whilst sorting mail

Mail Sack Was Overweight
The postman worked in the Cardiff Mail Centre. On this particular day, he was sorting through mail with his fellow colleagues. As he was emptying mail sacks, he picked up one that was extremely heavy, much heavier than the others.

As he picked up the sack, it was so heavy it caused him to fall forwards towards the cage holding the mail. He dropped the mail sack and fell forward experiencing a sharp shooting pain in his right elbow.

He called out to his 2 colleagues and they came over to help. They later weighed the mail sack in question and discovered that it was indeed overweight.

He went to the doctors who put his arm in a sling and told him that he had suffered from ligament damage. The pain continued and moved further up into his shoulder, for which he later received physiotherapy.

Refusal of Treatment in Fear of Losing Job
In fear of losing his job, the postal worker returned to work 5 weeks after his accident despite still feeling pain in his arm. He was told that he would need an injection in his shoulder that would result in him taking a further 2 days off work but he refused treatment.

The injury left a considerable mark on the 38 year olds home life. For the first 3 weeks, he was unable to help his wife around the home and he was unable to hug his daughter properly because he couldn't lift his arm.

After working with Simpson Millar LLP via a referral from his trade union, the CWU (Communication Workers Union), we were able to get the man £5,500 compensation for his injuries.

Top Tips to Take Home
•It is your employer's responsibility to ensure your safety, it shouldn't impact on your job security
•Do not rush back to work as it can and will hinder your recovery
•A good solicitor will know how to negotiate with large companies like Royal Mail – choose a solicitor that is experienced in negotiating a settlement

[Judgee]

One thing I've noticed that's on the increase in recent years is RM pushing people to return before they are ready. Let's hope more cases like this are won, perhaps RM might think a bit harder before harrassing unwell people back into the firing line!

[Son Of God]