Crane collapse driver awarded £2.7m compensation
A crane driver who was left paralysed after being flung from the cab of a 200-foot-high crane in Liverpool in 2009 has been awarded £2.7m in compensation.
Iain Gillham, 58, a father of four, was left a paraplegic following the accident. He is now in a wheelchair and requires a team of carers to provide him with round-the-clock support. He is unlikely to be able to work again. Fletchers Solicitors fought a four-year legal battle on Gillham's behalf to win payouts from the three companies found responsible last year for serious health and safety failings.
The out-of-court settlement was reached with firms Bowmer & Kirkland, Bingham Davis and Adana. Gillham was granted a £2.7m compensation package, along with a £180,000 payment each year for the rest of his life, which will cover the ongoing costs of his care.
Gillham sustained devastating injuries when the crane he was operating collapsed onto the Chandlers Wharf development in Liverpool city centre on 6 July 2009, throwing him from the cab. The accident was caused by a 'catastrophic' miscalculation of the machinery's foundations, leading the crane to fall onto the building. Gillham suffered a fractured skull, two chest fractures, 11 spine fractures, a brain haemorrhage, a collapsed lung and serious crush injuries to his left shoulder and arm. He spent 12 months recovering in hospital.
Adrian Denson, head of serious injury at Fletchers Solicitors in Southport, said: "What Iain has been through since the accident is appalling and it is a regret that the complex arguments between the various companies involved in the crane collapse meant that settlement has only just been reached. He suffered a serious head injury and a catastrophic spinal injury which means he will use a wheelchair for the rest of his life, and be reliant upon a team of carers. This settlement means he can now get on with the rest of his life without worrying about paying for essential matters such as his accommodation, equipment, care package, for example."
