A worker at an industrial estate is pressing charges against a colleague after he suffered severe burns from a plastic bottle that was filled with highly dangerous sulphuric acid. According to reports, the victim with the initials M.M. has undergone two skin grafts to his left thigh after the highly-corrosive liquid burned through the bottle when he picked it up. Workers at the site had taken the drain cleaner from its container and poured it into the empty plastic Irn Bru bottle where they left it next to a sink.
M.M. had picked up the bottle and put it into his pocket when he felt the burning. He removed the bottle and threw it away, rushing to toilets where he put cold water on his leg. His injury stopped hurting when his nerve endings were damaged, and he was able to walk his dog before going to the hospital. The individual says that he later discovered just how severe the burn was, and has since been out of work. The doctors say that his injury will take two to four years to fully heal. The individual who put the acid in the bottle says that he did not give the acid to his colleague but he left it unattended. He admitted to two counts of breaching the strict Health and Safety regulations at the workplace.
The sulphuric acid had only been in use at the facility for a week. It was being used to replace an older drain cleaner that had not been working. The individual who allegedly caused the accident claims that he did not know just how strong the drain cleaner was. Defense attorneys in the case claim that the individual being prosecuted never intentioned to harm his co-worker with the strong acid.
If you have been injured by exposure to highly corrosive chemicals, don’t hesitate to call a New York workers’ compensation lawyer at our firm today. We are committed to assisting you in seeking a satisfactory payout!