Man injured in horrific accident blasts council

Aug 2 2012 by Craig Robertson, Galloway News

A ROAD worker crushed in a horrific accident is seeking compensation from the council.

Young dad Robbie Murray (below) was so badly hurt in the crash near Rhonehouse that more than two years on he is unable to pick up his three-year-old daughter, Summer.

And doctors have warned the 22-year-old paver his spinal injuries are so severe he may not be able to work in ten years’ time.

On Monday the council was fined £40,000 over the accident which saw Mr Murray pinned between a tar spreader and tipper lorry on the C2 road, near Netherird Farm, between Rhonehouse and Kirkcudbright.

At Dumfries Sheriff Court the authority admitted contravening the Health and Safety at Work Act during resurfacing work in April, 2010.

Mr Murray spent some time in hospital, first at Dumfries Infirmary and then at Glasgow Royal, being treated for back and pelvic injuries.

Speaking at his home in Hurlford, near Kilmarnock, he welcomed the court’s decision to fine the council.

He said: “I’m glad that they’ve been punished for what they’ve done to me. It’s been two-and-half years of hell for me.

“I’m taking legal action against them but I’m still waiting on an offer after all this time.

“I want them to pay for what they’ve done to me and make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.

“There were absolutely no safety restrictions in place.”

Mr Murray said he has been told by doctors he faces arthritis later in life.

He still does light duties for Hamilton Tarmac and added: “I’ve got damage to my back and pelvis.

“The doctors say I will have arthritis and could be able to work for another 10 or 15 years but it might only be another five years; they don’t know.”

The council admitted that there was a failure to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk to drivers of sub-contracted vehicles and that they failed to implement a safe system of work for the movement of vehicles engaged in repairs to the carriageway.

DGFirst director Bill Barker said: “The level of the fine reflects an early guilty plea on behalf of the council and the court’s recognition of the work done to improve safe working practices.

“The Health and Safety Executive is satisfied that we are moving in the right direction with our procedures. Therefore our thoughts go out to our contractor’s family, friends and colleagues.”