Nissan Motor Manufacturing (NMUK) is to pay £60,000 in compensation to a former agency worker who lost his toe in an horrific accident at work. The compensation was secured through leading personal injury specialists Thompsons Solicitors.

Terence Doyle, from Wickham, was employed by an agency and was working at Nissan’s Washington Road site near Sunderland. In January 2004, he was working the night shift carrying out maintenance work which involved him climbing over a conveyor belt. As he did so, his left foot slipped through a hole in the protective guarding and went into the conveyor belt and was crushed by the ‘drive dog’ of the conveyor.

Mr Doyle explains: “My left foot was crushed and I was trapped in the conveyor for an hour and forty minutes with the ‘drive dog’ still pushing against my trapped foot before help arrived. I suffered a crush injury to my left foot resulting in numerous fractures and an amputation of my big toe, not to mention the psychological pain I’ve endured.

“The compensation will help me going forward because I’ve also lost out on pay at work, and been told that I’ll have a permanent restriction of movement which will impact the type of jobs I can carry out in the future.”

Representing Mr Doyle, David Mole from Thompsons Solicitors in Newcastle upon Tyne comments: “We’ve had other problems with Nissan in the past. Terence Doyle’s case is another example of a large employer negligently exposing workers to incredibly dangerous working conditions and then offering them risible compensation even after they admit negligence. We’re therefore very pleased with the settlement and hope that other employers take note and ensure that correct health and safety procedures are in place.”