An electrician suffered a 'devastating' head injury after a heavy load fell on him after falling from a forklift truck in windy conditions.
Liam Hamilton, 20, suffered the awful injuries after the load fell from several storeys on a building site.
The apprentice electrician was also wearing a safety helmet at the time when he stepped out the doorway in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, but still suffered a fractured skull.
On 21 February 2022, Hamilton was rushed to hospital and put into an induced coma for four days.
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He then later suffered a seizure in December last year, and the electrician also suffers from ongoing cognitive, strength and balance problems.
Hamilton said: "I can’t remember what happened other than waking up in hospital and being told about the incident. It was then that the severity of what happened slowly started to sink in.
"Before the accident I was just like a lot of people my age. I enjoyed going out with my friends, watching football, boxing and playing golf.
"However, that’s all changed now. I’m a lot more reserved and tend to avoid going out to busy places.
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"I find it difficult to balance and struggle with simple things like walking and talking at the same time; things most people take for granted."
Since Hamilton suffered the fractured skull, court documents have revealed Weston Homes, the property developer working on the building site, was in breach of multiple health and safety rules.
It was said that Weston Homes had not enforced an exclusion zone to stop people from being in an area with a risk of falling materials.
The company were also found to have not briefed workers on safe practices and also had not enforced a safe system for moving materials around the site.
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Irwin Mitchell, the legal firm representing Hamilton, added that Weston Homes failed to carry out proper safety assessments and provide machinery suitable for lifting materials at height.
It was also noted that Hamilton shouldn't have been doing the work at height in them windy conditions, something Weston Homes failed to enforce.
Liam added: "I have memory and concentration problems and can lose track of what I’m saying mid-sentence. I’m now a lot more reliant on my parents to help me.
“It has been really difficult to come to terms with what has happened to me over the last year. One of the hardest things is not knowing what the future holds.
“I really enjoyed my job and loved going to work, but now I don’t know whether it’s something I’ll be able to return to because of my ongoing issues.
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“My job was quite physical and the ongoing balance issues mean I’m not sure if I’d be able to work at height or reach overhead.
"I’m also worried whether I’d be able to problem-solve some of the issues that the job throws up.
“Despite everything I try and remain focused on my recovery but it’s difficult having to live with my ongoing symptoms and questions around whether more should have been done to prevent my injuries.
“While I can’t change what’s happened, I feel that the least I deserve is answers.”
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Sarah Griggs, Hamilton's lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, has called on Weston to work with them to allow the case to come to a climax so Hamilton can 'focus on his 'recovery'.
A representative for Weston Homes said to Bury St Edmunds Mercury: "Weston Homes is devastated by what happened to Liam Hamilton whilst he was working on site at the company's Tayfields development in Bury St Edmunds.
"It is Weston Homes' sincere wish that the matter is speedily resolved and that Liam Hamilton receives all the help and support that he needs to rebuild his life."
LADbible has contacted Weston Homes for further comment.
Callum Jones