Posted on 04/18/2010 11:00:32 PM PDT by george76
A handyman who was injured in a "Laurel and Hardy moment" after propping his ladder against the tree branch he then sawed off is suing his employers.
Peter Aspinall, 64, had been asked to prune a sycamore tree in the grounds of a hotel, but instead of leaning his ladder against the trunk he placed it against the branch he was hacking down.
When the branch fell it took Mr Aspinall with it, 14ft to the ground below. He broke his heel, damaged his ligaments and had to spend ten days in hospital recovering from surgery on his injuries.
Now Mr Aspinall, who had worked at the Egerton House Hotel near Bolton, Lancashire, for just two weeks, is suing them for compensation.
He took the action after health and safety inspectors concluded the hotel failed to carry out a risk assessment on the dangers of pruning.
They also said that his employer should have given him training on where to place the ladder.
The hotel owners have now been fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,000 council costs and a £15 victim surcharge...
Mr Aspinall is now pursuing a civil claim for his injuries.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Serious question - in Britain we have been told that they have the “loser pays” legal system which is supposed to eliminate frivolous law suits. If there ever was a poster-child for a frivolous law suit this would appear to be it. But apparently not, according to the article. WTH?
Didn’t read your post before posting ;)
Steve Courson was a guard for the Steelers during their glory years in the late 70's - early 80's. In 2005 he was killed in a freak tree cutting incident. As per Wikipedia...
" Courson stayed near Pittsburgh for the rest of his life. In November 2005, he died in an accident at his home in Farmington, Pennsylvania. Courson had been cutting down a 44-foot tree on his property, but a gust of wind changed the direction of its fall, and he moved into its path while attempting to prevent his dog from being struck. The dog, a black Labrador retriever, was found alive guarding Courson's body when the tree was removed..."
Mister Aspinall should be heavily fined for almost terminal stupidity.
Just in the last two weeks in the local news there've been stories of locals who've died from having trees fall on them. And they weren't young and inexperienced.
Judging by the saw-like neatness of the cut, that fella is indeed very handy with his axe....
He keeps it sharp between uses by protecting the blade with ... wait for it ... duct tape. ;^)
It would suck for him but we would get another funny thread out of it.
Obviously would make a great addition to Obama’s cabinet or state department. Thanks george76.
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