A worker who lost the use of his right hand in a workplace accident, six years ago, has been awarded €8,727 in compensation after a court split responsibility for the accident between him and his employer.

John Brincat had sued his employer K.C.A. Plastics Limited over a 2010 accident involving the factory’s injection molding machine.

Brincat claimed that an injection moulding machine  which he was operating had jammed and when he opened an inspection hatch to clear the fault the machine started working again trapping his hand. He claimed that the machine should have automatically shut-off when the inspection hatch was opened.

A court appointed expert had determined that the version of events given by injured man had certainly not taken place, but that at the same time it wasn’t clear as to whether the perspex door that, when opened, would interrupt the machine’s functioning had been in place or not .