Mason claims $.7m for hand injury

A MASON has sued his employer for $.7 million for injury to three of his fingers, which were partially severed.

Suresh Persad, of Penal, in a lawsuit filed in the High Court, claimed that on November 4, 2014, he was cutting a piece of greenheart wood with an electric table-saw at Imtiaz Sookoor Contractors Ltd, Claxton Bay, where he worked.

The lawsuit, filed by attorney Stephen Boodram, said the wood got stuck in the saw and pulled Persad’s left hand towards the blade.

The table-saw was the equipment Persad used at the contracting company, having been employed there for some time.

Persad is contending that the company permitted him to cut the wood on the table-saw using his left hand, when it knew or ought to have known he had a prior injury to his left wrist.

He also did not have suitable safety gear, which he said was not provided in keeping with OSHA requirements.

He also said the company should have provided an assistant to hold the piece of wood while he used the table-saw. In fact, Persad said, it is dangerous to use such a saw without an assistant.

Dr Trevor Seepaul, an orthopaedic surgeon, has assessed Persad’s injury at 80 per cent digit disability. His little finger has been calculated to have suffered 90 per cent disability .

Boodram, on Persad’s behalf, is claiming damages for personal injuries due to alleged negligence by the company.