A Crewe railway signalman who suffered a serious injury while on an authorised walkway at work, has secured compensation with the support of his union lawyers.

Christopher Walsh, 68, fractured his finger when he tripped over debris on an unlit walkway, while on shift in Crewe, in February 2022.

The RMT union member, who has worked as a signal operator for 25 years, was later taken to Leighton Hospital Accident and Emergency Department.

Railway signalman, Christopher Walsh, fractured his finger when he tripped over debris on an unlit walkway, while on shift in Crewe (Wiki Commons).

After hospital x-rays revealed he had fractured his finger, Mr Walsh was treated with a splint and forced off work for seven weeks.

Mr Walsh instructed national law firm, Thompsons Solicitors, to launch a compensation claim for his injuries and financial losses.

This was on the basis that his employer, Network Rail, had been negligent and had exposed him to a preventable risk of injury.

Network Rail admitted a breach of duty and agreed to pay Mr Walsh compensation.

Following detailed negotiations with the defendant's insurers, Thompsons helped the Crewe man secure a compensation payout.

Leighton Hospital x-rays revealed Christopher Walsh fractured his finger while working for Network Rail (Ryan Parker).

Mr Walsh told Nub News: "This incident was entirely avoidable. My colleagues and I have been making numerous complaints to management about this walkway since 2017.

"We've been warning them the lack of lighting at night was putting our safety at risk.

"They refused to address our concerns, insisting that it would not be 'cost-effective' to install the appropriate lighting.

"I'm hoping my experience will finally bring about the change required to keep my colleagues and me safe at work.

"I've been given incredible support by Thompsons.

Cristopher Walsh has worked as a signal operator in Crewe for 25 years (Ryan Parker).

"My legal representative Rachel listened to any concerns I had and kept me well-informed throughout proceedings – whether it was via a phone call or text message.

"I'm really pleased with the outcome of my claim. Having some financial security allows me to move on positively with my life."

Mr Walsh is adamant his injury could have been avoided, if Network Rail had listened to his and other colleagues' warnings about the dangers of the unlit walkway.

Thompsons' Rachel Keogh, who represented Mr Walsh, said: "While it's not possible to fully compensate for the avoidable physical distress our client endured as a result of this incident, we are pleased we were able to secure this outcome.

"Working in partnership with the RMT, our case was strengthened by the evidence of the independent medical expert.

National law firm, Thompsons Solicitors, won compensation for Christopher Walsh (Thompsons Solicitors).

"The settlement figure compensated Christopher for his hand injury and financial costs, including loss of earnings and travel expenses.

"We hope this settlement can provide some closure and wish him well in his future endeavours."

READ MORE: Police release CCTV image following reports of suspicious incident at Crewe property.

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