Close-knit Workers Try to Avoid an Accident at Work Claim Only to Save Friendships

My job as a motorcycle mechanic has a lot of risks involved. I recently witnessed a colleague lose several fingers as they got caught in a chain. Before that, I was around when one of my co-workers lost a foot when a petrol tank exploded.

In both instances, the owner of our bike shop was quick to put the blame on my co-workers because by calling them negligent. But then these two mates are twenty year veterans of bike building. As far as I know, they were already designing and building custom motorcycles while I was still a spark in my parents’ eyes.

So to accuse the first guy of being responsible for his own injures was something that took everyone by surprise. But accusing the second guy of the same thing was an even bigger shock because everyone treated everyone else like family.

Being a close-knit shop, both these guys tried to work out a way for the owner to just pay for their medication. In the interest of friendship, they did not want to push for damages from the loss of fingers and a foot.

But as our shop owner stubbornly stood his ground, my mates had no choice but to file for an accident at work claim in order to get medical relief.

Knowing that their skills lay in bike building and not in law, each one hired a lawyer through a No Win No Fee arrangement. By not having to pay for anything, my mates were able to channel their salaries in to recovering from their injuries as the case took its course.

The cases they filed were eventually settled but the damage to their friendship, as well as to the company morale, was permanent. Prior to these two injuries, we trusted each other. Now, everybody kept looking over their shoulder.

While everyone was relieved that my two mates recovered from their physical injuries, everyone was saddened as the break to our emotional bonds never recovered.

We eventually left the company because things were not the same anymore. Hopefully the new companies we joined will be different and no one will need to file an accident at work claim in case of an injury.