Published 49 minutes ago • loading... • Updated 49 minutes ago
Worker paralysed in 30ft fall from pylon gets £10m payout
The settlement covers lost earnings, 24-hour live-in carers and more than £1 million in rehabilitation costs, his lawyers said.
Power line maintenance worker Gavin Pugh secured an eight-figure compensation settlement following a 30-foot fall from a pylon in April 2022 that left him paralysed.
In East Staffordshire, Pugh unknowingly attached his safety rope to a pylon section left unfastened by another work team; when he put his weight on the strut, it rotated and his safety line slipped free.
The Health and Safety Executive fined employer Wood Transmission and Distribution Ltd £240,000 in 2024, with inspector Robert Gidman stating the "tragic incident" could have been prevented with "adequate safety arrangements."
Negotiated by legal firm Stewarts, the settlement covers lifetime 24-hour live-in care, rehabilitation costs exceeding £1m, and lost future earnings. Pugh stated the funds ensure he is "comfortable for the rest of my life."
Pugh, who suffered life-changing physical and psychological injuries, has regained some quality of life and returned to fishing and socialising. The case underscores the necessity of proper risk assessments and clear safety procedures when transferring towers between work teams.