Worker paralysed in 30ft fall from pylon gets £10m payout

A maintenance worker whose life was "turned upside down" when he fell 30ft from a power line and was left paralysed has won at least £10m in compensation.

Gavin Pugh was dismantling a pylon in April 2022 when he unknowingly clipped his safety line to a section that was only secure at one end.

His safety rope slipped loose, causing him to plunge to the ground and suffer life-changing injuries to his brain, neck, shoulder, ribs and internal organs which mean he needs a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Pugh, who was 33 at the time, sued his employer, Wood Transmission and Distribution Ltd, after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found "adequate safety arrangements" had not been in place.

The Cheshire-based firm was fined £240,000 at a magistrates' court hearing in 2024 over the HSE's findings, before facing High Court proceedings brought by Pugh, from Bangor, Gwynedd.

HSE inspector Robert Gidman told the court the "tragic incident" could have been prevented if the company had "adequate arrangements to protect its workers from harm".

The pylon in Staffordshire had already been worked on by others, with a nut left loose, but this was not something Pugh knew about.

"Proper assessment of the risks and consideration of work methods, adequate staffing and clear procedures for transferring towers between teams could have enabled this work to go ahead without incident," Gidman added.

"Instead, because of the company's shortcomings, a worker has sadly and unnecessarily been left paralysed."

After out-of-court negotiations, a care and compensation package was agreed, described by Pugh's lawyers as worth "eight figures".

The money was compensation for his injuries and lost future earnings, as well as to help fund 24-hour live-in carers and more than £1m in rehabilitation costs.

Pugh's lawyers said that, before the fall, he had been an "active and sociable person" who enjoyed his job and had his own fishing boat.

But his injuries left him unable to walk and suffering "life-changing physical limitations" and "significant psychological consequences".

The firm, Stewarts, secured interim payments to fund his vital private rehab and care while negotiations were taking place.

Pugh said the incident "turned my life upside down".

"I wasn't able to work or go out with my friends. My life fell apart," he said.

He added that he was "very grateful" for the settlement, which would allow him to regain some quality of life, adding he had already been able to "get back into some of my past hobbies".

"I'm fishing and I'm able to get out and about. I'm able to go out with my friends again and enjoy myself, albeit not to the same extent, but I'm still happy."

Wood Transmission and Distribution Ltd, now known as United Infrastructure Power T&D Ltd, has been asked to comment.