The High Court has ordered Steel and Tube Industries Ltd to pay Phillip Wangala, a former employee, Shs100 million as compensation for an accident that led to him losing three fingers on his right hand.
Through his lawyers, Hilal & Company Advocates, Wangala dragged Steel and Tube Industries Ltd to court seeking to force the company to pay him Shs250 million in general damages for negligence and causing injury following the accident, which happened on October 14, 2013.
According to the court documents, Wangala, who was aged 23 at the time and working as a helper on a roller machine at the company’s Namanve-based plant, had his glove stuck in the machine, resulting in the crushing of three of his fingers and much of the flesh on the palm.
He was rushed to Nsambya Hospital, where he spent three months under the care of his mother.
Steel and Tube Industries paid him Shs 18,207,500 in compensation, of which Shs 9,000,000 was spent on hospital bills. Subsequently, he was fired on May 4, 2016, on medical grounds.
In his ruling, Justice Boniface Wamala said, “I am satisfied that Wangala is entitled to compensation by way of general damages although not to the extent suggested by his advocate.”
He added, “On the facts and circumstances of the present case, I find a sum of Shs100 million appropriate compensation by way of general damages to Wangala.”
