Ford employees Anthony Coffin, left, and David Tarrant.
TWO Hampshire workers who sued Ford in a test case over hearing loss have won a partial victory.
Anthony Coffin, 52, and David Tarrant, 63, each claimed more than £10,000 from Ford to pay for hi-tech aids for loss of hearing caused by their jobs at the Transit plant in Swaythling.
A trial at Winchester County Court last November heard that Ford accepted the disability was partly caused by excessive noise at the factory. It accepted a breach of duty but disputed the level of compensation.
In a judgment handed down in a two-minute hearing, Judge Iain Hughes QC awarded £2,500 to Mr Coffin, of Salisbury Road, Totton, and £1,250 to Mr Tarrant, of Porlock Road, Redbridge.
The money is for two hearing aids for Mr Coffin and one for Mr Tarrant, who is now retired.
Mr Coffin has worked for Ford since 1987 and Mr Tarrant, a fork lift driver, since 1966.
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The case has been closely followed as there are up to 100 similar cases pending from workers at Swaythling. The court heard that Ford now insists its workers wear noise protection.
Had the two claimants fully won their action, Ford could have been faced with a compensation bill of up to £1m.
Now following the ruling the company could only be facing paying out a fraction of that amount.
Ford argued during the trial that it had caused only part of the hearing loss and so the hearing aids should be paid for by the National Health Service.
Judge Hughes decided against awarding the full claim partly because the cost of hearing aids has dropped sharply in recent years.
The judge also said there was no way of proving that the hearing loss had been advanced by ten years, a key fact on which the plaintiffs' case rested.
Steven Eldred, solicitor at Southampton law firm Lamport Bassitt, said: "Mr Tarrant is very pleased the court has recognised that Ford should be liable for the hearing aids he now
needs, due to the noise damage
to his hearing caused by Ford."
Mr Eldred added: "I'm pleased that the company is liable for the cost of the hearing aids as opposed to the NHS."
Ford were contacted but declined to comment. The firm had already agreed general damages of £4,500 for Mr Coffin and £5,000 for Mr Tarrant.
Judge Hughes adjourned the case for 28 days to allow for applications arising from the judgment.
"TWO Hampshire workers who sued Ford in a test case over hearing loss have won a partial victory"
Is there partial victory connected with their partial hearing?
"TWO Hampshire workers who sued Ford in a test case over hearing loss have won a partial victory"
Is there partial victory connected with their partial hearing?
Posted by: mayus karia, Southampton on 5:29pm Thu 27 Mar 08
More importantly who is interested in signing up for a Kinky Councilor Learney calender, if we get enough signatures then we might just be able to get this delectable beauty to bare her bits. Always a popular choice with the guys the lovely learney is a gem just waiting to be unearthed polished and enjoyed.
More importantly who is interested in signing up for a Kinky Councilor Learney calender, if we get enough signatures then we might just be able to get this delectable beauty to bare her bits. Always a popular choice with the guys the lovely learney is a gem just waiting to be unearthed polished and enjoyed.
Posted by: Get it right, Hythe on 10:03pm Thu 27 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Ian[/bold] wrote:
"TWO Hampshire workers who sued Ford in a test case over hearing loss have won a partial victory" Is there partial victory connected with their partial hearing?[/quote] Hedging your bets?
It should be "their" in both places.
Ian wrote:
"TWO Hampshire workers who sued Ford in a test case over hearing loss have won a partial victory" Is there partial victory connected with their partial hearing?
Hedging your bets?
It should be "their" in both places.
Posted by: Duh, Southampton on 1:34am Fri 28 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Get it right[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Ian[/bold] wrote: "TWO Hampshire workers who sued Ford in a test case over hearing loss have won a partial victory" Is there partial victory connected with their partial hearing?[/quote] Hedging your bets? It should be "their" in both places.[/quote] I am yet to see a decent post from you other than pulling ANYONE up on spelling mistakes. Do you have a life or are you proving life in Hythe is simply inbred and have nothing better to do than sleep with one another?
Try making a comment on the topic, it may make people from Hythe look a bit better after the reputation they have?
Get it right wrote:
Ian wrote: "TWO Hampshire workers who sued Ford in a test case over hearing loss have won a partial victory" Is there partial victory connected with their partial hearing?
Hedging your bets? It should be "their" in both places.
I am yet to see a decent post from you other than pulling ANYONE up on spelling mistakes. Do you have a life or are you proving life in Hythe is simply inbred and have nothing better to do than sleep with one another?
Try making a comment on the topic, it may make people from Hythe look a bit better after the reputation they have?
Posted by: Ken, Southampton on 5:18am Fri 28 Mar 08
Yeah lets sue someone, it'll pay for this years holiday. Bloody compensation culture, these guys have worked inside a Ford factory (what a waste of a working life) for over sixty years between them, now they bite the hands that have been feeding them for so long. looooooosers !
Yeah lets sue someone, it'll pay for this years holiday. Bloody compensation culture, these guys have worked inside a Ford factory (what a waste of a working life) for over sixty years between them, now they bite the hands that have been feeding them for so long. looooooosers !
Posted by: Get it right, Hythe on 11:02pm Fri 28 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Duh[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Get it right[/bold] wrote: [quote][bold]Ian[/bold] wrote: "TWO Hampshire workers who sued Ford in a test case over hearing loss have won a partial victory" Is there partial victory connected with their partial hearing?[/quote] Hedging your bets? It should be "their" in both places.[/quote] I am yet to see a decent post from you other than pulling ANYONE up on spelling mistakes. Do you have a life or are you proving life in Hythe is simply inbred and have nothing better to do than sleep with one another? Try making a comment on the topic, it may make people from Hythe look a bit better after the reputation they have?[/quote] I think you mean "I have yet to see..."
Duh wrote:
Get it right wrote:
Ian wrote: "TWO Hampshire workers who sued Ford in a test case over hearing loss have won a partial victory" Is there partial victory connected with their partial hearing?
Hedging your bets? It should be "their" in both places.
I am yet to see a decent post from you other than pulling ANYONE up on spelling mistakes. Do you have a life or are you proving life in Hythe is simply inbred and have nothing better to do than sleep with one another? Try making a comment on the topic, it may make people from Hythe look a bit better after the reputation they have?
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