A worker among 35 people injured when a ship tipped over in a dry dock in Leith has spoken about the “scary” incident as a law firm looks into potential civil actions.
Constantin Pogor said he was thrown from one side of the bridge of the Petrel to the other, cracked his ribs on a metal beam and passed out.
The Romanian national is among several of those hurt in the incident currently being represented by law firm Digby Brown.
The 48-year-old suffered a dislocated elbow and fractured pelvis and is still being treated for his injuries.
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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is investigating after the Petrel became dislodged from its holding at the Imperial Dock in Leith in March and tipped over, leaving 35 people injured.
Speaking about the incident, Mr Pogor said: “I heard a loud noise, felt movement and I just had this reflex reaction to try and hold onto something but I didn’t get to grab onto anything.
“I flew from one side of the bridge to the other and landed on my right side and hit my ribs on a metal beam.
“I must have passed out because I remember just sort of coming to – that’s when I realised my elbow was dislodged.
“A colleague then tried to move me – it was realty painful and that’s when I realised that although I could move my legs, something was wrong in my hip.
“I still don’t even know what actually happened that day to cause the ship to fall.”
He said he had sought his own lawyers to investigate and believes there are a “lot of other people onboard who’ve done the same”.
He added: “But I want to shed light on what happened to me just so people back home know I’m relatively okay.
“It was scary at the time – especially when you’re not able to speak the same language.
“But I’m being looked after now, have a translator and I’m focused on my recovery.”
Digby Brown Solicitors have confirmed they are assisting people affected with legal inquiries.
A Digby Brown spokesman said: “We can confirm we assisting a number of injured people affected by the Leith docks incident.
“Our inquiries are at an early stage so we cannot comment further on the specifics; however we will continue to support and advise all affected people.”
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