A judge in Ireland has thrown out a lawsuit by a man who got his hand caught in a workplace machine. The court said the worker was “the author of his own misfortune.”
Meat factory worker Hans Kelders cut off a chunk of his hand in a ham slicer while chatting with a co-worker.
Kelders took Kerry Foods to court, claiming he was put to work on dangerous machinery.
But the judge dismissed the case, saying Kelders himself was responsible.
The judge noted Kelders had been trained on the machine, which was “straightforward” and found in many delis.
Kelders said he’d let his mind wander while talking to a colleague and when he went to grab the cutter’s handle, his hand came into contact with the spinning blade.
It tore a piece of skin off his right hand.
The judge said Kerry Foods was in no way negligent in this injury case.