Wind farm worker Ben Thompson sues for £500k after falling 25 metres from gangway into North Sea

A wind farm technician is suing his employer for £500,000 damages after suffering a “traumatic brain injury” in a 25-metre fall into the North Sea.

Ben Thompson, 31, fell while passing through the passage between a ship and the pillar at the Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm in eastern England in August 2023.

Mr Thompson brought High Court proceedings against GE Energy UK, claiming the company was negligent and breached its contractual and duty of care obligations.

GE Energy UK disputes the claim, denying any negligence or negligence.

According to court documents seen by journalists, Mr Thompson’s lawyer, Matthew Chapman KC, testified that the technician went through the gate after the green light indicated it was safe.

Mr Chapman added that Mr Thompson “was told not to trip by his colleague” and as he walked he “started to feel the walkway moving”.

Mr Chapman said: “The top half was motionless but the bottom half was moving.

“The mop path was suddenly and unexpectedly withdrawn, and while the plaintiff was trying to retreat, he lost his balance as a result of the movement and fell approximately 25 meters into the sea.”

Mr Thompson believes he momentarily lost consciousness when he hit the water and remained there for just over five minutes before a rescue boat pulled him from the water.

He also claims he didn’t see any red lights, hear an emergency alarm, or hear anyone yelling to alert him to danger.

Mr Chapman said the resulting brain damage left him with “ongoing cognitive problems”, he suffered further injuries to his face, neck, back, legs and ankles and also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.

These injuries cause ongoing pain and harm job opportunities, the technician said.

Lawyers for GE Energy UK said in court papers that the emergency system on the dock was activated, there was a red light signal and an alarm, but “contrary to his training” Mr Thompson went 19 steps further.

They said they had seen CCTV footage showing the incident, but that the footage belonged to the Norwegian company that now owns the ship Mr Thompson passed through.

They also said safe access was controlled by a dock operator and a skilled sailor, both employed by Norwegian company Ostensjo/Edda Wind.

Officials added that communication between the two was “inadequate” and that the skilled sailor “failed to respond to the alarm in a timely manner by shouting” at Mr Thompson.

Lawyers said Ostensjo/Edda Wind had therefore breached its duty, but GE Energy UK had not.

The lawyers also said Mr Thompson “failed to exercise adequate care for his own safety”.

They continued: “The accident occurred because the plaintiff did not comply with his training.

“If the plaintiff had stuck to his training, he would have stopped immediately when the lights turned red and the alarm sounded, held on to the edge of the dock with both hands, and waited for further instructions.

“Under these circumstances the plaintiff would not have fallen from the scaffolding and would not have suffered injury, loss or damage.”

Ostensjo/Edda Wind has been contacted for comment.