A man who suffered 'life-changing injuries' after slicing his hand open while working at a scrap yard more than five years ago has been awarded almost £35,000 in damages.

In 2015, Karney Roberts was working at Portland Scrap Metal when he sliced his right hand open on broken glass while pushing a broken down van.

He cut the palm of his hand, slicing through two nerves, an artery and a tendon.

Dorset Echo:

Karney's bandaged hand in hospital

Karney, now 22, said: "The pain was overwhelming and then the shock just took over. The cut was so deep that I could see the line of fat inside my hand.

"It was like a bloodbath and no matter how much pressure I put on my hand it just wouldn't stop bleeding.

"My immediate thought was that I might lose the hand which was terrifying."

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE BELOW

He was rushed to the Portland Minor Injuries Unit where a tourniquet was applied to stop the bleeding before he was transferred to Dorset County Hospital. He spent a night there before he was transferred again to Salisbury District Hospital to see a specialist and undergo surgery.

Karney, who is currently unemployed, had a vein graft and underwent extensive physiotherapy to rehabilitate his hand. The recovery took more than six months and Karney's little finger and ring finger are permanently in a slight claw.

He said: "I had no strength in my hand after I came out of hospital - I couldn't even pick up a water bottle for the first three months.

"I had to keep my hand elevated above my chest for months afterwards while the wound was healing which made simple tasks incredibly difficult. My mum became my carer so it ended up having a huge impact on my family while I was going through my recovery."

More than five years later, Karney does not have full range of movement in his hand. In addition to the clawed fingers, he also has a cold intolerance and suffers with pins and needles.

He said: "I still struggle to do delicate movements with my hand as a result of this life-changing injury."

A year after the accident, Karney decided to pursue legal action against the owner of the scrapyard, Stuart Male.

After a three-day hearing at Winchester County Court, the case was concluded on January 8 this year. Mr Male was ordered to pay Karney £34,588, as well as 85 per cent of his court costs, amounting to £80,000 - a total of £114,0588.

Karney said: "It was the right result in the end. It is so nice that the final hurdle has been jumped and I am relieved that finally my family and I can finally try and put this behind us."

Dorset Echo:

Karney sliced his right hand open on broken glass