August 29th, 2008
A care assistant has secured compensation of £8,000 from her former employer after she suffered a serious injury to her back, it has been revealed.
Margaret Yates was helping to undress an elderly woman at the Grange Residential Care Home on Whinbush Way in the north-east town of Darlington when she sustained damage to her back.
Along with a colleague, she had been lifting the lady from her bed while attempting to pull up her undergarments.
Ms Yates stated: "If I’d known how to dress her or any other of the residents properly, or been given access to training, I would have adopted a safer method instead."
As a result of the injury she suffered, the 58-year-old was left in considerable pain and was unable to perform simple domestic tasks for several weeks.
Eventually, she was also forced to leave her position at the care home.
Tags: Colleague, Domestic Tasks, Elderly Woman, Grange, Ms Yates, Residential Care, Town Of Darlington, Undergarments, Undress, Wins
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August 29th, 2008
A UK teenager may be in line to receive millions of pounds in compensation as a result of mistakes that were made by a doctor concerning his delivery.
James Hammond suffered severe brain damage during his birth and was left with cerebral palsy – a physical condition that affects movement and coordination.
His mother, Elizabeth, claims that Dr Yehudi Gordon at the private St John and St Elizabeth Hospital in London advised her that she could attempt a natural birth, despite the fact that her baby was in breach and staff at her local hospital had recommended caesarean section.
James did not breathe for five minutes after birth and now requires 24-hour care and help with all daily activities.
According to a high court writ, Dr Gordon has admitted liability in the case, although the two sides are thought to be unable to agree on how large the payout should be.
Tags: Brain Damage, Breach, Caesarean Section, Cerebral Palsy, Coordination, Delivery James, Dr Gordon, Elizabeth Hospital, Five Minutes, Hospital Mistakes, James Hammond, Local Hospital, London, Mother Elizabeth, Natural Birth, St Elizabeth, St John, Teenager, Writ, Yehudi Gordon
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August 28th, 2008
A firm has been issued a fine of £400,000 following an accident in which two of its workers lost their lives.
Scottish Coal, which describes itself as the UK’s largest surface coal producer, was issued the fine during a hearing at Ayr sheriff court after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety laws.
The incident occurred in February last year when employees Colin Fergusson and Brian French were killed after their vehicle was crushed by a dumper truck at the company’s site in Dalmellington, East Ayrshire.
The driver of the 100 tonne capacity truck could not see their vehicle because it was in a blind spot.
"These two deaths were entirely preventable and arose from the clear failure of Scottish Coal to provide suitable means of communication between different vehicles on site in order to reduce the risk of collisions," stated Health and Safety Executive inspector Norrie Buchanan.
Tags: Ayrshire, Blind Spot, Buchanan, Coal Producer, Collisions, Dalmellington, Deaths, Dumper Truck, Failure, Fergusson, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Means Of Communication, Norrie, Safety Laws, Scottish Coal, Sheriff Court, Surface Coal, Tonne Capacity
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August 28th, 2008
A man who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma is involved in a legal battle to secure compensation.
John Mullen is seeking ex-colleagues from Insulation & Partitions – a firm which is no longer in operation – in an effort to make its former liability insurers pay out.
The 61-year-old claims he was exposed to the harmful insulating material asbestos during an 18-month stint at the organisation, the Coventry Telegraph reports.
According to the Mr Mullens, he was involved in cutting and drilling sheets of the substance on a daily basis when he worked for the business from the age of 17.
He stated: "Nobody said anything about health and safety. We were not warned and there were other young lads – about 15 of them – who worked with me [who] will have the same condition as me."
A type of cancer, mesothelioma affects the cells that cover the outer surface of bodily organs.
Tags: Amp, Asbestos, Bodily Organs, Cancer Cells, Cancer Mesothelioma, Colleagues, Coventry, Daily Basis, Health And Safety, Insulating Material, Insulation, John Mullen, Liability Insurers, Mullens, Outer Surface, Stint, Telegraph, Type Of Cancer, Young Lads
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August 27th, 2008
The widow of a man who died from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma has secured compensation of £200,000.
Jenny Rattray was awarded the sum in a settlement with her late husband James’ employer, the Basingstoke Gazette reports.
Mr Rattray had worked as a carpenter and joiner for the South Central Strategic Health Authority for nearly 30 years before being diagnosed with cancer in 2004.
He died as a result of the condition the following year at the age of 64.
In January 2008, the organisation admitted that he had been negligently exposed to asbestos through his employment.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: "The health authority is pleased that agreement has been reached with the family of Mr Rattray in relation to a claim while he was working at Park Prewett Hospital in Basingstoke."
According to the Health and Safety Executive, asbestos is now the greatest single cause of work-related deaths in the UK.
Tags: Asbestos Cancer, Asbestos Mesothelioma, Basingstoke Gazette, Being Diagnosed With Cancer, Cancer Mesothelioma, Carpenter, Deaths, Employment, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Jenny, Park Prewett, Rattray, Spokesperson, Strategic Health Authority, Wins
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