March 31st, 2009
A man who suffered an injury to his hand while at work has received £5,000 in compensation from his former employers.
David Drabble, 61, was working for George Wimpey UK when he had to cut, drill and assemble a staircase, the South Yorkshire Star reports.
It is thought that as he drilled, he hit a piece of soft wood, which made the drill change speeds and caused it to jolt into his hand.
Mr Drabble was left with nerve damage and still has problems gripping. He has also lost some of the feeling in his little finger.
He took legal action against George Wimpey UK, claiming that he had not been given adequate materials to do the job.
Although the firm denied liability, it agreed to an out-of-court settlement of £5,000.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, six million working days were lost to workplace injury between 2007 and 2008, with 299,000 reportable injuries occurring.
Tags: Adequate Materials, Change Speeds, Court Settlement, Drabble, George Wimpey, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Job, Little Finger, Lost, Nerve Damage, Reportable Injuries, South Yorkshire, Staircase, Workplace Injury, Yorkshire
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
March 31st, 2009
A woman who sustained serious head injuries in a car accident is to receive compensation from a local council.
Sarah Caroline Russell, 53, was driving her son to school in 2004 when the incident occurred, the Argus attests.
It was cold and her car hit a patch of ice near Warnham. Although she steered back onto the road, an uneven verge at the side of the road meant that she overcompensated and again left the carriageway, hitting a tree.
Ms Russell suffered what were described at the high court as "life-shattering" injuries and took legal action against West Sussex county council, claiming that it was at fault for not maintaining the verge and allowing it to deteriorate into a four-inch drop.
A judge has this week agreed that the verge was a "hazard and a defect" and deemed the council to be 50 per cent responsible for Ms Russell’s accident.
The amount of compensation payable will be decided at a later date, but her lawyers believe it will run into six or even seven figures.
Anyone who is involved in a road traffic accident may be able to claim compensation, however, it must be proven that another person or organisation was responsible for the injuries caused.
Tags: Argus, Car Accident, Car Crash, Caroline Russell, Carriageway, Crash Victim, Head Injuries, Lawyers, Local Council, Road Traffic Accident, Sussex, Sussex County Council, Verge, West Sussex County, West Sussex County Council, Woman
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
March 31st, 2009
The families of 13 people who died as a result of an outbreak of the hospital superbug Clostridium difficile are taking legal action to pursue a possible clinical negligence claim, it has emerged.
According to the Eastbourne Herald, 62 cases of the bacteria have been noted at Eastbourne District General Hospital, where the deaths occurred, since January.
Local MP Nigel Waterman has called for an urgent review into why the hospital has not managed to contain the superbug and the particularly virulent 027 strain, which kills six out of ten people it infects.
The East Sussex Hospitals Trust is now facing legal action from the families of the 13 people who died amid allegations that it did not protect the welfare of its patients.
C difficile mainly affects elderly people who are admitted to hospital to be treated for other problems.
It is an infection of the lower intestine which can cause diarrhoea, ulceration, colitis and perforation of the intestine, which can prove fatal, the Department of Health attests.
Tags: Allegations, Bacteria, Clinical Negligence, Clostridium Difficile, Colitis, Department Of Health, Diarrhoea, District General Hospital, East Sussex, Eastbourne District General Hospital, Eastbourne Herald, Hospital Deaths, Hospital Superbug, Lower Intestine, Negligence Claim, Outbreak, Perforation, Sussex, Waterman, Welfare
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
March 30th, 2009
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has made an admission of liability for the deaths of 14 servicemen in Afghanistan three years ago.
In what is being described as a legal landmark, the organisation admitted that there were significant failings in the protection of the servicemen – including inadequate fire protection – after legal action was brought about by the families of Sergeant Benjamin Knight, 25, and Flight Lieutenant Steven Swarbrick, 28.
The RAF Nimrod XC230 vehicle exploded in mid-air after refuelling on September 2nd 2006, killing all on board.
A statement from the MoD said: "The defendant owed to the deceased a duty of care and the accident was caused by a breach of that duty of care."
The new development could provide new hope for other families hoping to claim damages from the MoD, since the compensation is likely to run into six figures.
The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, established in 2005, provides compensation for all injuries, ill health and deaths that occur mostly during service.
Tags: Admission, Afghanistan, Armed Forces, Benjamin Knight, Breach, Compensation Scheme, Damages, Deaths, Defendant, Duty Of Care, Fire Protection, Flight Lieutenant, Ill Health, Legal Landmark, Ministry Of Defence, New Hope, Raf Nimrod, Sergeant, Six Figures, Swarbrick
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
March 30th, 2009
A family who travelled to France on a skiing trip are considering a compensation claim after they fell ill at their hotel.
Samantha Jackson, 34, and her husband Frank, 36, took their two children to Le Viking in Morzine last month, the Crewe and Nantwich Guardian reports.
However, they fell ill shortly after checking into their accommodation, suffering from stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting.
Mrs Jackson said the standards of cleanliness were not what she had expected from the resort.
"The rooms were not clean and the hotel seemed to be run by a bunch of teenagers. The buffet also did not appear to be maintained hygienically with new batches of food often being topped onto the old," she added.
After learning that other travellers had also been ill after staying at Le Viking, the Jacksons have sought legal advice to consider making a claim.
Holidaymakers from the UK who suffer from an accident, personal injury or food poisoning while abroad can sue their tour operator provided that the holiday was a package which includes travel and accommodation.
Tags: Accommodation, Batches, Compensation Claim, Crewe And Nantwich Guardian, Diarrhoea, Food Poisoning, Holidaymakers, Illnesses, Jacksons, Legal Advice, Mrs Jackson, Nantwich, personal injury, Skiing, Standards Of Cleanliness, Stomach Cramps, Teenagers, Tour Operator, Travellers, Viking
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
