August 28th, 2009
A cyclist who was knocked off his bike on a narrow road bridge has been awarded £5,000 in compensation.
The unnamed 58-year-old claimed that he had waited for the car to pass him, but it clipped him anyway and knocked him off, causing injuries to his ribcage, foot, thigh and arm.
He said that although he was a keen cyclist before the accident, he became fearful of getting back on the bike and was afraid to do so for eight months.
The victim took legal action against the driver and although he did not admit liability, he has now agreed to a payout of £5,000 for the cyclist as part of an out-of-court settlement.
Last month, a man who was left tetraplegic in a cycling accident in 2005 was awarded a substantial sum in compensation from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau.
Graham Gregory suffered serious spinal injuries when the driver, who was not insured, hit him.
Tags: Court Settlement, Eight Months, Keen Cyclist, Motor Insurers Bureau, Ribcage, Road Bridge, Spinal Injuries, Substantial Sum, Traumatised
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
August 28th, 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has urged the construction industry to take more precautions to avoid falls from height in the workplace.
This comes after an accident in which a 31-year-old man died when he fell from scaffolding in Hastings earlier in August.
Melvyn Stancliffe, HSE inspector for the case, commented that workers must be properly trained and provided with equipment to ensure they are not at risk if working at height is unavoidable.
"It is simple – work to the recognised industry standards and working practices and falls can be prevented," he added.
Additional figures from the HSE reveal that falls are the biggest cause of fatal injury in British workplaces, with 34 out of the 72 deaths in the construction industry in 2007-08 resulting from a fall from height.
In addition, there were another 4,000 major but non-fatal injuries – such as broken bones – in the construction sector during the same timespan.
Tags: Broken Bones, Construction Industry, Construction Sector, Deaths, Fatal Injuries, Hastings, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Hse Issues, Old Man, Risk, Scaffolding, Timespan, Working At Height, Working Practices, Workplaces
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August 27th, 2009
A new report has discovered that as many as one in five young people is driving without the correct level of insurance.
The Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) found that 250,000 people aged between 17 and 20 are taking to the roads without cover, putting insured drivers at risk if they are hit.
Many young people claimed they did not know that insurance is a legal requirement, while others said that the high cost of insurance has led to them breaking the law.
Ashton West, chief executive of the MIB, commented: "While we recognise the financial pressures for drivers taking to the roads for the first time, it is also a criminal offence to drive without proper insurance cover."
The MIB was established to deal with cases stemming from uninsured driver accidents and manages over 30,000 claims from people who have been hit by someone without cover every year.
Anyone involved in such an accident may wish to seek legal advice, as motoring claims can be complicated and lengthy.
Tags: 000 People, Accidents, Ashton, Breaking The Law, Chief Executive, Criminal Offence, Driving Without Insurance, Financial Pressures, Insurance, Insurance Cover, Led, Legal Advice, Mib, Motor Insurers Bureau, Motorists, Proper Insurance, Risk, Uninsured Driver, Young People
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August 27th, 2009
Two care firms which were held responsible for the death of a disabled man after leaving him alone in the bath have offered his family compensation.
Turning Point Scotland and Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association were both fined after the incident, which saw 44-year-old Billy Thomson suffer 40 per cent burns to his body.
He later died from multiple organ failure, the Glasgow Sunday Mail reports.
In a new development, the two companies have offered Mr Thomson’s relatives £40,000 in compensation.
The victim’s brother James said: The family will give this careful consideration."
A spokesperson for Sanctuary Scotland said that the organisation extends its deepest sympathies to the family.
Anyone who suffers a personal injury or harm as a result of negligence from nursing home staff or home care workers may be able to make a compensation claim and should seek specialist legal advice.
For a claim to succeed, it must be proven that the level of care fell below that which could be reasonably expected.
Tags: Brother James, Careful Consideration, Compensation Claim, Death Victim, Deepest Sympathies, Home Staff, Housing Association, Legal Advice, Mail Reports, Mr Thomson, Negligence, Nursing Home, Organ Failure, personal injury, Sanctuary, Scotland Housing, Spokesperson, Sunday Mail, Turning Point Scotland
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
August 27th, 2009
An NHS trust has awarded compensation to a family whose baby died after its mother was sent to a hospital 12 miles away from the one she had been advised to use.
Andrea Harrison, 35, contacted her midwife in May 2004 and was told that the baby’s heartbeat was too high, the Northern Echo reports.
She was sent to Bishop Auckland Hospital, but upon arrival, found out that it did not have emergency facilities to deal with Caesarean sections.
The patient was redirected to Darlington Memorial Hospital in the family car since no ambulance was available, but once baby Olivia was delivered there, she had died.
Ms Harrison took legal action against County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, claiming that she should never have been sent to the first hospital and that staff had been negligent in their treatment.
The trust has now admitted liability and agreed to an undisclosed sum in compensation.
Birth injuries and problems with delivery often point to failures in properly assessing the condition of the mother. Anyone who suffers as a result of such clinical negligence may be able to make a compensation claim and should contact a solicitor.
Tags: Ambulance, Andrea Harrison, Baby Heartbeat, Baby S Heartbeat, Birth Injuries, Bishop Auckland Hospital, Caesarean Sections, Clinical Negligence, Compensation Claim, County Durham, Darlington Memorial Hospital, Emergency Facilities, Foundation Trust, Midwife, Nhs Trust, Northern Echo, Olivia, Solicitor, Trust Awards, Undisclosed Sum
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
