September 30th, 2009
A man who sustained serious injuries after falling from a ride-on mower has been awarded compensation from his employer.
The unnamed council employee was cutting the grass in a park in Cheltenham in May 2008 when the accident happened.
He fell from the vehicle onto a park bench and suffered a punctured lung and two broken ribs, forcing him to remain on sick leave for 11 weeks.
An investigation discovered that the incline was too steep for the ride-on mower according to the manufacturer’s guidelines and that the victim had not received sufficient training to use it.
As a result, Cheltenham Borough Council was fined for contravening health and safety regulations and was ordered to pay compensation to the injured man.
Health and Safety Executive inspector Alison Fry said it was only through good fortune that the accident was not fatal.
"This incident sends out a clear message to employers to ensure that they carry out risk assessments … before deciding which equipment is suitable," she added.
HSE statistics show that 299,000 reportable injuries happened in British workplaces in 2007-08, a rate of 1,000 per 100,000 workers.
Tags: Alison, Broken Ribs, Cheltenham, Cutting, Fry, Good Fortune, Grass, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Health Safety, Man Health, Park Bench, Punctured Lung, Reportable Injuries, Risk Assessments, Safety Regulations, Sick Leave, Statistics, Workplaces
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September 29th, 2009
A bus driver who suffered terrible injuries in a head-on collision between his bus and a van has been awarded a compensation payout.
James Morton, 60, was driving in Seaton Burn, Northumberland when the accident occurred in April 2007, the Evening Chronicle reports.
The van came towards the bus on the wrong side of the road, leaving Mr Morton with nowhere to go. In the resulting crash, his left leg was shattered below the knee and he narrowly avoided having to have it amputated.
The victim lost his job because he was unable to drive and can still only walk short distances with the assistance of a walking stick.
His passengers sustained minor injuries.
Mr Morton took legal action against the driver of the van and the responsible party’s insurers have now agreed to a £250,000 payout.
"You can’t put a price on an injury like that, but it’s some consolation. I was planning to work until I was 65, but that’s been cut short," the victim said.
Anyone who is injured in a road accident that is not their fault may be eligible for compensation and should seek legal advice.
Tags: Bus Driver, Consolation, Crash, Distances, Head On Collision, James Morton, Job, Left Leg, Legal Advice, Minor Injuries, Northumberland, Responsible Party, Road Accident, Seaton Burn, Walking Stick, Wrong Side Of The Road
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September 29th, 2009
A family has been awarded £410,000 in compensation after a woman died due to errors during a caesarean section.
Joanne Lockham, 45, had been admitted to Stoke Mandeville Hospital at Aylesbury in October 2007 and staff made the decision to give her a caesarean when her baby’s heartbeat dropped.
The patient was put under a general anaesthetic, but doctors mistakenly inserted the oxygen tube into her oesophagus and not her windpipe. She was deprived of oxygen for half an hour and her heart stopped a minute after the baby was born.
Ms Lockham’s life support was turned off two days later.
Her husband Peter decided to sue Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust after it admitted liability for the death and for "serious failings" in Ms Lockham’s care.
Mr Justice Burnett has now approved a compensation settlement of £410,000 for the loss and to cover the long-term care needs of the baby.
According to Babycentre.co.uk, approximately one in four pregnant women gives birth by caesarean every year.
Tags: Aylesbury, Babycentre, C Section, Caesarean Section, Doctors, General Anaesthetic, Half An Hour, Heart, Heartbeat, Hospitals Nhs Trust, Joanne, Long Term Care, Mr Justice, Oesophagus, Oxygen Tube, Pregnant Women
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September 28th, 2009
A former manager at a Birmingham hospital has been awarded £370,550 plus £24,000 a year for life after successfully claiming that his job left him stressed.
The unnamed man, who worked at City Hospital, retired in 1996 but filed a claim shortly afterwards, the Birmingham Post reports.
He alleged that he had been unable to enjoy his retirement and felt psychologically injured by his years of work in the NHS.
This week, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust agreed to the payout after a long legal battle.
The trust declined to comment beyond confirming that the money had been set aside for the victim’s payout.
Earlier this month, nurse Juliet Satterthwaite was awarded £6,500 in compensation after becoming the victim of an attack by a patient in hospital.
He was already known to be dangerous to staff, but the nurse had been assigned to watch him overnight without any additional help from trained employees.
Tags: Birmingham Hospital, Birmingham Post, Job, Money, Nhs Trust, Nurse, Patient In Hospital, Retirement, Sandwell, Satterthwaite, Unnamed Man
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