September 8th, 2009
Stockton Borough Council has defended its footpath maintenance regime, despite paying out more than £1 million in compensation to people injured in trips and falls on its pavements in the last five years.
Figures obtained by a Freedom of Information request made by the Liberal Democrats showed that local authorities in England paid out £82 million to settle compensation claims related to accidents caused by the poor condition of pavements between 2004 and 2009.
In Stockton, the council made 26 payments totalling £1.2 million – a significantly higher figure than in neighbouring areas, but well short of the £10.2 million paid by Leeds City Council.
The amount may rise, as Stockton Borough Council is still dealing with a further 67 compensation claims.
A council spokesman told the Darlington & Stockton Times that it had implemented a new pavement maintenance regime in order to reduce the number of accidents.
"That has resulted in a dramatic decrease in claims where compensation was made, from 15 claims in 2004-5 to only one in 2008-9," he said.
Tags: 2m, Accident Compensation, Accidents, Darlington, Dramatic Decrease, Footpath Maintenance, Freedom Of Information, Freedom Of Information Request, Leeds City Council, Liberal Democrats, Local Authorities In England, Neighbouring Areas, Pavement Maintenance, Pavements, Quot, Regime, Spokesman, Stockton Borough Council, Stockton Council
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August 25th, 2009
A company that operates extreme sports holidays has been ordered to pay £33,500 in compensation to the family of a girl who was killed on one of its holidays.
Emily Jordan, 21, had gone river rafting with Black Sheep Adventures in New Zealand last year, but tragedy struck and the traveller ended up in the water of the Kawarau River Gorge.
She was trapped under the water by a rock for 20 minutes and died at the scene.
An inquest found that the holiday company had failed to follow correct safety procedures and had not carried ropes in case of an accident.
It was fined £27,600 and ordered to pay £33,500 in compensation to Ms Jordan’s family.
Anyone who has been injured in a holiday accident and believes their tour operator or adventure sports organiser to be responsible may be entitled to claim holiday accident compensation and should seek the advice of an experienced solicitor.
Tags: Accident Compensation, Adventure Sports, Black Sheep, Extreme Sports, Holiday Company, Holidays, Inquest, Jordan 21, New Zealand, River Gorge, River Rafting, Ropes, Safety Procedures, Solicitor, Tour Operator, Tragedy, Traveller
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August 3rd, 2009
A toddler is to be paid compensation after being successful in her claim against a hotel chain.
Sheonaidh Nisbet, three, had been on holiday at the Crieff Hydro hotel in Perthsire when she tripped over a metal drain cover in the gardens.
She fell and badly cut her chin, which resulted in her needing paper stitches. She is also likely to be permanently scarred by the fall.
Through her parents, Sheonaidh took legal action against the hotel for failing in its duty of care.
"We have spent many happy times at Crieff Hydro and were saddened by their lack of concern following her injury," said her father William.
In a new development, BBC News reports that the hotel has agreed to a compensation payout as part of an out-of-court settlement for Sheonaidh, which is believed to be in the region of £2,500.
Hotel owners and shopkeepers have a duty of care to the general public to ensure that there is nothing that could cause slips, trips and falls. If this expectation is not fulfilled and a person is injured as a result of a slip, trip or fall, they may have a right to claim accident compensation.
Tags: Accident Compensation, Bbc, Court Settlement, Crieff Hydro Hotel, Drain Cover, Duty Of Care, Expectation, Happy Times, Hotel Chain, Hotel Owners, News Reports, Nisbet, Parents, Slips, Stitches
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May 11th, 2009
Compensation has been secured for a man who was left brain damaged after an accident at work.
The 39-year-old, who did not want to be named, was working for A&P Falmouth in 2004 when he was hit on the head by welding equipment while painting a ship, the Shields Gazette reports.
He now suffers deafness, memory loss and a lack of concentration, as well as epilepsy and headaches, as a result of the brain damage he sustained.
The victim – with the assistance of his mother – took legal action against A&P Falmouth and an out-of-court settlement has now been agreed via the company’s insurers.
"This money will help cover his daily living costs, now that he can no longer earn a wage," remarked his mother.
Employers must deal with any hazards that are likely to arise and might cause serious injury to their workforce.
A compensation claim can be made if it can be proved that employers breached this duty of care and that this resulted in accident or injury.
Payouts for brain injuries will usually be more substantial since they must cover the costs of the victim’s long-term care.
Tags: Accident Compensation, Amp, Brain Damage, Brain Injuries, Compensation Claim, Court Settlement, Duty Of Care, Epilepsy, Falmouth, Headaches, Lack Of Concentration, Left Brain, Long Term Care, Memory Loss, Money, Shields Gazette, Welding Equipment, Work Compensation, Workforce
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November 20th, 2008
Compensation has been awarded to the family of a man who died after he was hit by a car.
Tony Gate, a highways worker, was struck by a vehicle being driven by 28-year-old Julie Verrall in 2003 as he put out roadworks signs, Hartlepool Today attests.
Although he survived the crash, he was left with serious brain damage and spent three years in a vegetative state in a nursing home before dying from pneumonia in 2006.
No criminal charges were brought against the driver, but Mr Gate’s family took legal action against her insurers.
They have now agreed to take some responsibility for the incident and have agreed on an undisclosed sum of compensation in an out of court settlement.
Linda Hughes, Mr Gate’s sister, said she was pleased with the new development.
"Tony was never able to tell us what happened on that day and now we feel the final piece of the puzzle has been found," she commented.
According to the Department for Transport, 2,943 people were killed on Britain’s roads in 2007.
Tags: Accident Compensation, Accident Victim, Brain Damage, Car Accident, Court Settlement, Crash, Criminal Charges, Family Car, Family Man, Linda Hughes, Nursing Home, Piece Of The Puzzle, Pneumonia, Signs, Spent Three, Undisclosed Sum, Vegetative State, Victim Compensation
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