September 15th, 2009
Teachers’ unions have said that schools need to become safer after it was revealed that over £2 million has been paid out in compensation by Scottish schools since 2004.
According to figures released this month, £1.5 million was paid out to injured staff, while another £600,000 was given in compensation to pupils, STV reports.
One claim was from a school worker who tripped over a carpet in West Dunbartonshire and was paid £4,000.
Another came from a pupil who fell on the school steps in Glasgow and was awarded £29,000 in compensation.
Sources from teachers’ unions said it is not satisfactory that staff are having to claim for accidents that could easily be avoided if education facilities were safer.
Occupiers of schools have the same responsibility to prevent injury as any other landowner so anyone who suffers from an accident on school premises should seek the advice of a solicitor specialising in personal injury claims.
Tags: 5 Million, Accidents, Carpet, Dunbartonshire, Education Facilities, Glasgow, Personal Injury Claims, Pupil, Pupils, School Premises, School Steps, Scottish Schools, Solicitor Specialising, Teachers Unions, West Dunbartonshire
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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 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 20th, 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned employers that they must have the appropriate safety mechanisms in place on their machinery in order to prevent accidents.
In July, an unnamed man working on the roads in Wiltshire was fatally injured while using a tarmac cutting machine. He had climbed down from the seat of the device, but became entangled in the rotating drum and was pulled in.
After he died from his injuries, HSE inspector Helena Tinton said that machinery such as this should have an automatic cut-off device so that workers cannot get caught.
"We urge those in the construction and utilities industries to check the safety devices on their top cutting machines and to prevent similar incidents occurring," she added.
Research carried out by Dr Stephen Roberts and reported in the Lancet shows that roadworkers have the 16th most hazardous occupation in the UK, with a higher rate of injuries than even the military.
Tags: Accidents, Cutting Machine, Cutting Machines, Dr Stephen, Hazardous Occupation, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Helena, Hse Issues, Lancet, Safety Devices, Safety Mechanisms, Tarmac, Unnamed Man, Utilities Industries
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August 7th, 2009
A man who suffered long-lasting injuries after he was hit head-on by another vehicle is to receive £3.3 million in compensation.
Sean Milligan, 44, had been driving in Lanarkshire in May 2004 when Mark Lynch came in the other direction on the wrong side of the road.
Mr Milligan sustained injuries to his brain which mean that he is now unable to care for himself and suffers from bouts of anger. He also has difficulty balancing and walking, the BBC attests.
He took legal action against Mr Lynch and the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) has now agreed to the payout.
Making the ruling, Lord Woolman at the Court of Session in Edinburgh said Mr Milligan’s compensation should be particularly high due to his pain and suffering.
The MIB aims to reduce the level and impact of uninsured driving and handles 30,000 claims every year for accidents which involve uninsured vehicles.
Tags: 3m, Accidents, Anger, Bbc, Bouts, Brain, Drunk Driver, Edinburgh, Hit Man, Lanarkshire, Mib, Milligan, Motor Insurers Bureau, Woolman, Wrong Side Of The Road
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