October 9th, 2009
The generation of people left disabled by the drug thalidomide have launched a fresh bid for compensation with the backing of former newspaper editor Sir Harold Evans.
Although the victims, who were born with shortened limbs and other health problems after their mothers took the drug for morning sickness, receive £18,000 a year from a trust fund set up by the drug company, they believe this should be doubled.
This is because the victims are ageing and facing additional expenses associated with their health problems, for example, a need to buy specially-adapted motorized wheelchairs.
"We’re asking the government to look at our financial plan and improve it so we can live an independent life with dignity," said Nick Dobrik, a thalidomide victim at the helm of the campaign.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health insisted that the trust fund is sufficient and said it will have paid out £150 million by 2037.
Thalidomide was first developed in Germany in 1957 and although fears over its safety led to it not being licensed in the US, this was not the case in Britain. It was withdrawn in 1961 after the catastrophic birth defects became obvious.
Tags: Bid, Birth Defects, Department Of Health, Dignity, Fears, Germany, Harold Evans, Health Problems, Helm, Independent Life, Launch, Morning Sickness, Newspaper Editor, Nick, Sir Harold, Spokesperson, Thalidomide, Thalidomide Victims, Trust Fund
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
September 21st, 2009
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has spoken out in support of a motion that calls on the government to provide compensation for sufferers of pleural plaques.
Trade body the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (Ucatt) believes that the government should overturn the Law Lords ruling made in 2007 which states that people suffering from pleural plaques should not receive compensation.
Pleural plaques occur when the lining of the lung swells, mostly due to asbestos exposure. Victims may be at risk of developing more serious asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma later on in life.
Commenting on the current law, Ucatt president John Thompson said it is unsuitable and that he hopes Labour will change its stance, adding: "In Barrow, South Shields, Plymouth and other asbestos-blighted towns, it is a crucial test of the morality of this government."
After the TUC gave support to the motion, Gordon Brown has said that a statement on pleural plaques is to be made after parliament returns from its summer break.
Tags: Allied Trades, Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Related Diseases, Barrow, Bid, Gordon Brown, John Thompson, Labour, Mesothelioma, Morality, Parliament, Pleural Plaques, Plymouth, President John, Quot, Risk, South Shields, Summer Break, Trades Union Congress, Union Congress Tuc
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
August 6th, 2009
A woman who was left in pain and in need of further surgery after having a breast reconstruction has been awarded compensation by a hospital.
Diane Greenman, 53, was diagnosed with cancer and opted to have a mastectomy a month later to stop the disease spreading, the Sheffield Star reports.
Soon afterwards, she had a breast reconstruction, which was carried out by Dr Puvaneswary Markandoo at Barnsley Hospital.
However, she claims that he did not perform the procedure properly, inserting the implant under her skin instead of her muscle. This caused an infection and Ms Greenman needed further surgery to correct it.
She took legal action against the surgeon and the hospital in a bid to claim compensation.
In a new development, the hospital admitted liability and agreed to pay compensation, although the exact amount is not known.
"I have felt my life was put on hold to accommodate the failings of a surgeon I put my trust in. I am looking forward to moving on with my life and finally putting this ordeal behind me," she commented.
Plastic surgeons have the same duty of care as any other medical professionals and patients may be able to claim compensation if they can prove their surgeon did not adhere to it.
Tags: Bid, Botched Breast, Breast Reconstruction, Cancer, Duty Of Care, Grandmother, Greenman, Mastectomy, Medical Professionals, Ordeal, Sheffield Star, Woman
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
July 27th, 2009
A man who was hurt after falling from his bike because of spilt farm waste is to receive compensation.
The unnamed man had been riding at the front of a tandem when its wheels became stuck in manure, mud and silage that the farmer had not cleaned up.
He was thrown from the vehicle, injuring his leg and shoulder.
After taking photographs of a nearby silage heap and damage to the road caused by heavy vehicles to prove that the area had been unsafe, he took legal action in a bid to claim compensation.
After a highways inspector attested that the road had been unfit for public use, the judge awarded the cyclist an undisclosed payout after ruling that the famer was negligent.
According to the government’s website, all farmers and landowners are responsible for keeping paths free from obstructions and overhanging vegetation and for reinstating paths as soon as possible after any disturbance.
Tags: Bid, Farm Waste, Farmers, Heap, Heavy Vehicles, Landowners, Manure, Mud, Photographs, Silage, Tandem, Unnamed Man, Vegetation, Wheels
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
July 3rd, 2009
A man who fell onto a disused railway line while trying to get to an illegal rave is seeking compensation from the landowners.
Andrew Henley, 26, had been told about the party while out in Henley and had tried to make his way to the site in Keele on foot in October 2006, Staffordshire paper the Sentinel reports.
However, the pathway was not clearly marked and Mr Henley fell through a hedge.
He suffered a fractured skull, fractured ribs, a broken tibia and permanent damage to his elbows, which has meant that he is unable to lift things and move his arms very well.
Mr Henley said he has struggled to find work since being made redundant and believes that had the land been properly padlocked, the accident would never had happened.
"I feel like I lost everything and I had to start all over again," he commented.
He is now seeking information from anyone else who was there in a bid to claim compensation.
In May 2008, the Daily Mail reported that Kent Police had refused to break up an illegal rave because it was situated on dangerous ground and it was too dark to enter.
Tags: Bid, Daily Mail, Dangerous Ground, Disused Railway, Elbows, Fractured Ribs, Fractured Skull, Henley, Keele, Kent Police, Landowners, Pathway, Permanent Damage, Railway Line, Rave, Sentinel, Staffordshire, Tibia
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
