October 27th, 2009
Compensation is to be paid to a family who sustained agonising burns after swimming in a hotel pool while on holiday.
Susan Austin and her partner Lee Sanders from Essex were among 33 Britons who suffered a reaction to chemicals in the pool at the Mitsis Roda Beach Hotel in Corfu, the Essex Echo reports.
They were left in so much pain that they could not put their clothes on over the broken skin. However, the hotel staff continued to put chemicals in the pool on a daily basis, even though many guests had already sustained burns.
After the holiday, 42 travellers took legal action against Thomas Cook for the pain they were caused.
They have now won their claim and are to receive an undisclosed sum in compensation from the tour operator.
Last month, the Daily Mail reported that £52,000 had been awarded to a child who suffered an electric shock in a hotel shower while on holiday in Kenya.
Tags: Beach Hotel, Britons, Broken Skin, Burns, Corfu, Daily Basis, Daily Mail, Electric Shock, Essex, Hotel Pool, Hotel Staff, Lee Sanders, Mitsis Roda Beach, Partner Lee, Susan Austin, Thomas Cook, Tour Operator, Travellers, Undisclosed Sum
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September 18th, 2009
British people who are involved in car accidents should seek legal advice after a car accident, the Law Society has advised.
Its comments come after it emerged that some insurance firms in Northern Ireland are contacting the innocent parties directly after crashes and offering to resolve the case without getting solicitors involved, BBC News reports.
Alison Donnelly, spokesperson for the Consumer Council, warned this could mean that people involved in accidents are not getting the compensation they deserve.
"Any insurance company that actively discourages consumers from getting this advice is behaving unfairly and should be stopped," she added, pointing out that those involved in crashes are likely to still feel shaken and vulnerable, plus they may not be confident enough to insist on their rights.
Figures from the Department for Transport show that 26,034 people were seriously injured on Britain’s roads last year, while there were also 202,333 minor injuries.
Anyone hurt in a road accident that was not their fault should seek the advice of a solicitor within three years of the accident in order to see if they are eligible to make a compensation claim.
Tags: Alison, Bbc, British People, Britons, Car Accident, Car Accidents, Compensation Claim, Crashes, Donnelly, Innocent Parties, Insurance Company, Insurance Firms, Legal Advice, Minor Injuries, News Reports, Northern Ireland, Road Accident, Solicitor, Solicitors, Spokesperson
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April 22nd, 2009
People in the UK have been warned that they may be risking permanent scarring or disfigurement by opting to have plastic surgery at unscrupulous clinics.
According to evidence published by Which?, cited by the Daily Mail, prospective patients are being subjected to hard sales techniques, instead of being recommended what is best for them.
"For some clinics, it’s all about getting people through the till, rather than patient care," said Douglas McGeorge, past president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.
One woman, Elizabeth Wilkins, has recently received compensation after a botched breast augmentation.
The 52-year-old was left "looking like a patchwork quilt" after a series of operations to correct it.
In order for a clinical negligence claim against a plastic surgeon to be successful, a solicitor must establish that the surgeon breached a duty of care agreement between him or her and the patient.
Since there were no formal qualification checks on plastic surgeons prior to April 2002, it may be easier to prove negligence in plastic surgery cases than in other medical fields.
Tags: Breast Augmentation, Britons, Clinical Negligence, Daily Mail, Disfigurement, Duty Of Care, Formal Qualification, Mcgeorge, Medical Fields, Negligence Cases, Negligence Claim, One Woman, Patchwork Quilt, Patient Care, Plastic Surgeon, Plastic Surgery, Prospective Patients, Solicitor, Surgery Cases, Wilkins
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March 4th, 2009
Anyone who has been affected by exposure to asbestos should seek legal advice in order to bring a claim against their employers before the disease takes hold.
This is the advice of solicitor Tim Humpage, who told the East Anglian Evening Star that people should not feel bad about doing so, because victims are entitled to compensation.
"In the vast majority of cases exposure was because of negligence so it is right to take action," he commented.
Mr Humpage added that this could ensure a payout during the victim’s lifetime, or at least the peace of mind that their loved ones will be cared for after they are gone.
He said that people should also not be put off claiming if the company where asbestos exposure occurred has gone out of business, since compensation could be provided by the government.
Mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer that affects the pleural cells which cover the surface of the lung cavity.
According to Cancer Research UK, it affects five times more men than women in the UK.
Tags: Asbestos Cancer, Asbestos Diseases, Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Related Diseases, Britons, Cancer Research Uk, Cells, Evening Star, Legal Advice, Lifetime, Lung Cavity, Mesothelioma Asbestos, Mesothelioma Cancer, Negligence, Peace Of Mind, Quot, Solicitor
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