October 8th, 2009
A girl who was almost killed in a frenzied knife attack has been awarded over £18,000 from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
Jessica Knight, 16, had been walking through a park in Chorley when she was attacked by Kristofer Beddar, who had drunk half a bottle of whisky.
She was stabbed 25 times and her injuries were so severe that she suffered a stroke and was in a coma for over a week.
Her mother Jill Walmsley said her life has been badly affected by the attack and that she often suffers double vision.
"We don’t know what the future holds yet – whether she’ll be able to work full-time or even drive," she added.
Jessica pursued a claim through the CICA, which has now agreed to the £18,895 payout.
The CICA is part of the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for administering the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in England, Scotland and Wales.
It can pay out a maximum of £250,000 to the victims of a criminal attack.
Tags: Chorley, Cica, Coma, Criminal Injuries Compensation, Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, Double Vision, England Scotland, Full Time, Knife Attack, Lancashire, Ministry Of Justice, Stroke, Wales, Walmsley, Whisky
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October 6th, 2009
The safety of unmanned railway crossings has been called into question after a fatal crash involving a car and a train.
Three elderly people were killed in Caithness on September 29th after their car was hit by a high speed train heading to Inverness, the Herald Scotland reports.
It is the same crossing that was at the centre of a similar accident in 2002, when Sarah Jappy was almost killed after driving onto the crossing and being hit by a train.
She is seeking compensation of £500,000 from Network Rail for her injuries and for the threat posed to her unborn baby, who was born while she was in a coma after the accident.
She maintains that if there had been a proper barrier in place at the level crossing, neither her accident nor the most recent one would have happened.
A spokesperson from Network Rail said: "All our level crossings are regularly inspected to check they are appropriate to the level of road and rail traffic in the area and we are confident the correct crossing is in place at Halkirk."
According to railway safety group the RSSB, the risk from signals passed at danger has reduced by over 85 per cent since 2001, while the risk to passengers from train accidents has reduced by more than 80 per cent.
Tags: Caithness, Coma, Crash Car, Fatal Crash, High Speed Train, Inverness, Jappy, Level Crossings, Rail Traffic, Railway Crossings, Railway Safety, Risk, Rssb, Safety Group, Scotland, Signals, Spokesperson, Train Accidents, Unborn Baby
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September 25th, 2009
A man is expected to receive a six-figure sum in compensation after being shot by a police officer during a tutorial.
Keith Tilbury, a 999 calls handler, had been at a firearms course run by PC David Micklethwaite in Oxfordshire in May 2007. The instructor took some ammunition from a tin, believing that it contained only blanks.
However, there were live bullets among the store and the police officer mistakenly loaded one and fired it into his classroom.
The bullet hit Mr Tilbury, causing devastating injuries including an exploded bowel and kidney and lung damage. He was in a coma for 12 days and has still not returned to work.
Thames Valley Police and PC Micklethwaite have both admitted liability for the incident and have been fined under health and safety regulations.
It is now thought that an out-of-court compensation settlement for in the region of £150,000 will be paid to Mr Tilbury next month.
According to the Home Office, the chief of police must adequately assess that officers are suitable to have firearms in their possession without harming the public or other police personnel. If these tests are not carried out, the police are in breach of their duty and anyone affected may be eligible to claim compensation.
Tags: Ammunition, Breach, Bullets, Chief Of Police, Coma, Figure Sum, Firearms, Health And Safety, Kidney, Lung Damage, Oxfordshire, Police Officer, Policeman, Possession, Safety Regulations, Six Figure, Thames Valley Police, Tin
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January 22nd, 2009
A man who was left with multiple injuries after a road traffic accident is to receive a "substantial" compensation settlement from the driver of the other vehicle.
Stephen Pantry, now 22, was riding a trials bike in Thorpe Marriott in December 2004 when a car collided with him, the Eastern Daily Press reports.
He was left in a coma by the side of the road and broke several bones, as well as suffering serious brain damage.
Although these injuries will affect his life badly, Mr Pantry has now recovered sufficiently to gain employment in a supermarket.
Through his mother Shirley, he sued Michael Futter, the driver of the other vehicle.
This week, a judge at the high court ruled that he should receive a large lump sum of compensation, followed by index-linked payments to cover his long-term care.
Mr Justice Burnett said: "[The settlement] will enable you to move on to the future with some certainty that money shouldn’t be a problem."
Anyone who is involved in a road traffic accident may be able to claim compensation from the person responsible for the accident, whether that is the driver of the vehicle in which the victim was travelling or a third party driver.
However, it must be proven that another person was responsible for the injuries caused.
Tags: Bones, Brain Damage, Coma, Eastern Daily Press, Long Term Care, Lump Sum, Marriott, Money, Mr Justice, Pantry, Road Crash, Road Traffic Accident, Supermarket, Third Party, Trials Bike
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