April 24th, 2009
A man who was badly injured after a factory exploded five years ago has won compensation for his ordeal.
The unnamed man was one of 33 people injured when ICL/Stockline Plastics in Glasgow blew up, while another nine people died.
His injuries were later described as “horrific” and he took legal action against the company for failing to protect its workers.
This week, the victim’s lawyers secured an undisclosed sum in compensation as part of an out-of-court settlement for personal injury, modifications to his home and his long-term care.
A public enquiry was held last year regarding the incident and the families involved are still waiting for the results.
“People are still struggling to get justice in terms of compensations or answers to what actually happened on the day or why it happened,” said local MP Patricia Ferguson.
If any safety regulations are breached in the workplace and an injury or death occurs as a result of this negligence, the victim(s) or their families may be eligible for compensation. The HSE will prosecute where appropriate employers that break the law.
Tags: Compensations, Court Settlement, Factory Explosion, Glasgow, Hse, Lawyers, Long Term Care, Mp, Negligence, Ordeal, Patricia Ferguson, personal injury, Public Enquiry, Safety Regulations, Stockline Plastics, Undisclosed Sum, Unnamed Man
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April 2nd, 2009
Compensation totalling £10 million could be paid to people who suffered chemical burns as a result of faulty sofas.
A number of retailers, including Argos, Homebase and the now defunct Land of Leather, are appearing at the high court in a bid to settle the cases, with thousands of customers potentially about to make claims against them.
The companies had shipped in some 200,000 sofas from China, but they contained an antifungal chemical called dimethyl fumarate. When this came into contact with skin, it caused rashes and burns and a number of people needed hospital treatment.
Lawyers are currently acting on behalf of injured clients in order to claim compensation for the pain they were caused and many believe the payouts could be vast, especially after the furniture was not withdrawn despite suspicions of problems.
If a person has an accident or suffers injury as a result of a faulty product, that person could be eligible for compensation from the manufacturer or retailer and should seek legal advice.
Tags: 10 Million, 10m, Argos, Burns Victims, Chemical Burns, China, Faulty Product, Fumarate, Furniture, Homebase, Land Of Leather, Lawyers, Legal Advice, Rashes, Sofa, Sofas, Suspicions
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March 31st, 2009
A woman who sustained serious head injuries in a car accident is to receive compensation from a local council.
Sarah Caroline Russell, 53, was driving her son to school in 2004 when the incident occurred, the Argus attests.
It was cold and her car hit a patch of ice near Warnham. Although she steered back onto the road, an uneven verge at the side of the road meant that she overcompensated and again left the carriageway, hitting a tree.
Ms Russell suffered what were described at the high court as "life-shattering" injuries and took legal action against West Sussex county council, claiming that it was at fault for not maintaining the verge and allowing it to deteriorate into a four-inch drop.
A judge has this week agreed that the verge was a "hazard and a defect" and deemed the council to be 50 per cent responsible for Ms Russell’s accident.
The amount of compensation payable will be decided at a later date, but her lawyers believe it will run into six or even seven figures.
Anyone who is involved in a road traffic accident may be able to claim compensation, however, it must be proven that another person or organisation was responsible for the injuries caused.
Tags: Argus, Car Accident, Car Crash, Caroline Russell, Carriageway, Crash Victim, Head Injuries, Lawyers, Local Council, Road Traffic Accident, Sussex, Sussex County Council, Verge, West Sussex County, West Sussex County Council, Woman
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December 12th, 2008
A young woman who was hit and seriously injured by a car in February 2005 is to receive a compensation payout from the driver of the vehicle.
Bethan Crew, 18, had just got out of a taxi and crossed the road when she was hit by Steven Ash’s car, which he was driving at 60mph in a 30mph limit.
Although he did not stop, he was later traced and charged with dangerous driving.
Ms Crew received serious head and spinal injuries after she was thrown so high into the air that she hit overhanging tree branches.
Mr Ash served a 21-month jail sentence, as well as a ten-year driving ban, but Ms Crew’s lawyers have now successfully argued that he was entirely responsible for the incident and Ms Crew will now receive compensation.
In similar cases, payouts have been in the region of millions of pounds.
Mr Justice Lloyd Jones commented: "It is clear that [Mr Ash] behaved in an outrageous manner and was guilty of an appalling and reckless course of dangerous driving."
Pedestrians are one of the most at risk groups from being seriously injured if they are involved in a road traffic collision, which is why pedestrians must be given right of way by motorists.
A compensation claim can be made for injuries if it can be proven that the driver of the vehicle was responsible for the collision.
Tags: Compensation Claim, Damages, Driving Ban, February 2005, Head Injuries, Hit And Run, Jail Sentence, Lawyers, Lloyd Jones, Motorists, Mr Justice, Pedestrians, Risk Groups, Road Traffic, Spinal Injuries, Steven Ash, Taxi, Traffic Collision, Young Woman
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November 18th, 2008
A father is suing a nursery in which his son suffered brain damage after a fall four years ago.
Then nine months old, James Pitcher fell from a changing table at Headstart Nursery in August 2004.
As a result, he is now seriously handicapped, quadriplegic, unable to breathe properly and needs constant care.
His father Nigel took legal action against Headstart, Caroline Gooding – whose care James was in – and the Mayday Hospital NHS Trust.
The defendants in question admitted liability for the child’s injuries in May 2008 and a settlement is now to be agreed with regard to how much compensation James will receive.
It could be as much as £5 million, lawyers suggest. James has already received an interim payment of £320,000 so that he can have conversions made to his home.
Compensation for brain injuries is usually higher than that for standard personal injury claims since it must cover the long term care of the victim.
Tags: 5 Million, Brain Damage, Brain Injuries, Changing Table, Constant Care, Conversions, Interim Payment, Lawyers, Long Term Care, Mayday Hospital, Nine Months, Personal Injury Claims, Regard
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