October 26th, 2009
A 14-year-old boy has been awarded compensation for clinical negligence after a hospital admitted that its failings caused his cerebral palsy.
The unnamed victim was born prematurely at Billinge Hospital, but staff failed to properly administer ventilation, the Manchester Evening News reports.
He is now wheelchair-bound and will need round-the-clock care for the rest of his life.
The child’s parents took legal action against Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust and – after an 11-year legal battle – have now been awarded compensation that will allow them to specially adapt their home for their disabled son.
"The trust very much hopes that the compensation monies will provide life-long security and enable the individual to fulfil their potential," a spokesperson for the hospital said.
According to figures published by Scope, approximately one in 400 babies in the UK is born with cerebral palsy every year. This may be caused by a blocked blood vessel, complications in labour, extreme prematurity or illness just after birth.
Tags: 5 Million, Babies, Blood Vessel, Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, Clock Care, Extreme Prematurity, Foundation Trust, Labour, Manchester Evening News, Monies, News Reports, Nhs, Parents, Scope, Spokesperson, Ventilation, Wheelchair, Wigan
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
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
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
August 3rd, 2009
A toddler is to be paid compensation after being successful in her claim against a hotel chain.
Sheonaidh Nisbet, three, had been on holiday at the Crieff Hydro hotel in Perthsire when she tripped over a metal drain cover in the gardens.
She fell and badly cut her chin, which resulted in her needing paper stitches. She is also likely to be permanently scarred by the fall.
Through her parents, Sheonaidh took legal action against the hotel for failing in its duty of care.
"We have spent many happy times at Crieff Hydro and were saddened by their lack of concern following her injury," said her father William.
In a new development, BBC News reports that the hotel has agreed to a compensation payout as part of an out-of-court settlement for Sheonaidh, which is believed to be in the region of £2,500.
Hotel owners and shopkeepers have a duty of care to the general public to ensure that there is nothing that could cause slips, trips and falls. If this expectation is not fulfilled and a person is injured as a result of a slip, trip or fall, they may have a right to claim accident compensation.
Tags: Accident Compensation, Bbc, Court Settlement, Crieff Hydro Hotel, Drain Cover, Duty Of Care, Expectation, Happy Times, Hotel Chain, Hotel Owners, News Reports, Nisbet, Parents, Slips, Stitches
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
July 30th, 2009
A woman whose arm was badly injured in an accident at work is to receive £14,500 in compensation from her employer.
Nicola Upsher, 29, was working at Kimberley Clark in Gravesend in August 2007 when the accident occurred, Kent News reports.
She had been attempting to move a reel of plastic onto a trolley when it fell, crushing her calf muscles.
Ms Upsher had to take six months off work and was forced to use her savings to pay her bills. She decided to claim compensation from the firm as a result.
"Claiming compensation has also forced my employer to introduce new working practices to avoid something like this happening to someone else," she commented.
Indeed, Kimberley Clark has not only admitted liability for her injuries and agreed to the payout, but has installed a new system that will ensure the reels of plastic can be moved safely.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, there were 5,097 major injuries to employees in manufacturing in 2007-08.
Tags: Calf Muscles, Claiming Compensation, Gravesend, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Kent News, Kimberley Clark, News Reports, Six Months, Trolley, Upsher, Woman Work, Working Practices
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
July 21st, 2009
A woman whose husband died in an enemy ambush in Iraq is suing the company he worked for in an attempt to get compensation.
Julian Davies, 39, had been working for Global Strategies Group as an SAS solider in Iraq in 2004 when his convoy was attacked after taking a detour, BBC News reports.
He was shot in the head and died later in hospital. Mr Davies’ widow Joanne claims that Global Strategies Group failed in its duty of care for her husband in that it did not have emergency contingency plans in operation, plus it did not provide armoured vehicles.
She is suing the company – which denies liability – for up to £300,000.
Mr Justice Burnett in the high court must now decide if the company was liable and if so, how much it should pay to the widow in damages.
In a similar case earlier this month, it was revealed that Graham Hopps, an engineer in Iraq, was suing engineering company Mott MacDonald and the Ministry of Defence after his shoulder was ripped out by a bomb blast.
Tags: Ambush In Iraq, Armoured Vehicles, Bomb Blast, Contingency Plans, Convoy, Duty Of Care, Engineering Company, Global Strategies, Hopps, Joanne, Julian Davies, Ministry Of Defence, Mott Macdonald, Mr Davies, Mr Justice, News Reports, Sas, Solider, Strategies Group
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
