September 4th, 2009
A toddler who was attacked by a dog in a Cumbrian pub’s beer garden has been awarded compensation for his injuries.
Zion Kasaija, then five, was with his family at the Stanley Arms Hotel in Calderbridge when the bull mastiff attacked him.
He sustained serious injuries to his face during the five-minute ordeal, which also saw his father William bitten as he tried to save his son, the Times and Star reports.
It was later discovered that the dog had bitten people on three previous occasions. The owner of the dog, who also owned the pub, was banned from keeping a dog for eight years.
Zion’s family took legal action against the unnamed man and a payout has now been secured for his parents, as well as for him.
The final settlement for the child will be decided in a year’s time.
Compensation can be claimed following an attack by a dog, particularly if it can be proved that the animal had a history of aggression and that the owner should therefore be taking extra measures to protect the public.
Tags: Aggression, Arms Hotel, Beer Garden, Bull Mastiff, Dog Attack, Dog Years, Mastiff, Measures, Occasions, Ordeal, Parents, People, Stanley Arms, Stanley Hotel, Star Reports, Time Compensation, Unnamed Man, Zion
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
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July 28th, 2009
A woman who narrowly escaped serious injury when a lorry crashed into her parents’ home has been awarded compensation for her ordeal.
Alison Bradford, 31, had been in the house recovering from a minor eye operation when the incident occurred in February 2007, the Press and Journal reports.
The vehicle, owned by Peterhead-based Stoneyhill Waste Management, lost control while going around a bend and ploughed into the house.
Ms Bradford woke up to find her bedroom wall being pushed in and managed to jump out of the way. However, she claims that she was left psychologically distressed and bulimic by the accident.
In a new development, she has been awarded £300,000 following a court hearing by the insurers of Stoneyhill Waste Management.
Where claims are brought about for negligence after such property damage, the amount of compensation is usually established by working out the cost of repairs and loss of use, while personal injury payouts will consider both physical and emotional damage.
Tags: Alison, Bedroom Wall, Court Hearing, Emotional Damage, Eye Operation, Negligence, Ordeal, Parents, personal injury, Waste Management, Woman
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June 16th, 2009
A couple from Wales have been paid compensation after a devastating blunder at an IVF facility led to them losing a second chance to become parents.
The pair, named only as Debra and Paul, were hoping to try for a second child through IVF using their last surviving embryo in December 2007.
However, due to mistakes which were blamed on staff being overworked, the embryo was implanted into the wrong woman.
When the mistake was realised, the other woman agreed to a termination, but Debra said she was devastated that her last embryo made up of her own biological material had been destroyed.
Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust apologised unreservedly for the mistake and has agreed to a compensation payout of approximately £25,000 after admitting to gross failures in care.
Debra and Paul have said they may use the compensation to pay for further IVF treatment using donated eggs.
According to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, one in seven UK couples have difficulty conceiving and infertility is the most likely reason for a visit to the doctor after pregnancy.
Tags: Biological Material, Blunder, Cardiff And Vale Nhs Trust, Eggs, Embryo, Gross, Infertility, Ivf Treatment, Led, Mistake, National Institute For Clinical Excellence, Parents, Pregnancy, Reason, Second Chance, Uk Couples, Vale Nhs Trust, Wales, Wrong Woman
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
June 9th, 2009
The parents of a man who committed suicide after escaping from a high-risk mental health unit are demanding an investigation.
Jonathan Lowbridge, 20, had suffered from mental health problems for years and had been admitted to Prospect Park Hospital in Tilehurst for his own protection on May 21st, the Reading Post reports.
However, he got out and was found hanging in the woods by a passer-by on May 23rd.
"We were assured he was safe. They have expressed sympathy but there is negligence here. Our boy is dead now because someone let him get out," said his father Michael Lowbridge.
A spokesperson for the hospital said that it is working with the Thames Valley Police to establish the events leading up to the man’s death.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, suicide remains the most common cause of death in men under the age of 35, with men three times more likely to take their own lives than women.
Tags: Cause Of Death, Common Cause Of Death, Jonathan, Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Problems, Mental Health Unit, Negligence, Parents, Prospect Park, Reading Post, Spokesperson, Suicide, Sympathy, Thames Valley Police, Three Times
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
