October 21st, 2009
A man who suffered a back injury at work has been awarded £22,000 from his former employer.
John Atkin was a delivery driver for Johnston Press in February 2007 and had been delivering newspapers in Northumberland.
However, when he came to unload at a drop-off point, he found that the newspapers had been put in the van incorrectly and had shifted.
As he went to rearrange them in the confined space, he badly injured his back.
Due to the injury affecting his right arm and shoulder, Mr Atkin has been unable to work since.
He took legal action against Johnston Press, which admitted breaching health and safety regulations and has agreed to pay £22,000 in compensation.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, 80 per cent of people will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Much of this is caused or worsened by duties at work and employers should have measures in place to avoid such injuries.
Tags: Back Injury, Back Pain, Confined Space, Delivering Newspapers, Delivery Driver, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, John Atkin, Johnston Press, Measures, Northumberland, Right Arm, Safety Regulations, Shoulder Mr
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July 29th, 2009
A young mechanic is seeking compensation after his arm was almost severed in an accident involving a forklift truck.
Martyn Coope, then 17, was working at William West Distribution in West Hallam and had been asked to load biscuits onto a trailer.
He had never been trained to operate a forklift and he had previously told his supervisors that the brakes were faulty.
As he attempted to drive it, the brakes failed and he crashed into a lorry trailer, trapping his right arm.
Surgeons initially feared that Mr Coope would have to have it amputated, but it was eventually saved through skin grafts and metal pins.
The victim is now seeking compensation after William West Distribution admitted failings in health and safety measures.
"These practices were potentially lethal. It was only by good luck that the accident was not more debilitating or fatal," said Judge John Stobart.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, forklift trucks account for approximately one-quarter of all workplace transport major injuries to employees every year.
Tags: Biscuits, Brakes, Forklift Truck, Forklift Trucks, Good Luck, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Judge John, Mechanic, Metal Pins, Right Arm, Safety Measures, Skin Grafts, West Hallam, Worker Compensation, Workplace Transport
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April 3rd, 2009
The wife of a construction worker who suffered a brain injury after an accident on-site is seeking compensation from his employer on his behalf.
Christopher Kaye, 55, was working for Euro Dismantling Services in Sheffield last October when he was asked to remove a grapple attachment from a piece of machinery, the Sheffield Telegraph reports.
However, the grapple moved suddenly and hit him in the face, causing a severe brain injury.
Mr Kaye is now unable to communicate and has to be fed through a tube. He can move only his eyes and his right arm and leg.
His wife Susan is taking legal action against Euro Dismantling Services, claiming that the company was negligent and had not trained him in using the machinery.
A writ lodged at the high court also claims that the firm had not checked that the machinery was sufficiently stable before allowing the workforce to use it.
Euro Dismantling Services has declined to comment on the case.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, the rate of major injury in construction is the highest of any main industry group at 599.2 per 100,000 employees between 2007 and 2008.
Tags: Construction Worker, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Industry Group, Mr Kaye, Right Arm, Severe Brain Injury, Sheffield Telegraph, Wife Susan, Worker Compensation, Workforce, Writ
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February 19th, 2009
A Welsh teenager who suffers from Erb’s palsy as a result of an injury sustained during her birth is to receive compensation.
Harriet Frobisher, now 15, was born at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan in 1994, the BBC reports.
However, during the delivery, Harriet became stuck in the birth canal. The family claimed that hospital staff had not followed correct procedures to resolve this and had instead tried to pull Harriet free.
Consequently, the nerves in her neck were stretched and she developed Erb’s palsy, which is a preventable birth defect that affects the shoulder, arm and hand. Her right arm now has severely limited movement.
Her parents, Gerry and Sharon Frobisher, launched legal action on her behalf in 2007 and the North Wales NHS Trust has now agreed to a settlement without admitting liability.
The exact sum of compensation is not known, but it is believed to be six figures.
Tags: Bbc, Birth Canal, Birth Defect, Erb S Palsy, Hospital Staff, Nerves, Nhs Trust, North Wales, Parents, Right Arm, Shoulder Arm, Six Figures, Sufferer, Teenager, Welsh
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
December 22nd, 2008
A woman is taking legal action against a hospital which she says was negligent in its treatment of her injuries.
Patricia Griffiths, 65, fell at her home in November 2005 and was admitted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
Although x-rays showed up a fractured vertebra in her neck, doctors failed to notice damage to some of the others.
She was discharged with a follow-up appointment three months later, but had to be readmitted after only two months due to a dislocated vertebra and partial dislocation of two others.
Ms Griffiths had to have surgery and claims her life has been ruined by the injuries which left her unable to lift with her right arm.
She is suing the hospital for £300,000 for alleged negligence, in that they did not ensure her neck was stable before discharging her.
A spokesperson for Addenbrooke’s refused to comment.
Clinical negligence occurs when a professional in the health service provides care that is judged to be below standard and this causes physical injury, death or distress.
Tags: Addenbrooke S Hospital, Appointment, Blunder, Cambridge, Clinical Negligence, Doctors, Fractured Vertebra, Health Service, Injury Death, Partial Dislocation, Right Arm, Spokesperson, Three Months, Woman, X Ray, X Rays
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