March 4th, 2009
A man who injured his heel after slipping on a wet ladder has been awarded £120,000 in compensation.
The unnamed 60-year-old from Gateshead was using a ladder to access his van’s roof rack in February 2007. However, the ladder was slippery and he fell off it, breaking his heel.
He was in a plaster cast for four months after the accident and took legal action against his employer with help from the trade union Unite.
The Newcastle-based company admitted liability for failing to provide safe access to their vehicles in wet weather and agreed to the out-of-court settlement.
A Unite spokesperson said: "If the ladder had been fitted with anti-slip runs then this accident may have been avoidable."
All workers have a right to work in places where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. The primary responsibility for this is down to the employer.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents claims it has the responsibility for reducing the 36 million working days lost to work-related accidents and ill health each year.
Tags: Court Settlement, Employee Compensation, Four Months, Health And Safety, Ill Health, Ladder, Newcastle, Plaster Cast, Prevention, Roof Rack, Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents, Spokesperson, Wet Weather
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February 20th, 2009
The victims of a road accident in 2003 are to receive compensation after it was ruled that the driver of another car was responsible for their injuries.
Minh Lac and his passengers Phi Ly and Duc Duong were driving along the A13 in Canning Town when their car skidded on a diesel spill and crashed off the road, the Newham Recorder reports.
However, after getting out to inspect the damage, the group was hit by another car which had skidded on the diesel, driven by Frederick Clayton.
Mr Duong was killed and the others were left with serious injuries. The survivors and Mr Duong’s widow sued Mr Clayton.
He was ruled to be 100 per cent liable for the accident and must now pay compensation to the victims, although the exact sum has not yet been decided.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, there were 2,943 deaths on Britain’s roads in 2007.
Tags: A13, Canning Town, Crash Victims, Deaths, Diesel Spill, Duc, Duong, Ly, Newham Recorder, Phi, Prevention, Road Accident, Road Crash, Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents, Survivors
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November 13th, 2008
A man who was seriously injured in a motorbike crash has appeared at the high court to argue his case for compensation.
David Buchan, 25, crashed into a car driven by Mark Whiting as he turned into a car park.
Mr Buchan hit the other vehicle at 30-45 miles per hour, hitting his head and suffering irreversible brain damage which has left him unable to live on his own, the St Albans & Harpenden Review reports.
He also needed cosmetic surgery for lacerations to his face and treatment for a fractured leg and spine.
Mr Buchan’s legal representatives argue that the accident was Mr Whiting’s fault, but he denies any liability for it.
In turn, his lawyers argue that Mr Buchan was the "author of his own misfortune" since he was travelling too fast before the crash.
The case is expected to conclude later this week.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, while the number of motorbike deaths fell in 2007, the number of people seriously injured on motorbikes rose last year. The organisation recommended better training for people riding such vehicles.
Tags: Amp, Car Park, Cosmetic Surgery, David Buchan, Deaths, Fractured Leg, Harpenden, Irreversible Brain Damage, Lacerations, Lawyers, Legal Representatives, Miles Per Hour, Misfortune, Motorbike Crash, People, Prevention, Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents, Spine, St Albans, Whiting
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November 7th, 2008
A man whose life expectancy was reduced after he was seriously injured in a motorbike crash has been awarded compensation.
David McCullagh Junior, 30, was a passenger on a bike being driven by Anthony Leahy in June 2006.
However, the bike hit an earth bank and Mr Leahy lost control.
Mr McCullagh hit his head and is now confined to a wheelchair. He also has speech difficulties and his life expectancy has been reduced by around 29 per cent.
He sued Mr Leahy for negligence, claiming that he should have been able to control the vehicle.
This week, the court agreed upon a £4 million settlement in order to pay for Mr McCullagh’s long term care.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, while the number of motorbike deaths fell in 2007, the number of people seriously injured on motorbikes rose last year. The organisation recommended better training for people riding such vehicles.
Tags: Accident Victim, Damages, Deaths, Earth Bank, Leahy, Life Expectancy, Long Term Care, Mccullagh, Motorbike Crash, Negligence, Prevention, Road Accident, Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents, Speech Difficulties, Wheelchair
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August 14th, 2008
A coroner has issued a warning to parents to stress the dangers of playing in dangerous environments after a young boy was killed in Wales.
Jordan Widdall-Hughes, aged 10, died after falling off a lorry which he had grabbed onto as it passed him in the street.
The boy and his friends had been so-called ‘lorry-surfing’, a craze among some young people which sees them using their mobile phones to film themselves jumping onto lorries and posting the clips on YouTube.
However, Jordan fell as the lorry accelerated and hit his head. He died later in hospital.
Newport coroner David Bowen said: "I hope the parents of youngsters who read this stress to their children that jumping on moving vehicles is an unacceptable, very dangerous and potentially fatal habit."
Roger Vincent, spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents told the BBC that parents should talk to their children about possible risks during the summer holidays in order to avoid further tragedies. 
Tags: Bbc, Coroner, Dangerous Environments, David Bowen, Friends, Habit, Jordan, Lorries, Mobile Phones, Newport, Parents, Prevention, Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents, Spokesman, Summer Holidays, Surfing, Tragedies, Wales, Youngsters, Youtube
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