July 22nd, 2009
A keen motorbike rider is suing Suzuki after claiming that one of the company’s bikes fell apart while he was riding it.
Alan Jackson, 29, had been in training for the Isle of Man Grand Prix in August 2006, when he alleges that the GSX-R750 split into two at 80 miles per hour.
The rider was airlifted to Liverpool for hospital treatment, but was still left with one leg shorter than the other due to the severity of his injuries.
He also had to give up his £40,000 a year job on the grounds of ill health and is now seeking compensation from Suzuki for negligence.
Mr Jackson claims that the welds on the bike had not been strong enough and had not been tested prior to being sent for sale.
A spokesperson for Suzuki declined to comment.
Under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, if a product causes injury, the manufacturer is responsible as long as it can be proven that the product was less safe than the consumer could reasonably expect.
Tags: Alan Jackson, Biker, Bikes, Consumer Protection Act, Consumer Protection Act 1987, Defective Product, Grand Prix, Gsx R750, Ill Health, Isle Of Man, Job, Liverpool, Miles Per Hour, Motorbike, Negligence, Severity, Spokesperson, Suzuki, Welds
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
July 10th, 2009
A man whose serious leg injury was not spotted by hospital staff has been awarded a significant compensation payout.
Bret Ravenhill, 29, had been riding his motorbike in July 2002 when he was involved in an accident, the Sheffield Star reports.
He was taken to Barnsley District General Hospital where he was treated for elbow and facial injuries, but his left leg was simply put into a plaster cast.
When he was transferred to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, the severity of his leg injury was noticed and a surgeon examined it, but it was too late for treatment.
Mr Ravenhill had to have his leg amputated below the knee.
"The one place I didn’t expect trouble was in hospital. It’s been difficult to come to terms with losing my leg," he commented.
Barnsley Hospital admitted negligence and has awarded an undisclosed but "significant" payout to the victim.
Figures from the Department for Transport show that although motorcyclists account for only one per cent of traffic in the UK, they make up 20 per cent of those killed or seriously injured in accidents.
Tags: Accidents, Barnsley District General, Barnsley District General Hospital, Blunder, Crash, District General Hospital, Elbow, Facial Injuries, Hospital Negligence, Hospital Staff, Left Leg, Leg Injury, Motorbike, Plaster Cast, Ravenhill, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Severity, Sheffield Star, Star Reports, Traffic
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
April 1st, 2009
A former mechanic has secured compensation from Scotland Yard after badly cutting his hand while repairing a police car.
Alexander Darg, 39, was checking a faulty airbag on the vehicle when he ran his left hand between the two front seats.
Unbeknown to him, a knife had been left there and it cut his fingers. Mr Darg had to have his ring finger removed and now suffers from complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
This is defined by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke as a painful condition that worsens over time, with the continuous pain out of proportion to the severity of the injury.
He also had to have a HIV test, which proved negative. Because of the suffering he was caused, Mr Darg sought compensation of £1 million from the police.
The force admitted liability but disputed the amount of damages payable.
However, in a new development, Mr Darg has now been awarded £400,000 after
Judge Sir Robert Nelson deemed his condition and suffering to be genuine and agreed that the CRPS had left him a changed man.
Tags: Airbag, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Continuous Pain, Crps, Darg, Hiv, Hiv Test, Left Hand, Mechanic, National Institute Of Neurological Disorders, National Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke, Police Car, Proportion, Regional Pain Syndrome, Ring Finger, Robert Nelson, Scotland Yard, Severity, Sir Robert
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March 19th, 2009
Figures obtained by a newspaper have revealed that an NHS trust was forced to make one of the UK’s largest payouts for clinical negligence in 2007 after admitting liability for an incident in which a child was left disabled.
Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust paid £3.6 million in compensation to the unnamed family two years ago, the Swindon Advertiser revealed.
The child in question was taken to the town’s former Princess Margaret Hospital in Okus, which is no longer in operation.
However, he or she did not receive adequate care and was left with permanent brain damage as a result.
Stephen Ellis, a spokesperson for Patient Care, said the payout was justified given the severity of the child’s injuries.
"What needs to be understood about that is we’re talking about children or babies with disabilities they have for the rest of their lives," he pointed out.
The trust paid the family as part of an out-of-court settlement and said it hoped the money would assist them in the future care of their child.
According to the Meningitis Trust, over 500,000 people in the UK have had some form of meningitis.
Tags: 6 Million, Adequate Care, Babies, Brain Damage, Clinical Negligence, Compensation Payouts, Court Settlement, Disabilities, Former Princess Margaret Hospital, Future Care, Led, Marlborough, Meningitis, Nhs Trust, Patient Care, Princess Margaret Hospital, Severity, Spokesperson, Swindon Advertiser
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
March 12th, 2009
A family is still battling for compensation after an accident in which a boy was brain damaged in 1998.
Benjamin Eeles, 11, was a passenger in a car in Norfolk when a coach crashed into the back of it, north Essex newspaper the Gazette attests.
He suffered a severe head injury and now needs constant care. His family is seeking compensation of £1.2 million from coach company Cobham Hire Services so that Benjamin can move into a large house which could accommodate his needs.
The company has disputed the allegations, stating that the proposed compensation is excessive.
However, Benjamin’s legal representative Bill Braithwaite said the child’s injuries were of "utmost severity" and that the new house would offer him new opportunities which he could not get at home.
Compensation for brain injuries will usually be more substantial than that for other injuries since it must cover the costs of long-term care for the victim.
Tags: Allegations, Brain Injuries, Car Crash, Coach Company, Constant Care, Crash Victim, Head Injury, Long Term Care, New Opportunities, North Essex, Representative Bill, Severity
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
