August 10th, 2009
A man is taking legal action against a Florida hotel after he contracted potentially fatal Legionnaires’ Disease while on holiday.
Gary Ewans had taken his family to the Quality Suites Hotel in Orlando, but became one of four people to contract the bug.
He was only diagnosed upon his return to Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital and was then off work for a month. Mr Ewans claims that he has still not returned to full health.
"This was supposed to be a fantastic family holiday in the Florida sun but instead I ended up in hospital with a potentially deadly disease," he commented.
It is claimed that the hotel was poorly managed and that the pool was rarely cleaned. Mr Ewans has launched a compensation claim against it in a bid to be remunerated for the suffering he was caused.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, Legionnaires’ Disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia that is caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila.
Tags: Action Man, Bacterium, Compensation Claim, Deadly Disease, Family Holiday, Fantastic Family, Florida Hotel, Florida Sun, Full Health, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Hotel In Orlando, Legionnaires Disease, Pneumonia, Pool, Quality Suites Hotel, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, Suffering
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
June 1st, 2009
A firefighter who was seriously injured in a house fire is claiming compensation of up to £500,000 from his employers.
Ian Tape, 34, was attending a blaze in Sheffield in 2007 when a door upstairs exploded and he and a colleague became trapped.
He tried to send a distress message, but claims that the radio was faulty. In order to escape, he and his fellow worker had to smash a downstairs window and climb out unaided.
Mr Tape also alleges that advice from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue telling the workers to spray the building with water intensified the fire.
He is claiming up to £500,000 in compensation after suffering serious burns in a high court writ that states the employees were not protected due to faulty equipment and poor training.
A spokesperson for the fire brigade said: "This was an extremely tragic and distressing event for all those involved, and we have agreed to pay Ian damages to compensate him for the injuries he sustained."
He added that the amount Mr Tape will receive is still under discussion.
Workers have a legal right to seek for compensation should they be injured while carrying out the objectives of a company or organisation – including the emergency services – and should seek the advice of a solicitor.
Tags: 500k, Blaze, Claiming Compensation, Colleague, Damages, Distress Message, Downstairs, Emergency Services, Faulty Equipment, Fellow Worker, Fire Brigade, Firefighter, Fireman, Sheffield, Solicitor, South Yorkshire, Spokesperson, Writ, Yorkshire
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
February 27th, 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning to care providers that they must ensure the safety of their patients.
Its warning comes after a man staying at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield tried to open a window in May 2004.
Although the window was not supposed to open more than ten centimetres, it had not been properly maintained and swung open fully.
The 18-year-old fell 12 metres to the floor below, suffering a serious internal injury and several fractures.
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was fined for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
HSE inspector Kirsty Welsh said hospitals need to ensure that vulnerable people are not put at risk.
"The risk of falls from windows is well-known in the care sector. Hospitals have a responsibility to ensure they have preventative measures put in place," she added.
Anyone who is injured within a hospital or care home may be able to claim personal injury compensation and should seek the advice of a solicitor within three years of the incident.
Tags: 18 Year Old, Breaches, Care Sector, Foundation Trust, Fractures, Health And Safety, Health And Safety At Work, Health And Safety At Work Act, Health And Safety At Work Act 1974, Health And Safety Executive, Kirsty, Northern General Hospital, Personal Injury Compensation, Preventative Measures, Risk, Safety At Work, Sheffield, Solicitor, Teaching Hospitals, Welsh
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
February 9th, 2009
A man whose hearing was damaged after being subjected to a noisy workplace for over 20 years has received a compensation payout.
The unnamed 50-year-old was an employee at Dormer Tools in Sheffield and Worksop, but despite the noisy environment, he was not given protection or advice on the dangers of excessive noise to his hearing.
After he began to suffer occupational deafness, he took legal action against Dormer Tools, which has now admitted liability and agreed to an out-of-court settlement for £5,500.
Adrian Axtell, spokesperson for the man’s union Unite, said: "It is only right that those deafened through their employer’s negligence should be compensated for the long-term damage to their hearing."
Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, employers must take specific actions if the noise level in their workplace reaches above 80 decibels, including providing information and hearing protection.
Average noise levels must never exceed 87 decibels nor peak at 140 decibels.
Tags: 80 Decibels, Axtell, Court Settlement, Dormer Tools, Excessive Noise, Fitter, Hearing Protection, Negligence, Noise At Work, Noise At Work Regulations, Noise Level, Noise Levels, Noisy Environment, Occupational Deafness, S Union, Sheffield, Spokesperson, Worksop
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
July 4th, 2008
A cement manufacturer has been fined after a worker lost an ear in a workplace accident.
According to the Building Merchants Journal, Edinburgh Sheriff Court ordered Lafarge Cement UK to pay £200,000. The fine was reduced from £300,000 as the firm pleaded guilty to the charge.
Stuart Richardson was seriously injured at the site in East Lothian after falling into an electric fan in a quarry stacker machine used to crush limestone. He was left scarred and had to have his left ear amputated.
Shortly before the incident, a worker died and three more were injured at the company’s Northfleet factory after a concrete ring gave way.
The Environment Agency has also officially warned Lafarge about leaking potentially harmful dioxins. His colleague was also taken to hospital after suffering back injuries, reports the BBC.
In 2006, a contractor died from Sheffield died following an accident at the Cemex cement plant in Rugby.
Tags: Bbc, Building Merchants, Cement Manufacturer, Cement Plant, Cemex, Cemex Cement, Colleague, Dioxins, East Lothian, Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Electric Fan, Environment Agency, Lafarge, Lafarge Cement Uk, Left Ear, Northfleet, Quarry, Sheffield, Workplace Accident
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
