October 29th, 2009
A man who suffered brain injuries after he fell 20 feet into a supermarket car park is seeking compensation from Plymouth City Council.
Jonathan Harvey was a physiotherapy student and a keen sportsman in 2003 when he went on a night out with friends, the Plymouth Herald reports.
However, after getting out of a taxi, Mr Harvey allegedly tripped over a fence and plunged 20 feet onto concrete.
He was in hospital for eight months and still finds it difficult to walk and talk because of his brain injury.
The victim has taken legal action against Plymouth City Council for failing to ensure its land was safe for visitors under the Occupiers’ Liability Act.
A spokesperson for the council denied liability, insisting that Mr Harvey was to blame for the accident.
Anyone who suffers a personal injury should seek legal advice within three years of the incident in order to be able to claim compensation.
Tags: Brain Injuries, Brain Injury, Car Park, Concrete, Eight Months, Fence, Friends, Jonathan, Jonathan Harvey, Keen Sportsman, Legal Advice, Mr Harvey, Occupiers Liability Act, personal injury, Plymouth City Council, Spokesperson, Supermarket, Taxi
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
October 27th, 2009
A man who suffered hearing loss after working in three different noisy environments has been awarded compensation.
John Walton worked at the British Steel Corporation from 1978 to 1983, Darchem Projects from 1985 to 1987 and Turbros Engineering from 1987 to 2007, the Workplace Law Network reports.
All three were noisy to work in and when Mr Walton went for a medical in 2007, he discovered he had occupational hearing loss.
He took legal action against all three employers and it has now been ruled following a hearing that the victim should receive £12,750 in compensation.
GMB spokesperson Billy Coates commented: "It is only right that those deafened through their employer’s negligence should be compensated for the long-term damage to their hearing."
According to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, workers must have hearing protection available at noise levels of 80 decibels or above and should be made to wear it at 85 decibels.
The organisation states that 500,000 people have suffered hearing difficulties as a result of excessive noise in the workplace.
Tags: 000 People, 80 Decibels, British Steel, Coates, Darchem, Deaf Workers, Excessive Noise, Hearing Difficulties, Hearing Protection, John Walton, Negligence, Noise Levels, Noisy Environments, Occupational Hearing Loss, Royal National Institute, Spokesperson, Steel Corporation, Workplace Law
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October 26th, 2009
A 14-year-old boy has been awarded compensation for clinical negligence after a hospital admitted that its failings caused his cerebral palsy.
The unnamed victim was born prematurely at Billinge Hospital, but staff failed to properly administer ventilation, the Manchester Evening News reports.
He is now wheelchair-bound and will need round-the-clock care for the rest of his life.
The child’s parents took legal action against Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust and – after an 11-year legal battle – have now been awarded compensation that will allow them to specially adapt their home for their disabled son.
"The trust very much hopes that the compensation monies will provide life-long security and enable the individual to fulfil their potential," a spokesperson for the hospital said.
According to figures published by Scope, approximately one in 400 babies in the UK is born with cerebral palsy every year. This may be caused by a blocked blood vessel, complications in labour, extreme prematurity or illness just after birth.
Tags: 5 Million, Babies, Blood Vessel, Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, Clock Care, Extreme Prematurity, Foundation Trust, Labour, Manchester Evening News, Monies, News Reports, Nhs, Parents, Scope, Spokesperson, Ventilation, Wheelchair, Wigan
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
October 15th, 2009
A widow is considering legal action against an NHS trust after her husband died following an operation.
Joseph Gill, 58, was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in July for a lung cancer operation. However, he was given the wrong medication six times when staff mixed him up with another patient and he fell ill.
Despite this, he was taken in for the surgery to receive part of his lung on July 7th. Complications arose and he died on July 16th.
Eileen Gill, 55, said she blames NHS Grampian for her husband’s death and claims the nurses had called him George and repeatedly given him medication meant for a heart patient.
She is now demanding answers in order to consider pursuing a clinical negligence compensation claim.
"We’ve got a solicitor but can’t do anything until we know what drug he was given," she commented.
A spokesperson for NHS Grampian denied that the medication mix-up had led to Mr Gill’s death but said that lessons had been learnt since the mistakes.
This comes after research from the Care Quality Commission revealed that one in nine of the 392 NHS trusts in the UK performed badly or failed to improve in the last year.
Tags: Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Cancer Operation, Care Quality, Clinical Negligence Compensation, Compensation Claim, Grampian, Heart Patient, Joseph Gill, July 7th, Lung Cancer, Medication, Mr Gill, Nhs Trust, Nhs Trusts, Nurses, Quality Commission, Six Times, Solicitor, Spokesperson
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
October 9th, 2009
The generation of people left disabled by the drug thalidomide have launched a fresh bid for compensation with the backing of former newspaper editor Sir Harold Evans.
Although the victims, who were born with shortened limbs and other health problems after their mothers took the drug for morning sickness, receive £18,000 a year from a trust fund set up by the drug company, they believe this should be doubled.
This is because the victims are ageing and facing additional expenses associated with their health problems, for example, a need to buy specially-adapted motorized wheelchairs.
"We’re asking the government to look at our financial plan and improve it so we can live an independent life with dignity," said Nick Dobrik, a thalidomide victim at the helm of the campaign.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health insisted that the trust fund is sufficient and said it will have paid out £150 million by 2037.
Thalidomide was first developed in Germany in 1957 and although fears over its safety led to it not being licensed in the US, this was not the case in Britain. It was withdrawn in 1961 after the catastrophic birth defects became obvious.
Tags: Bid, Birth Defects, Department Of Health, Dignity, Fears, Germany, Harold Evans, Health Problems, Helm, Independent Life, Launch, Morning Sickness, Newspaper Editor, Nick, Sir Harold, Spokesperson, Thalidomide, Thalidomide Victims, Trust Fund
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
