Compensation has been awarded to a woman who was glassed in the face after her attacker was identified via social networking site Facebook.

Jennifer Wilson was attacked in the Walkabout pub in Watford in March earlier this year.

Ashleigh Holliman, 22, of Croxley Green, pleaded guilty to charges of actual bodily harm over the incident, in which the prosecution said Miss Wilson had been doing nothing wrong.

Holliman, who works as a hairdresser, had been identified in relation with the crime after police officers tracked her down on Facebook, reports the Watford Observer.

Ms Wilson was left with a scar on her face after the assault and was awarded £2,400 by St Albans Crown Court.

Holliman will also have to undertake 120 hours of community service in addition to paying the compensation.

Earlier this week, a man was awarded £1,000 in compensation after he was attacked at a railway station in Wales.

Matthew Hale was punched to the ground and stamped on by Joshua Preece, 19, of Bridgend.

A girl who was almost killed in a frenzied knife attack has been awarded over £18,000 from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

Jessica Knight, 16, had been walking through a park in Chorley when she was attacked by Kristofer Beddar, who had drunk half a bottle of whisky.

She was stabbed 25 times and her injuries were so severe that she suffered a stroke and was in a coma for over a week.

Her mother Jill Walmsley said her life has been badly affected by the attack and that she often suffers double vision.

"We don’t know what the future holds yet – whether she’ll be able to work full-time or even drive," she added.

Jessica pursued a claim through the CICA, which has now agreed to the £18,895 payout.

The CICA is part of the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for administering the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in England, Scotland and Wales.

It can pay out a maximum of £250,000 to the victims of a criminal attack.

A man who was left with brain damage after he fell into a skip is to be awarded more than £1 million in damages.

Idris Smith, 57, was working for LC Window Fashions as a truck driver and factory operator in August 2004, Wales Online attests.

He lost his footing while loading up waste material and fell into a skip. As a result, he sustained a permanent change in his personality, with poor memory, reduced concentration and low tolerance.

Mr Smith is now unable to work and, with the help of his family, he took legal action against the firm for injuries and lost earnings.

LC Window Fashions admitted liability and Judge Justice Cranston this week ruled that he should be awarded the full amount of loss of earnings claimed to the age of 65, which will amount to more than £1 million.

Mr Smith’s solicitor said the money will allow him to move to a specially adapted home and live a relatively normal life.

Victims of brain damage usually receive more compensation than other personal injury victims as the cost of their long-term care must be covered.

A couple from Wales have been paid compensation after a devastating blunder at an IVF facility led to them losing a second chance to become parents.

The pair, named only as Debra and Paul, were hoping to try for a second child through IVF using their last surviving embryo in December 2007.

However, due to mistakes which were blamed on staff being overworked, the embryo was implanted into the wrong woman.

When the mistake was realised, the other woman agreed to a termination, but Debra said she was devastated that her last embryo made up of her own biological material had been destroyed.

Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust apologised unreservedly for the mistake and has agreed to a compensation payout of approximately £25,000 after admitting to gross failures in care.

Debra and Paul have said they may use the compensation to pay for further IVF treatment using donated eggs.

According to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, one in seven UK couples have difficulty conceiving and infertility is the most likely reason for a visit to the doctor after pregnancy.

A man who was imprisoned for four years after being convicted of a murder he did not commit has been awarded compensation for the miscarriage of justice.

Stephen Miller was jailed for life for the 1988 murder of Cardiff prostitute Lynette White, but was released in 1992 after the conviction was found not fit to stand up in court, Wales Online reports.

Another man named Jeffrey Gafoor pleaded guilty to Ms White’s murder in 2003 and Mr Miller’s legal representatives launched a compensation claim.

He has now been awarded £50,000 in compensation for his loss of liberty, as well as separate payouts for injury to feelings and hardship, bringing his total to £185,000.

A miscarriage of justice can result from unreliable confessions due to police pressure – as Mr Miller’s lawyers argued in this case – or psychological instability.

Anyone affected should seek the advice of a solicitor in order to discuss a potential compensation claim.

A police officer who was badly injured when his car was rammed by an escaping thief has won the right to claim compensation.

PC Mark Tait was a passenger in a squad car that was chasing a stolen Volvo in March 2003 when it was crashed into at a junction in Wigan.

Although Mr Tait’s claim was originally denied by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), which claimed that the driver being pursued was only trying to escape, he appealed and a judge has now ruled that the stolen car had been used as a weapon with a possible intention to cause harm.

Mr Justice Stadlen has ordered a new tribunal in which it will be decided how much compensation Mr Tait is to receive, although it is thought the sum will be ’substantial’.

CICA is part of the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for administering the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in England, Scotland and Wales.

The family of a man who was murdered outside a pub in 2004 are taking civil legal action against the people they say are responsible.

Kevin Lavelle, 29, was beaten around the head with a metal bar in a gang attack outside the Cricketers’ Arms in Banbury, the BBC reports.

He suffered severe brain damage and head injuries and later died.

The criminal case against the gang fell through because it could not be proven who dealt the fatal blow, but the family is suing its individual members to provide compensation for Mr Lavelle’s two young children.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority – which was established in 1996 and is the government body responsible for administering the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in England, Scotland and Wales – ruled that it could not automatically pay compensation for Mr Lavelle’s death.

"It’s rare to take what would be presumed to be a criminal matter through to the civil courts," the family’s solicitor admitted, but said that the aim is to provide for the children as Mr Lavelle would have done, had he been alive.

A woman whose husband died following a routine hernia operation has been awarded compensation for her loss.

Melvyn Clarke, 61, was discharged the day after his surgery in October 2005, but continued to feel unwell.

Despite returning to his GP, he was not referred to a specialist and was only readmitted to hospital when his condition worsened on November 2nd.

He died despite attempts to carry out further surgery on November 7th, the Daily Post reports.

His wife Yvonne took legal action against the GP she claimed was responsible for Mr Clarke’s death, saying his life could have been saved had he been treated sooner.

As a result, she has been paid an unspecified sum of compensation, although the GP did not admit liability.

Commenting on the payout, Ms Clarke said: "No amount of money will ever make up for losing my best friend. I would much rather have Melvyn back."

Clinical negligence occurs when a professional in the health service provides care that is deemed to be below standard and this causes physical injury, death or distress.

Anyone who has suffered personal injury in England or Wales following a medical procedure or as a result of wrongful advice may be entitled to compensation and is advised to seek legal representation.

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.