Liability and the value of the personal injury claim were both disputed by the employer’s insurers who maintained that the claimant was the author of her own misfortune.

We successfully argued breaches of Health and Safety regulations and the claimant received compensation of £5,400.

A prisoner has been awarded £1,400 in compensation after he was bitten by a prison officer during a brawl.

David Hay was being moved to a new prison but had refused to leave Perth jail in Scotland without his quilt and in the ensuing argument was pinned to the floor and bitten in the back.

As a result of the incident, which left Hay with a bitemark for a fortnight, the Scottish Prison Service was ordered to pay the compensation on behalf of prison officer Kenny Kinnear, who carried out the act.

Hay, who served a seven-year term for culpable homicide, was cleared of a breach of the peace after he was accused of threatening Kinnear in the street after his eventual release from jail.

Earlier this week, a man who suffered a stroke after developing a drugs habit in jail was awarded compensation.

Ellis Sherwood had been wrongly convicted of murder and was awarded £1.4 million for what happened to him following the quashing of his conviction.

A teenage girl who was left severely disabled after complications during her birth has been awarded medical negligence compensation.

Charlotte Gillespie, of Ramsbottom, now suffers from cerebral palsy, epilepsy and obsessive compulsive disorder as a result of errors made during her delivery, reports the Bury Times.

Her mother Marilyn was made to walk to theatre during the birth and it was the contention of the Gillespie family that Charlotte should have been delivered by Caesarean section.

The family received an undisclosed amount in medical negligence compensation from Bury Health Care NHS Trust over the delivery at Fairfield Hospital in 1996.

Marilyn Gillespie said: "We can now provide her with all the medical care she needs for the rest of her life."

Earlier this month, 11-year-old Grant Hembry was awarded more than £270,000 in medical negligence compensation after blunders during his birth resulted in nerve damage that has left him unable to use his right shoulder, arm and hand.

A boy has been awarded more than £250,000 in a clinical negligence claim against Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust.

Grant Hembry of Plymouth, who is now 11, was awarded the money after a medical blunder during his birth left him with shoulder dystocia, a condition that meant he was unable to use his right shoulder, arm and hand because of nerve damage.

He was awarded £270,795, including £60,000 for the pain and suffering caused by the incident, after the Trust admitted clinical negligence, reports The Herald.

A spokesman for the Trust said: "We were extremely disappointed by this [incident] and apologise for it as we strive to provide the highest possible standard of care to all of our patients."

Last month, a ten-year-old boy was awarded £7.1 million in a clinical negligence claim against Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust.

Harry Snowdon of Oxfordshire suffered brain damage as a result of complications with his birth.

A 14-year-old girl has been awarded millions in compensation after winning a medical negligence claim against the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.

Tahlia Downes was deprived of oxygen during her birth, leaving her with severe mental and physical disabilities.

Her mother brought the medical negligence claim against the hospital on the grounds that she should have been given a Caesarean section during the birth, reports the BBC.

Norfolk and Norwich Hospital will pay the family compensation after the judge in the case ruled that it should pay 70 per cent of the full valuation of the claim.

The payout is expected to run into millions once a final figure is reached, money that will be used to provide care for Tahlia for the rest of her life.

Last month, ten-year-old Harry Snowdon of Oxfordshire was awarded £7.1 million in compensation in a similar medical negligence case against Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, in which he was left with brain damage following difficulties with his birth.

A man who had worked at a sports centre for 20 years has been awarded £50,000 in compensation for a back injury that could have been prevented.

David Barber, 62, hurt himself lifting some faulty swimming pool steps without assistance in February 2004, Adeceder reports.

However, when he returned to Haywood Sports Centre in Rochdale four months later, he was ordered to carry out lifeguard training which aggravated the injury.

The damage was such that Mr Barber now has to take regular epidural injections and painkillers in order to get through the day .

He decided to sue Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council for compensation.

"The worst thing about the injury has been going from being hugely active to unable to do the gardening, or drive, or travel easily – it’s that loss of independence," he commented.

The council has now agreed to settle the case out of court, although it did not admit liability.

Earlier this month, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council worker Kay Fagg was awarded £10,000 in compensation after a broken chair caused her to slip a disc in her back.

An autistic child who alleges that he was locked in a toilet by his carer has secured compensation.

Alex Berry, now 15, was left in the care of Siobhan Quinn in May 2005 as usual. She looked after the youngster in her own home in Dublin.

However, it is claimed that on this occasion, she left the house and secured 11-year-old Alex in a downstairs toilet while she was away.

Alex suffers from severe autism and cannot be left alone. His father Peter alleges that he arrived at Ms Quinn’s house to find her unlocking the toilet and letting Alex – who was in a distressed state – out.

With the assistance of his family, Alex took legal action against Ms Quinn, as well as Northside Home Care Services (her employer) and the Health Service Executive.

Mr Justice John Quirke ruled Ms Quinn’s behaviour to be "scandalous" and "dreadful".

Although the parties being sued did not admit liability for their negligence, it was agreed that Alex should receive a payout of £42,300 to cover the pain and suffering he was caused.

According to the National Autistic Society, over half a million people in the UK have autism, a figure which equates to around one in 100 people.

A police officer who was responsible for training Iraqi men in Basra has won the right to claim compensation after he hit his head in a police academy.

Robert McNeill was taking a training exercise when he ran into an air conditioning unit that was suspended from the ceiling, causing severe lacerations, Peterborough Today reports.

He claimed that the injury had caused him to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that he has been unable to work since because of depression.

In a new development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has admitted 60 per cent liability for Mr McNeill’s injuries, allowing him to claim compensation.

The victim is seeking up to £700,000 in damages for lost earnings and the pain he was caused, although the final amount is to be decided at a later date.

According to PTSD.net, people with the disorder may find it difficult to handle the stress of seeking compensation and so should seek the advice of a specialist solicitor.