Adams Personal Injury Blog
Scaffolder Wins £90,000 for Fall
Friday, 5 March 2010
An experienced scaffolder who sustained severe injuries in a 40-foot fall has won a £90,000 compensation settlement.
Trevor Cox, 43, had worked as a scaffolder for 20 years and had never had an accident before. He had just started dismantling scaffolding at the Drax Power Station in Wakefield when he stepped onto what he thought was a metal platform. It was in fact made of plastic and was not strong enough to bear his weight.
In the resultant fall, Mr Cox suffered a suspected spine fracture, broken ribs and dislocation of and nerve damage to his left shoulder. He can no longer work as a scaffolder as it is painful for him to raise his left arm above shoulder height. Instead, he has had to find work as a scaffolding inspector.
Mr Cox brought a claim against his employer, Cape Industries Ltd., because he had been told to dismantle the scaffolding without being warned that the platform was unsafe. His employer denied liability for the accident but agreed to an out of court settlement of £90,000 shortly before the case was due to be heard.
Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of workplace injury. Erecting and dismantling scaffolding is particularly dangerous and each job should be carefully planned. Safety procedures must be put in place that are easy for workers to understand and take into account all foreseeable risks. These should be monitored regularly and staff training kept up to date.
If you would like advice on how to make a personal injury claim, contact Adams Law. It is important to take advice early on as there are time limits that apply when making a claim for compensation.
posted by Admin at
09:49
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Payout for Injured Sunday League Footballer
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
A student who was badly injured by a late tackle while playing football has won £25,000 in compensation.
Jonny Craig, 29, was studying for a doctorate in educational psychology at the University of Nottingham. He was taking part in a Sunday League game when the accident happened. He was running towards the goal when an opponent floored him with a heavy tackle from the side. Mr Craig was left lying on the ground with a bone sticking out of his leg.
Mr Craig had to have an emergency operation on his leg, which was broken in three places. After he was discharged from hospital, he had to be readmitted when it was found that his leg had become infected.
Because of his injury, Mr Craig was unable to attend his course for three months, which meant that he had to defer his studies for a year. Although his leg has now healed, he is no longer able to run as fast as he could before the accident and still suffers pain from the injury.
Mr Craig brought a personal injury claim and the insurers of the opponent’s team agreed to pay him £25,000 in compensation.
Whilst playing a contact sport carries with it a certain level of risk of injury, it may be possible to claim damages if an injury is caused by the negligence of someone else or by reckless or dangerous play, as happened here.
If you have been involved in a sporting accident that was preventable and resulted from conduct beyond the range of what would normally be expected, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact one of our dedicated solicitors for personal injury claim advice.
posted by Admin at
10:49
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Gardener Receives £205,000 Asbestos Compensation
Monday, 1 March 2010
A gardener who developed a deadly asbestos-related disease has won £205,000 in compensation from his former employers.
Mr Gaffney, 57, worked for the University of Liverpool during the 1980s looking after the grounds. He used to take his lunch breaks in the boiler room, which had asbestos insulation.
Two years ago, he was diagnosed with the incurable disease mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs, and was given only a short time to live. He recently underwent an operation, which it is hoped will give him a little more time with his family.
Mr Gaffney had received no warning from his employers about the dangers of exposure to asbestos and so had no idea that eating his lunch in the boiler room could lead to him developing a deadly disease many years later. After bringing a personal injury claim against them, he received £205,000 in compensation.
Exposure to asbestos can cause a range of diseases including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Mesothelioma can develop many years after the initial exposure to asbestos. Particularly at risk of contracting the disease are those who have worked on building sites or in power stations or shipyards.
Employers who fail to protect workers from exposure to toxins or carcinogens risk action being taken against them by those whose health is damaged as a consequence.
Asbestos-related illnesses are among the most common industrial diseases in the UK. Our Personal Injury Solicitors are experienced in handling claims for all kinds of industrial injuries.
posted by Admin at
12:17
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Family of Murdered Patient Wins Damages
Friday, 26 February 2010
The family of an elderly patient who died of an insulin overdose administered by a hospital nurse has been awarded almost £50,000 in compensation.
Doris Ludlam, 80, was one of four elderly patients who were given lethal injections of insulin by nurse Colin Norris, who is now serving a jail sentence for the murders.
Doctors became suspicious when one of the patients went into a hypoglycaemic coma despite not being a diabetic. Blood tests revealed insulin levels that were 12 times the normal amount and the woman subsequently died.
The Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust accepted responsibility for Mrs Ludlam’s death and agreed to pay her family compensation of £47,500. The Trust also apologised for the distress caused to the family and for the systems failures that had allowed the nurse access to potentially lethal drugs without challenge.
Mrs Ludlam’s widower, Walter, 94, suffers from dementia and the money will be used to pay for his care.
The families of Mr Norris’s other victims are also pursuing compensation claims, but Mrs Ludlam’s case is the first to be formally agreed.
Fortunately, cases of this kind are rare. In this instance, the hospital clearly failed to supervise its staff adequately and have in place the appropriate systems and checks that would have prevented unauthorised access to potentially dangerous drugs.
For advice and guidance on compensation claims, please contact one of our dedicated personal injury solicitors
posted by Admin at
17:00
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£75,000 Interim Payment for Pothole Slip
Thursday, 25 February 2010
A man who suffered severe brain damage when he slipped and fell on an uneven public road in North London has received an interim payment of £75,000.
Kyle Bullock, 33, was walking with friends down a steep and poorly maintained road when the accident happened. Having dropped a little way behind the others, he began jogging in order to catch them up, but he tripped over a deep pothole. He lost his balance and fell to the ground before rolling down the hill and striking his head on the edge of another pothole.
In hospital, it was found that Mr Bullock had suffered a severe brain injury as well as multiple fractures to his skull. He was therefore transferred to a specialist neurology and neurosurgical hospital for further treatment.
After months of rehabilitation, Mr Bullock has not fully recovered from his injuries and requires assistance with everyday tasks. As a result of the accident he suffered a personality change, which led to the breakdown of his relationship with his partner, and he is no longer able to work.
A claim was brought against a subsidiary company of Haringey Council, which was responsible for the upkeep of the road. The organisation contended, however, that the potholes were not the cause of Mr Bullock’s accident.
Eventually, however, the company was prepared to accept the majority of the responsibility for the accident. Mr Bullock was granted an interim award of £75,000 prior to the full amount of his claim for compensation being quantified.
If you have been injured because the council or organisation responsible for maintaining a road or pavement properly has failed to do so, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact one of our personal injury specialists for advice.
posted by Admin at
09:21
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£1.1 Million Compensation for Victim of Drunken Driver
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
A road worker from Tyneside who was knocked down by a driver who was over the limit has won £1.1 million in compensation for his injuries.
William Kane, 55, had been sent by his employer to work on a highways contract for the Irish Government. He had been out with friends one evening after work when the accident happened. He was crossing the road when he was hit by a car driven by Justin Cherry, who was driving whilst over the legal blood-alcohol level.
Mr Kane suffered 15 serious injuries, including severe brain damage, lacerations of his scalp and multiple fractures. Initially, he was treated in a hospital in County Kildare where he lay in a coma for six weeks, only kept alive by a ventilator. Because of the severity of his injuries doctors feared he would never recover.
When he came out of the coma, Mr Kane was flown to a rehabilitation unit in Doncaster where he faced a further nine months of treatment as he learned to walk and talk again. He now suffers from mental and physical problems. He has poor short- and long-term memory and has difficulty walking without a cane. It is very unlikely that he will ever be able to work again and he requires regular attention from carers to look after his day-to-day needs.
Mr Kane began legal proceedings in the Irish courts. The driver’s insurance company made a low offer to settle the claim, but this was rejected. Following negotiations, a figure of €1.25 million (£1.1 million) compensation was agreed and this was subsequently approved by the High Court in Dublin.
“Nothing can adequately compensate for the loss of one’s health and normal way of life. However, a financial settlement can help the victim of an accident such as this to adjust to the changes in their circumstances and relieve them from financial hardship.” Says one of our personal injury specialists
If you are injured in a road accident through no fault of your own, whether as a driver, passenger or pedestrian, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact us for advice on how to proceed with your claim.
posted by Admin at
10:15
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Shopper Struck by Heavy Doormats Receives £20,000
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
A woman who was injured when a stack of doormats fell from a high shelf in a hardware store has won £20,000 in compensation.
The woman, who was browsing in an aisle of the store, was suddenly hit on the head and shoulder by the thick rubber doormats. The impact caused soft tissue damage which, unfortunately, did not respond well to treatment.
As a result of the accident, the woman has been left with restricted movement and some degree of pain and discomfort which, it is thought, will be permanent. Because of the injury, she finds that her capacity for work is limited and she also now finds it difficult to carry out everyday tasks such as driving, housework and gardening.
The woman claimed that her injuries had been caused by the shop’s health and safety failures. The doormats should not have been kept on a high shelf without there being a shelf guard in place to prevent them from falling, especially since the stack could easily become unstable if disturbed by customers.
The hardware store’s initial offers of compensation to the woman were rejected as not being commensurate with the seriousness of the injury she suffered. Eventually, however, an amount of £20,000 was agreed to compensate her for her pain and suffering, loss of earnings, medication, travel and other costs.
Accidents in shops are all too common. If you have suffered a personal injury because of a store owner’s failure to eliminate foreseeable risks to the public, contact one of our personal injury specialists to discuss your claim for compensation.
posted by Admin at
09:16
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