Adams Personal Injury Blog
Pop Star Wins £450,000 for Botched Cosmetic Surgery
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
A former contestant on Celebrity Big Brother and frontman of pop group Dead or Alive has won damages of £450,000 after a cosmetic surgeon who treated his lips admitted negligence.
Pete Burns, 49, was treated by Dr Maurizio Viel at a London clinic after he experienced problems with a previous lip implant that had shrunk.
Dr Viel injected Mr Burns with a cosmetic filler called Outline, even though the product came with a specific warning that it should not be used in conjunction with other implants or fillers. He then administered a great many follow-up injections, which was also contrary to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Mr Burns later developed lumps and swelling and experienced discharge from his lips. As a result, he had to have corrective surgery, over a period of 18 months, to try to remove the product from his lips. Even after this, it is likely that Mr Burns will suffer a recurrence of the symptoms, which will require further treatment.
After the case was brought against him, Dr Viel admitted liability for many aspects of the claim – chiefly that he had failed to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when administering the filler.
The case was eventually settled out of court and Mr Burns won a £450,000 payout.
If you are injured as a result of negligent medical treatment, contact one of our personal injury claim lawyers we can help you obtain an appropriate settlement.
posted by Admin at
08:48
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Holiday of a Lifetime Ruined by Contaminated Burger
Monday, 26 October 2009
A holidaymaker who suffered kidney failure after he ate a burger contaminated with E. coli has won £750,000 in compensation from the tour operator.
Carl Riley, 46, was staying with his girlfriend at a hotel in Egypt on what they hoped would be the ‘holiday of a lifetime’. Mr Riley ate the burger at a beach barbecue organised by staff of the hotel. Soon afterwards, he was struck down with diarrhoea and severe stomach pains. Instead of recovering after a day or two, the illness continued for weeks.
Mr Riley was still unwell when the couple returned to the UK and he had lost a stone in weight. A few months later he suffered a heavy nosebleed as a result of very high blood pressure. Shortly afterwards he was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure. He had to spend three weeks in hospital receiving blood transfusions.
Eventually, it was discovered that Mr Riley had contracted a rare blood disorder because of the E. coli bug. He now has to travel to hospital three times a week for dialysis treatment.
As one would expect, Mr Riley’s life has been severely affected. He has split up from his girlfriend and is no longer able to work. He feels extremely weak, angry and depressed and the quality of his life is significantly diminished.
The tour operator, First Choice Holidays, accepted liability but Mr Riley had to fight a two-year legal battle before his negligence claim was eventually settled out of court. The £750,000 compensation is to cover his loss of earnings, both past and future, as well as the cost of travelling to hospital for dialysis sessions and assistance in maintaining his home.
If you have suffered illness caused by procedural failings at your holiday resort, contact us as soon as possible for advice on the next step to take.
posted by Admin at
09:49
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Asbestosis Sufferer Awarded £20,000
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
A pensioner who developed an asbestos-related disease has won compensation for his illness.
The man, who had worked for a variety of employers in the Cambridgeshire area, was exposed to asbestos at work on a daily basis. Despite this, he was neither offered protection nor given any warnings about the dangers of working with asbestos.
In 2006, he was diagnosed with asbestosis, a chronic lung condition that is normally caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos. It commonly causes shortness of breath, a tight chest and an unexplained cough. As a result, sufferers are frequently unable to walk long distances.
Following his diagnosis, the man decided to bring a claim for compensation against his former employers. Because he had been exposed to asbestos in various different jobs, it was necessary to track down the appropriate insurance company in each case. Because some of the companies had by this time gone out of business, it was not possible to trace them all. However, two companies agreed to accept 79 per cent of the liability, which resulted in the man receiving £20,000 in compensation.
This case illustrates that it can sometimes be difficult to claim compensation against former employers, especially when they have gone out of business.
If you have developed a disease as a result of your employer's negligence you could be entitled to compensation. We can advise you on what steps to take.
posted by Admin at
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Friday, 16 October 2009
An expectant mother who injured her back when she tripped on a loose carpet tile at work has won £9,000 in compensation.
Andrea Swales, 39, was almost five months pregnant when the accident happened at the office where she worked as an HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) tax credit advisor. Fortunately, she fell into a chair and her baby was unharmed. Ms Swales, however, injured her back, but didn’t realise this at the time.
When she began suffering from back pain, Ms Swales attributed this to her pregnancy. It was only when the pain continued after her baby was born that she realised the accident had done more damage than she had at first thought. Her doctor told her she needed physiotherapy and she has also had steroid injections to help alleviate the pain.
Because of her injury, Ms Swales found it difficult to carry out simple tasks like bathing her baby and lifting the baby’s car seat.
After reading about similar cases, Ms Swales decided to bring a claim for compensation against her employer. HMRC admitted they were at fault and agreed to pay her £9,000 in compensation.
Slips and trips are the most common type of workplace injury. Employers should ensure that floors and floor coverings do not pose a risk to staff, and should instigate regular checks to be sure they remain safe. Where women of childbearing age are employed, the duty to assess workplace risks includes those specific to new and expectant mothers, even if the employer is not aware that there are any new or expectant mothers amongst the staff.
If you have been injured at work through no fault of your own, contact one of our personal injury claim lawyers to discuss your claim. Beware of delay as there are strict time limits for pursuing a claim.
posted by Admin at
15:13
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'Toxic Sofa' Victim Wins Four-Figure Payout
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
A man who suffered chemical burns after sitting on a new leather sofa has received a four-figure sum in compensation.
Maurice Heminsley, 68, has become the first person in Britain to win compensation after buying a 'toxic sofa'. The problem arose because sofas that were imported from China contained a sachet of a fungicide called dimethyl fumarate (DMF), which was used in order to stop the leather going mouldy when it was stored in humid conditions.
Shortly after buying the sofa from Furniture Warehouse, Mr Heminsley developed a painful rash across his legs, bottom, back and neck. The weeping, open sores left him in agony and he eventually had to go to hospital where he was treated for acute contact dermatitis.
A number of people across the UK have suffered skin burns and allergic reactions which they attribute to having been in contact with sofas and some people have been left with permanent scars. It emerged that DMF can evaporate when the conditions are warm and soak through the upholstery to the skin. Products containing DMF have now effectively been banned by the European Commission and the sofas removed from the market.
After bringing a personal injury claim, Mr Heminsley secured an undisclosed amount in compensation, as well as a full refund for his sofa, from Furniture Warehouse.
If you have been injured or made ill by a product that is not fit for its purpose, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact one of our team of solicitors for personal injury claim advice.
posted by Admin at
12:12
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Lifeguard Wins £50,000 for Back Injury
Friday, 2 October 2009
Back injuries are one of the most common causes of absenteeism in the UK. Each year, employers lose millions of pounds because of lost working days and compensation payable because of injuries sustained in the workplace as a result of poor practice when carrying out lifting activities.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 require employers to carry out a risk assessment on manual handling tasks that pose a risk of injury. The Regulations describe manual handling as ‘...any transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or bodily force’.
In a recent case, a sports centre supervisor who injured his back trying to lift a set of swimming pool steps that was faulty has won a £50,000 payout.
David Barber, 62, was a qualified lifeguard and worked for a council-run sports centre. He had complained about the faulty steps on several occasions but nothing had been done to rectify the problem. He was told that fixing the fault was ‘not a priority’.
After injuring his back, Mr Barber was off work for four months. When he returned, he had to take painkillers to get through the day. Four months later, his injury was further aggravated whilst he was taking part in training to renew his lifeguard qualification. As a result, he has had to retire permanently as he suffers constant pain, for which he will have to have regular epidural injections.
Mr Barber decided to bring a claim against Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, which runs the sports centre. Although the Council did not admit liability for his injury, it agreed to pay compensation of £50,000 after proceedings were issued.
The Health and Safety Executive has useful guidance which outlines the problems associated with manual handling and sets out best practice in dealing with them. The publication is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg143.pdf.
“Injuries such as that suffered by Mr Barber are avoidable,” says one of Adams Personal Injury Claim Lawyers. “Employers who fail to comply with their duties under health and safety law not only risk having to pay fines and possible prosecution but also lay themselves open to claims for damages from employees who suffer injury as a result of poor workplace practices. If you have suffered an injury at work through no fault of your own, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact us to discuss your case and get personal injury claim advice.”
posted by Admin at
10:47
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