Adams Personal Injury Blog
Bus Fall Victim Awarded More Than £1.3 Million
Thursday, 26 November 2009
A man who fell from a London bus and suffered severe head injuries has been awarded a seven-figure compensation settlement.
Vincenzo Bollito, a 36-year-old designer, was between the doors of the bus when the driver closed them and accelerated down the road. This caused Mr Bollito to lose his balance and he fell and hit his head hard on the pavement. The accident caused him to suffer brain damage, as a result of which he does not always recognise his family and is now partially sighted.
The claim for negligence against the bus company was brought on Mr Bollito’s behalf by his wife. The bus company claimed that Mr Bollito had jumped from the bus himself, but in court the judge rejected this version of events.
Mr Justice Nelson acknowledged the difficulties associated with a bus driver’s job and that passengers can sometimes be difficult. However, bus drivers have responsibility for vehicles capable of causing serious injury to passengers and must act appropriately to prevent accidents. In the judge’s view, the driver had known that Mr Bollito was standing between the doors of the bus and had intentionally closed them and driven away.
Mr Bollito was awarded a lump sum of £1.3 million together with annual payments of £31,500.
If you suffer an injury on public transport as a result of negligence on the part of the driver of the vehicle or the operating company, contact us for personal injury claim advice.
posted by Admin at
08:51
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Bus Driver Awarded £250,000 for Crash Injuries
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
A bus driver who was fortunate to survive after his vehicle was involved in a head-on collision has been awarded £250,000 in damages.
James Morton, 60, was driving his bus down a tree-lined country road when the accident happened. An oncoming Mercedes van left him with nowhere to go and the van hit the bus, injuring the driver and several passengers.
In the crash, Mr Morton’s left leg was shattered below the knee. Only swift treatment at the scene prevented him from having to have an amputation. Mr Morton was later told that if the van had struck just 18 inches further to one side then he would almost certainly have been killed.
After the accident, Mr Morton was confined to a wheelchair for two years. He can now only walk short distances and needs to use a stick. He also lost his driving licence on medical grounds and is unable to return to the job he enjoyed for 27 years.
Initially, the driver of the van did not admit liability for the accident and a two-year legal battle ensued. Finally, he did accept liability and his insurance company agreed to pay Mr Morton £250,000 in compensation.
If you have been hurt in a road traffic accident for which someone else was responsible, you could be entitled to compensation for your injury. There are strict time limits that apply to personal injury claims so it is important not to delay before seeking advice.
Contact on of our personal injury claim lawyers if you would like to discuss your claim.
posted by Admin at
14:09
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Asbestos Victim’s Widow Awarded More Than £300,000
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
The widow of a man who died as a result of being exposed to asbestos while working at an oil refinery many years earlier has been awarded more than £300,000 in compensation in the High Court.
Frances Streets’ husband began his career working for Esso Petroleum Ltd. as a pipe fitter at its refinery in Fawley, Hampshire. During the time he was employed there he was exposed to the potentially deadly substance. Before his death, Mr Streets explained that avoiding exposure was not possible because the atmosphere was frequently ‘thick’ with asbestos dust. Young workers who had no idea of the attendant risks sometimes engaged in fights with lumps of wet asbestos and their overalls would be covered in the fibres.
Mr Streets kept himself very fit and noticed the initial symptoms of mesothelioma, a type of cancer affecting the tissues covering the lungs, while he was out running. Mesothelioma can strike many years after the initial exposure to asbestos. There is no cure and the disease often progresses quickly. Mr Streets died 40 years after his exposure to the deadly substance.
Mrs Streets brought the case against her husband’s former employer. In court, the judge ordered the company to pay her £314,471 in damages. This included £65,000 for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity experienced by Mr Streets in the months before his death.
Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more mesothelioma cases as a result of employers having failed to protect their workers from asbestos in the past.
We are experienced in handling claims for all kinds of industrial injuries. Contact one of our personal injury claim lawyers for advice.
posted by Admin at
16:00
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Welder Wins £12,750 in Damages for Hearing Loss
Friday, 13 November 2009
A welder whose hearing was damaged as a result of exposure to excessive noise levels in the workplace has won £12,750 in damages.
John Walton, 46, worked for three different employers between 1978 and 2007 and in each job he worked in a noisy environment. Even though the potential dangers of high noise levels at work were known about by the early 1970s, none of his employers warned him of the risks.
Over the years, Mr Walton had noticed some difficulty with his hearing but did not realise the extent of the damage. It wasn’t until 2007 that he was officially diagnosed as suffering from hearing loss after he underwent a medical examination.
Mr Walton now finds it difficult to hear what people are saying to him, especially when there is background noise. This can be particularly embarrassing in social situations.
A colleague advised Mr Walton to seek compensation for his injuries so he brought a personal injury claim against his three former employers. They all admitted liability and the claim was settled out of court for £12,750.
Because hearing damage can occur gradually over many years it is sometimes difficult to detect. Sufferers often assume that the change in their hearing is due to ageing rather than exposure to excessive noise. However, awareness is growing regarding the very real problem of work-related hearing loss. The number of people in the UK suffering damage to their hearing because of working conditions is estimated to be over 170,000. Those working in industries such as coal mining, shipbuilding and manufacturing are particularly at risk. Symptoms of damage due to noise can vary widely, however, and range from tinnitus, a recurring ringing in the ears, to loss of hearing. Noise-induced hearing loss is the second most common reason for employers’ liability insurance claims regarding occupational health.
Employers now have a clear duty to comply with the standards for control of exposure to noise laid down by the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 and to assess and control the risks of environmental noise that cannot be eliminated. Employees who are likely to be exposed to noise must be provided with information and training on the attendant risks and informed of the steps that can be taken to minimise them.
If you suffer from hearing damage because your employer has failed to take appropriate action, you may well be entitled to compensation.
Health and safety information on noise in the workplace is available from the Health and Safety Executive at http://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/.
posted by Admin at
09:08
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Teenager Awarded Compensation for Finger Amputation
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
A teenager who had to have partial amputations of two of his fingers after he was involved in a car accident has been awarded compensation for his injuries.
The 18 year old was a passenger in a car which hit an embankment and flipped over. He suffered a serious cut to his head and his fingers were broken. Parts of his little finger and ring finger later had to be surgically removed.
Immediately after the accident, the driver’s insurance company contacted the young man and offered him £5,000 to settle the claim. He considered accepting the offer but decided to take legal advice first.
After negotiations on his behalf with the insurance company, the offer was increased to £13,000.
It is often the practice of insurance companies to try to settle claims quickly for less than their full worth. Victims may still be in shock and unable to think clearly about how an injury will affect their lives. There is no obligation for the injured person to accept the insurance company’s first offer. It makes sense to take independent legal advice in order to achieve an appropriate damages settlement.
If you are injured in an accident which is not your fault, contact us for personal injury claim advice.
posted by Admin at
09:11
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Student Injured by Collapsing Pub Seat Receives £1,200
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
A student who was injured after a pub seat collapsed underneath him has received £1,200 in damages from the brewery.
Faisal Hakeem, 20, was out with friends at a bar in Manchester when the bench on which he was sitting gave way. A protruding nail ripped his trousers and gashed his leg.
Mr Hakeem complained to the management at the bar, but they were unforthcoming so he decided to bring a personal injury claim.
The brewery which owns the bar has now agreed to pay Mr Hakeem £1,200 in compensation for the pain and injury he suffered.
Like all those in charge of areas open to the public, bar owners and operators have a duty to protect people from reasonably foreseeable injuries. In the case of a bar this means, amongst other things, making sure that benches and chairs are fit for customers’ use.
Public spaces include areas owned by the council as well as private premises such as supermarkets, banks and gyms. Injuries sustained because of faulty seating or liquid spills on walking surfaces are particularly common.
If you are injured through no fault of your own in premises open to the public, it is important to report the accident to staff at the time it occurs and to collect the names and addresses of any witnesses to the incident. It will also help your claim if you can produce photographic evidence to show what happened.
If you would like advice on bringing a claim for personal injury, contact one of our personal injury lawyers. 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
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Refuse Collector Compensated for Pavement Trip
Monday, 2 November 2009
A refuse collector whose shoulder was badly damaged after he tripped on a raised paving slab has achieved a settlement of £57,000 in compensation.
Alan Shambrook, 55, was collecting recycling boxes when he tripped and fell heavily, injuring his left shoulder, elbow and knee. The injury and subsequent treatment proved extremely painful. Originally, he had keyhole surgery on his shoulder but this wasn’t effective and so he had to undergo open surgery.
After the accident, Mr Shambrook’s life changed dramatically. He was off work for 15 months and is now unable to carry out ordinary activities such as playing with his grandson and swimming. He has been forced to give up golf and can no longer help his wife to lift her disabled mother. He has also been forced to take a lower-paid job as a road sweeper because of his injuries.
Mr Shambrook brought a personal injury claim against Hertfordshire County Council, which was responsible for maintaining the highways and pavements, and has now received £57,000 in compensation for the pain and injury he has suffered.
Even a slight slip or trip over a raised paving slab can have devastating consequences and accidents of this nature are easily preventable if roads and pavements are maintained properly.
If you have been injured through no fault of your own – for example by slipping, tripping or falling over an ill-maintained pavement – then you could be entitled to compensation. Contact us now to discuss your claim.
posted by Admin at
11:24
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