Pages On: Personal Injury

Fatal Accident Claims in Birmingham

Posted in: Personal Injury, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Losing a loved one is hard enough, but when it’s at the hands of a negligent party, grief turns to anger, confusion, and stress. When people important to you suffer a Fatal Accident, the consequences don’t end with them, they ripple across the whole family. Accidental deaths put a significant strain on the emotional and financial health of the entire family. Trying to hold those responsible to account can be almost impossible while trying to cope with losing another breadwinner, and/or suffering psychiatric distress from the death. This is where…

Chest Injury in Birmingham – Claim Accident Compensation

Posted in: Personal Injury

If you’ve suffered from a chest injury, the chances are you would have experienced severe pain and damage to your internal organs. Chest injuries are uncommon, as our rib cage does a very good job at protecting our cardiovascular system. Which makes chest injuries, when they happen, severe and potentially fatal. Therefore, it’s so important to get the right legal team behind you, and our Birmingham personal injury solicitors** can be there to help you get the maximum compensation possible.  You can call us today to discuss your claim. We’ll…

Personal Injury in Birmingham – claim compensation with our solicitors.

Posted in: Personal Injury

At Accident Claims Birmingham we specialise in claiming compensation for the residents of Birmingham who have been injured. We can help you claim damages on a No Win, No Fee* basis, no matter where you were injured on your body. We have helped our clients recover financially from minor hand injuries to traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, we also seek to get our clients the care required to return to normalcy. If you have been injured and wish to claim compensation, contact our accident specialists today on 0800 083 8358^ to start your recovery. Types…

Newcastle father suffers horrendous acid burns

Posted: 1 May 2016

Posted in: Arm Injury, Head and Brain Injuries, Leg Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A 59-year-old father of three from Newcastle has won £210,000 in compensation for acid burns sustained whilst working for a pharmaceutical company. The electrical technician, who has not been named, had just taken over his shift and was disconnecting pipes from a tank containing Bromine, a hazardous acid.  When he decoupled the pipe, residual acid, which should have been drained by his colleague on the previous shift, sprayed on to the worker, causing him extensive burns to his limbs and face.  The technician ran immediately to a nearby safety shower to…

Injured road worker awarded £8000 in compensation

Posted: 26 April 2016

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Foot Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A 35-year-old road worker from Chesterfield was awarded £8,000 in compensation by his employer, Carillion plc, following a serious injury to his ankle. Dean Ness had been working night shift on an unlit stretch of the A52 at Spondon in Derby, placing traffic cones for work about to be commenced on the central reservation. He jumped out of the truck and twisted his ankle on a kerb that he hadn’t seen in the pitch dark. It was heard that this employer had been warned on several occasions of the dangers of working on…

Surrey groundsman receives compensation from employer

Posted: 21 April 2016

Posted in: Knee Injury, Public Place Accidents, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

A 65-year-old council groundsman has been awarded £11,000 by his employer, London Borough of Morden, in an out-of-court settlement. John Brown, from Mitcham in Surrey, seriously damaged his right knee after a fall whilst at work, which resulted in surgery and being forced to stop work.  Mr Brown tripped over a piece of concrete that was protruding in a playground in Morden when he was putting his tools away in the park’s shed. He tore the ligaments in his knee and was unable to walk without a stick for five months following…

Worker wins compensation following accident at work

Posted: 12 April 2016

Posted in: Hip Injuries, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

A 55-year-old retail assistant has received £5,000 in compensation after taking a fall at her place of work. Angela Hurcomb, from Hereford, fell down a spiral staircase at Past Times in her home town, and seriously injured her back. She had been an employee at the business for seven years, and it had recently relocated to the listed building where the accident occurred. Mrs Hurcomb was unable to return to her place of work for two months following the injury, and continues to experience considerable pain and discomfort despite extensive physiotherapy and treatments…

Motorcyclist receives £9,000 for groin injuries

Posted: 4 April 2016

Posted in: Knee Injury, Leg Injuries, Motorcycle Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents, Shoulder Injuries, Spine & Back Injuries

A motorcyclist, who received multiple injuries when a car suddenly reversed into him whilst stationary on a road, has won £9,000 in compensation. The complainant was sitting on his motorbike when the car shot back, causing the petrol tank to ram him in the groin. He then fell over, and his bike landed on top of him, causing him soft tissue damage to his back, legs, shoulders, knees, and scrotum. As a result of the accident, the motorcyclist decided to press for compensation, and he appointed a law firm to represent him.…

Prison worker’s landmark victory

Posted: 22 March 2016

Posted in: Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries

Prison catering manager, Susan Cox, has won her case in the Supreme Court, in what is being described as a ‘landmark’ victory.  The case, which was brought by the Prison Officers’ Association and solicitors acting on Ms Cox’s behalf, will change the legal definition of ‘employee’ and the law around vicarious liability.  Formerly, prisoners working with prison staff were not known as employees. Since the court ruling, which took place on 2 March 2016, prisoners will be known as ‘employees’. The claim was upheld following a decision by the Court of Appeal…

Medical blunder results in tragic death

Posted: 15 March 2016

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death

An inquest being held in North London Coroners’ Court has heard that a series of neglectful errors at Northwick Park Hospital resulted in the death of an 85-year-old grandmother on 7 May 2015.  Irmgard Cooper had been undergoing a serious but successful heart procedure at the hospital when it was discovered that her blood supplies had been sent back to the blood bank by mistake.  The surgeon was not made aware of the error and had begun to operate on Mrs Cooper. It was during the operation that the surgeon…

Paramedic guilty of misconduct

Posted: 7 March 2016

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A health professional panel has found paramedic Andrew Davies guilty of misconduct for failing to go to the aid of a man with health difficulties in June 2012. The Health and Care Professions Council panel heard how Davies had stood by and watched while Mr Carl Cope, 47, took ill in Walsall Manor Hospital car park. Mr Cope later died of a heart attack. Four further members of clinical staff were also charged with failure to care for a patient in need. West Midlands Ambulance Service, Davies’ employer, had dismissed the worker for…

Man killed in care home fire

Posted: 2 March 2016

Posted in: Public Place Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Following a 999 call to Derbyshire Police at around 1300 hours on Monday, an investigation into the death of a 60-year-old man is being carried out on behalf of the coroner. The fire service was called to the Sherwood Forest Care Home in Derby after a patient at the home was found burning to death in his wheelchair outside the building. The investigation has revealed that the man probably caught fire due to “discarded smoking materials” at the home. It is understood that the resident had gone outside to have a cigarette in…

Woman dies from hospital-contracted Legionnaires

Posted: 15 February 2016

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Negligent Cancer Diagnosis, Wrongful & Accidental Death

68-year-old Terry Brooks, from Bath, died from Legionnaire’s disease contracted at the Royal United Hospital in July of last year, an inquest has heard. The inquest also heard that due to failings in the hospital’s system, the contamination had not been detected. The disease, which flourishes in water systems that are not kept hot or cold enough, is caused by the Legionella bacteria. Public Health England, tested the water supplies at the William Budd ward of the hospital, as well as supplies at three other homes that Mr Brooks had visited during the…

12-month old’s life could have been saved

Posted: 30 January 2016

Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims, Wrongful & Accidental Death

An NHS England report has stated that the life of 12-month-old William Mead from Cornwall could have been saved if he had received better medical care.  Both GPs and call handlers from NHS 111 failed to recognise that he was suffering from sepsis (blood poisoning) following a chest infection.  This has raised doubts about the efficacy of England’s out-of-hours helpline which uses advisors, who are not medically trained, inputting information to a computer system.  It states that if a medic had taken the emergency call it is possible that the…

Crane hire company fined over death

Posted: 28 December 2015

Posted in: Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A crane hire company has been fined after one of its employees was killed in a crash. Baldwins Crane Hire was fined £700,000 after 49-year-old Lindsay Easton was killed while driving a crane at Scout Moor quarry in Lancashire when the brakes failed. The incident happened in 2011, with an investigation finding that several of the crane’s wheel brakes were damaged or inoperable, “providing only limited braking force”. Mr Easton, from Sowerby Bridge in Yorkshire, had been driving the 130-tonne crane on a steep slope before losing control and crashing…

Reversing incident sees £1,600 payout

Posted: 23 December 2015

Posted in: Criminal Injury and Assault, Knee Injury, Pedestrian Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents

A man has been ordered to pay £1,600 in compensation to his former partner after reversing into her with his van, leaving her with serious injuries. 43-year-old Craig Philips from Hinckley admitted to assaulting the woman and causing bodily harm at Warwick Crown Court. He also pleaded guilty to an offence of harassment. As a result of the offence, Mr Philips has been banned from entering the street where his former partner lives, and has also been banned from contacting her. She will live for the next five years under…

Cyclist wins £65K after an out-of-control dog entangled with his bicycle

Posted: 30 November 2015

Posted in: Animal Attacks, Bicycle Accidents, Head and Brain Injuries, Public Place Accidents

A cyclist has been awarded £65,000 in compensation after suffering an injury caused by a dog walker allowing her dog lead to become entangled in his bike. 59-year-old Anthony Steele suffered serious injuries in the incident after he was thrown off his bike when the dog darted in front of him and caused the lead to become entangled in the spokes. Mr Steele was left unconscious after the injury and was later found to have fractured his skull. The accident happened along the promenade at the seafront in Heyshame, Lancashire.…

Farmers warned over dirt on roads

Posted: 16 November 2015

Posted in: Bicycle Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents, Shoulder Injuries

Following an accident earlier this year – which saw a woman receive £100,000 in compensation following a bike accident caused by farm waste on the road – farmers have been reminded of their legal obligation to keep the roads free of mud and waste. The National Farmers Union (NFU) have warned all farmers to pay particular attention to this over the winter months, where wet weather can lead to an increased risk of mud getting onto the roads and highways. A spokesman from the union stated: “As well as being…

Family awarded payout following man’s hospital brain injury

Posted: 8 November 2015

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Medical Negligence

The family of a man who suffered serious brain damage after choking on his vomit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital has been awarded undisclosed damages by the Trust. 33-year-old Ross Askew was originally admitted to hospital on New Year’s Day 2010 with complaints of abdominal pain, he was diagnosed with severe necrotising pancreatitis. However, when he choked on his own vomit, he suffered a severe brain injury and subsequently required 24hr care. It was heard that Mr Askew had been fighting a recurring brain tumour at the time of the…

Young girl with ‘catastrophic injuries’ dies in hospital

Posted: 20 October 2015

Posted in: Car Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A young girl that was severely injured in a car accident in 2006 has recently died in hospital; just weeks before she was due to turn ten. Cerys Edwards was only one-year-old when the car she and her family were travelling in collided with a speeding Range Rover Sport. The accident happened when they were driving home from delivering Christmas presents in November 2006. The son of a local millionaire was driving the Range Rover at the time of the crash, 19-year-old Antonio Boparan. It was heard that he was…

Woman fined over German Shepard attack

Posted: 30 September 2015

Posted in: Animal Attacks, Arm Injury

A woman from Middlesborough has been fined after her German Shepard attacked a woman in the street in May. The 39-year-old victim had been walking her two dogs with her mother when the attack happened. The dog bit her on her hand and wrist, with the strength of the dog, causing her to fall and also injure her knees. The victim had to undergo an operation following the attack. The owner of the dog, Joan Stairmand (53), admitted to owning a dangerously out of control dog that caused injury. District…

Mother loses baby injury case

Posted: 25 September 2015

Posted in: Birth Injury, Medical Negligence, Shoulder Injuries

A mother who attempted to sue the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) over the injuries suffered by her baby during delivery has had her case rejected. 34-year-old Lisa Everard claimed damages for her newly born baby after she felt that excessive force was applied to her daughter Sophie’s head when doctors diagnosed her with shoulder dystocia, leaving her ”with weaknesses in her left elbow and shoulder.” She said that the doctor who delivered her daughter was panicked and “muddled”, which led him to apply excessive grip on her head to…

Paramedics failed to recognise skull fractures

Posted: 24 August 2015

Posted in: Criminal Injury and Assault, Head and Brain Injuries, Medical Negligence

A man who suffered severe head injuries after being attacked on a night out was told by paramedics that he was not seriously injured. Michael Kane, described by police as a “good Samaritan”, was knocked unconscious when trying to help two women in March. 29-year-old Ricky Scott admitted to punching Mr Kane at Nottingham Crown Court, but said he was simply protecting his girlfriend after considering Mr Kane to be a threat. CCTV footage was released, showing Mr Kane being knocked out with one punch earlier this year. The images…

Bulldog breeder jailed following attack

Posted: 22 August 2015

Posted in: Animal Attacks, Arm Injury, Head and Brain Injuries

48-year-old Stephen Potts has been jailed after some of his dogs attacked and severely injured a 63-year-old man. The American Bulldog breeder, who previously lost an arm after being mauled by two of his own dogs, had let a group of his animals off the lead when they decided to attack Lindsay Edwards last October. Mr Edwards was left with wounds so deep that his skull was exposed. Mr Potts, from Low Pittington in County Durham, initially denied seven charges of owning dangerously out of control dogs that caused injury.…

Malnourishment misdiagnosis causes death

Posted: 28 July 2015

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death

The mother of Kayleigh Compton, who died from a brain injury as a result of undiagnosed malnourishment, has released photographs of her dying daughter in hospital. The 23-year-old had visited her GP following very rapid weight loss, before finally being admitted to hospital after dropping from ten stone to six stone in six months. It was heard that every time she attempted to eat, she was sick. After doctors carried out a number of tests, they were unable to find the cause of her weight loss. An independent review found…

Doctor claims damages from NHS

Posted: 16 July 2015

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Public Transport, Spine & Back Injuries

A doctor from Bristol has claimed damages from the NHS after suffering a “serious spinal injury” on a boat trip seven years ago. Dr Kathleen Feest had been involved in a team building exercise alongside 10 other colleagues when the accident happened. The party had been on a 9m inflatable boat, called the Celtic Pioneer, which left Cardiff Bay for an hour-long trip to the Bristol Channel. Dr Feest claims that she suffered a severe back injury while on the boat trip in August 2008. She is now suing the authority…

£2.3m to man facing lifetime of disability

Posted: 29 June 2015

Posted in: Arm Injury, Hand Injuries, Head and Brain Injuries, Knee Injury, Pedestrian Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents

A 26-year-old man, who remains anonymous, has been awarded £2.3million after he was hit by a drink-driver in Wiltshire. The man, who was 20 at the time, had been walking home in the early hours of the morning with his girlfriend when the driver ploughed into him, causing him severe injuries. It was heard in London’s High Court that the severity of the impact left the victim with serious physical injuries and also brain damage. He remained in hospital and rehabilitation for three years following the accident.   Mr Justice…

Brain damaged teenager to receive multi-million pound payout

Posted: 25 June 2015

Posted in: Birth Injury, Head and Brain Injuries, Medical Negligence

13-year-old Ben Harman is to receive a multi-million pound compensation package after an east Kent hospital admitted to causing his brain damage at birth. The brain injury happened when doctors failed to check his blood sugar levels after birth, despite clear warning signs that he was not healthy. It was heard that hospital staff failed to carry out any glucose tests until two days after his birth, by which point his condition had deteriorated, and he had suffered a brain injury. It was heard in court that Ben was severely…

First payouts to Alton Towers victims

Posted: 22 June 2015

Posted in: Leg Injuries, Public Place Accidents

The first compensation payouts have been awarded to the victims of the Alton Towers crash. Following the accident that happened on the Smiler rollercoaster on the 2 June, eight people have received their first insurance payments. These payments are to assist injury rehabilitation. 17-year-old Leah Washington is one of those to receive compensation after her leg was seriously injured in the accident, and was amputated as a result. It is believed by Miss Washington’s lawyer that she could receive compensation worth millions. The accident happened when one of the rollercoaster’s…

Alton towers to compensate 16 victims

Posted: 9 June 2015

Posted in: Hand Injuries, Head and Brain Injuries, Leg Injuries, Public Place Accidents

Following last week’s rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers, bosses at Merlin Entertainments have agreed to pay compensation to all 16 people injured in the accident. The crash happened on the Smiler rollercoaster, the park’s £18million ride, on 2 June. Two carriages collided following an incident that saw a stationary carriage left on the track. 16 people were badly injured as a result. Of the 16 people injured, 17-year-old Leah Washington suffered the most devastating injury. The teenager, from Barnsley, suffered a severe injury to her leg that meant having to…

Solihull Personal Injury Solicitors

Posted in: Personal Injury

Whilst accidents are a fact of life, that doesn’t mean care shouldn’t be taken to prevent them. If you have suffered a personal injury in Solihull because someone failed in their duty of care to you – call us now on 0800 083 8358^. You may have grounds to claim compensation with our accident solicitors. What Do I Need to Make a Claim It is important to have as much evidence to support your claim as possible. Our team of solicitors** for Solihull will inform you of exactly what is needed in…

Stourbridge Personal Injury Solicitors

Posted in: Personal Injury

After an accident, often people think there is nothing they can do. Left with painful injuries and substantial financial losses, too many people suffer in silence. However, you are usually not to blame for your injuries – and legal fault lies elsewhere. When that is the case, you are legally entitled to compensation. Our personal injury solicitors** for Stourbridge can help you secure the compensation you deserve, making sure that you are not left stranded after an accident. We offer legal services in and around the Stourbridge area, making sure…

Halesowen Personal Injury Solicitors

Posted in: Personal Injury

If you have been injured in an accident in or around Halesowen, and have been left to deal with the physical, emotional or financial consequences of it, you may be entitled to compensation under law. While no financial award can ever lessen the pain and suffering that you have already faced, it can help you deal with the ongoing financial consequences and alleviate future difficulties. Our personal injury solicitors** for Halesowen can help you start your claim today, ensuring that you achieve maximum compensation for your accident, illness, or injury.…

Tamworth Personal Injury Solicitors

Posted in: Personal Injury

Are you living with the consequences of an accident that wasn’t your fault? Have you been left saddled with the burden of an accident on the road or in the workplace? Our personal injury solicitors** for Tamworth offer legal guidance and services in and around this local area that can help secure you the compensation that you deserve. Why choose us? Our solicitors** have extensive experience in all types of personal injury claims in Tamworth, both big and small. They combine their skill with a down to earth working manner,…

Dudley Personal Injury Solicitors

Posted in: Personal Injury

We specialise in helping our clients receive compensation following an accident that was not their fault. Our personal injury solicitors** can help the residents of Dudley claim compensation through our No Win, No Fee* offering. Call our accident claims team on 0800 083 8358^. Alternatively, you can contact us online to find out more. No Win, No Fee Accident Claims in Dudley If you have suffered a personal injury in the Dudley area within the last three years, and your injury was caused by an accident that wasn’t your fault – call…

Walsall Personal Injury Claims

Posted in: Personal Injury

If you have been involved in an accident that was not your fault in Walsall, help is at hand. Our team of personal injury solicitors** for Walsall can help you get the compensation and closure you deserve. At Accident Claims Birmingham, we have the resources of a large company to use at a local level, ensuring that you get the best support and customer service when making a personal injury claim. We specialise in getting our Walsall clients compensation following a personal injury that was not their fault. Our injury solicitors** can…

Sutton Coldfield Personal Injury Solicitors

Posted in: Personal Injury

If you have been injured in an accident through no fault of your own, we believe you are entitled to compensation for your injuries. Our team of personal injury solicitors** for Sutton Coldfield can give you the best guidance and legal representation, helping to provide you with the best chance of obtaining compensation through our No Win, No Fee* offering. Call our Accident solicitors** on 0800 083 8358^ Alternatively, you can contact us online to find out more. Why Choose Us for Your Personal Injury in Sutton Coldfield? We have the resources of a…

Wolverhampton Personal Injury Solicitors

Posted in: Personal Injury

Have you suffered from a personal injury after an accident in Wolverhampton? Do you need to find a reliable personal injury solicitor** to represent you? Our injury solicitors** can help you claim compensation through our no win, no fee* offering. Call our accident solicitors** on 0800 083 8358^ Alternatively, you can contact us online to find out more. Our personal injury solicitors** are only a phone call away and can help you commence your claim for compensation. We have many years experience in pursuing personal injury claims and will guide you through…

RAF sergeant forced to pay compensation

Posted: 1 June 2015

Posted in: Armed Forces Injuries, Criminal Injury and Assault, Public Place Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries

An RAF flight sergeant is being forced to pay compensation to a woman that became injured after the sergeant attempted to jump on a tube station’s escalator handrail. 50-year-old Frans Bekker, from Cardiff, was encouraged by his friends to jump onto the handrail at London’s Holborn station earlier this year. When he lost control, however, he ploughed into three women, including one who suffered an injured vertebra as a result. Mr Bekker admitted to dangerous behaviour in the underground station and offered his sincerest apologies to the three women affected.…

Man rebuilds life from compensation

Posted: 29 May 2015

Posted in: Foot Injuries, Knee Injury, Leg Injuries, Motorcycle Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents

23-year-old Connor Potkins is finally beginning to rebuild his life after suffering serious injuries in a hit-and-run accident. An uninsured driver knocked Mr Potkins, from Peterborough, off of his motorbike in November 2009. The accident happened when he was only 17-years-old and caused him to suffer severe physical and psychological damage. He has recently been awarded a six-figure payout. The accident happened when Mr Potkins was on his way to Peterborough Regional College where he studied fabrication and welding. He was riding along Eastfield Road when a car pulled out…

Gym company fined £80,000 over injuries

Posted: 16 May 2015

Posted in: Gym & Leisure Centre Injuries, Head and Brain Injuries, Public Place Accidents

A gym company has been fined £80,000 after one of its members was left blind in one eye and partially sighted in the other when a gym session went wrong. Company executive 47-year-old Mauro Carneiro had been using a stability ball and resistance bands in a David Lloyd Leisure (DLL) gym when the bands gave way and catapulted a metal ‘D-ring’ into his face. Personal trainer, Ian Donaldson, was with Mr Carneiro when the accident happened, and immediately phoned an ambulance. It was heard that Mr Donaldson purchased the bands…

Hospital ‘failed’ vulnerable patient

Posted: 1 April 2015

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death

An investigation into the death of a 95-year-old woman who fell ill in hospital was ‘failed’ by her health trust. It was uncovered that Monica Bridle fell between her bed and the wall of her room at the University Hospital Southampton in 2013, but staff failed to inform her family. Following the incident, Mrs Bridle was discharged from hospital and returned to her nursing home, which hospital staff also failed to inform her family about.  The hospital said it had “unreservedly apologised” to Mrs Bridle’s family. Mrs Bridle’s son had…

Unrequested DNR notice caused death

Posted: 19 March 2015

Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims, Wrongful & Accidental Death

An inquest has heard that NHS staff “played God” when they put a ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ (DNR) notice on an elderly man before he died, despite the fact that he did not request one. 66-year-old great grandfather Michael Richardson, from Great Yarmouth, died in James Paget University Hospital, Gorleston, in 2013.  He had been diagnosed with a lung condition and was only given an estimated one year to live. His widow, 65-year-old Janet Richardson, accused NHS staff of playing God after she discovered that they had placed a DNR notice…

Failings responsible for 11 baby deaths

Posted: 3 March 2015

Posted in: Birth Injury, Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death

An inquiry has concluded that the deaths of 11 babies could have been prevented had it not been for a “lethal mix” of failures at a Cumbrian hospital. An investigation into Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust found that a total of 20 different failings contributed to the deaths of 11 babies at Furness General Hospital between 2004 and 2013. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt described the findings as “a second Mid Staffs” in the House of Commons. The report stated that the highlighted failings represented the inadequacy of “a great many…

Serious errors in boy’s heart surgery

Posted: 2 February 2015

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death

The family of a boy who died after serious errors were made during his heart surgery seeks answers. 11-year-old Bradley Brough, from York, died in 2010 after undergoing three operations in two days at Leeds General Infirmary. Bradley suffered with a complex congenital heart defect that required him to undergo an operation to divert the flow of blood in his heart. However, despite three operations, he died after suffering a bleed to the brain. A letter that was composed by the hospital trust admitted that errors were made during his…

Lollipop lady receives seven-figure settlement

Posted: 30 January 2015

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Pedestrian Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents, School Accidents, Workplace Injuries

A lollipop lady from South Shields has been awarded a seven-figure compensation payout after being knocked down on duty. 62-year-old Eleanor Harman suffered a severe brain injury when a car hit her opposite her home in February 2011. The accident left her with extreme disabilities, including difficulties with her memory. She will require around the clock care for the rest of her life. The mother-of-two underwent life-saving surgery after the accident. She was then required to stay in a high-dependency unit for three weeks and spent almost a year in…

Care home fined following radiator death

Posted: 25 January 2015

Posted in: Leg Injuries, Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A care home in Leicester has been fined after one of its residents died after becoming trapped between a wardrobe and a radiator. The Western Park View home is being fined £100,000 after 85-year-old Walter Powley died of severe burns. The accident happened after Mr Powley fell, causing him to get trapped between a wardrobe and a radiator, where the piping and valves were uncovered. He died in hospital eight days after the accident. During a hearing at Leicester Crown Court, based in Wolverhampton, Western Park Leicester pleaded guilty to…

Judges dismiss injury in the womb claims

Posted: 31 December 2014

Posted in: Birth Injury, Criminal Injury and Assault, Personal Injury

UK judges have dismissed claims concerning people injured in the womb under a program for the innocent victims of crime, arguing that the victims are not considered “persons” under the law while in the womb. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has criticized the ruling as defying all reason. The ruling followed a claim made by one affected claimant, however a further 80 children awaited the result from the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority, having also been affected by fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). It was ruled that compensation…

Coal mining museum fined over death

Posted: 18 December 2014

Posted in: Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Two mining firms and a museum trust have been fined after a man was crushed to death by a dumper truck. 58-year-old Michael Buckingham, from Grimethorpe, had been operating the dumper truck to move waste as part of a £2.7million project to expand the area open to underground tours at the museum. He died in January 2011. The company that supplied the truck, Metal Innovations Ltd, was fined £190,000 after the judge discovered that they had failed to ensure that the vehicle was safe for use.  The contractors, Amalgamated Construction…

Hospital pays out to brain-damaged boy

Posted: 9 December 2014

Posted in: Birth Injury, Head and Brain Injuries, Medical Negligence

Torbay Hospital in Devon is to payout £2.17million in compensation after a boy suffered severe brain-damage during his birth.  The child suffered the brain-damage in 2004 due to his brain being starved of oxygen during labour. As a result, the High Court ruled that he is to receive a lump sum of £2.17m and £189,500 per annum until he is twenty. The annual payment will then increase to £232,125 for the rest of his life. Since the accident, the boy has developed cerebral palsy, is unable to leave a wheelchair,…

Steel firm fined over worker’s amputated toes

Posted: 3 December 2014

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Foot Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A steel firm has been fined after a worker was crushed by a metal-shaping machine and had to have three toes amputated. The worker, from North Ormesby, had been working with a metal press when it fell onto his foot on 17 March. His employer, SM Thompson Limited, had allowed these highly dangerous practices to go unchecked for the last decade. Following a recent investigation, the firm admitted a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) breach and was fined £7,500.  It was also made to pay £1,120 in costs. The 25-year-old worker suffered…

Injured engineer wins compensation

Posted: 29 November 2014

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Head and Brain Injuries, Neck Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A maintenance engineer who suffered a severe brain injury at work has received ‘significant’ compensation from his former employer.  65-year-old Tom Williams had to have part of his skull removed after he was tasked to remove a pillar from the ceiling of the engineering stores at Manor Bakeries Ltd in Moreton to create a new walkway in the building. Mr Williams fell into a coma after the top section of the structure fell from the ceiling, hitting him on the head. It was heard that Mr Williams’ employers had failed…

Injured worker to receive £10,000 in compensation

Posted: 14 November 2014

Posted in: Leg Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A groundworker from Grimsby is to receive £10,000 in compensation after suffering severe leg injuries while working at a school in 2013.  49-year-old Jamie North had been working on the construction of a new school, which required the installation of pre-cast concrete driven foundation piles.  When trying to drive these into the ground, the machinery was not strong enough, causing one of the piles to twist and fall onto Mr North. Mr North required two major operations following the incident, including a steel frame and screws fixed onto his leg. Following…

Postman dog attack

Posted: 31 October 2014

Posted in: Animal Attacks, Arm Injury, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries

Despite attacking and seriously injuring a postman, a dog has been saved from destruction. The German Shepherd attacked the postman in the front garden of a Derbyshire home earlier this year. Nine-year-old Tyson sunk his teeth into the postman as he tried to hand mail to the dog’s owner, Unjum Bala. The accident happened on the 11 June at around 1pm. Prosecuting George Speed said that the postman saw the dog coming, so turned away from the open door. The dog then started to bite him in the back of his left…

Police force pays out £135,000 in personal injury compensation

Posted: 28 October 2014

Posted in: Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

A total of £135,000 has been paid out to 27 Staffordshire Police officers between 2009 and 2013.  These figures were released under the Freedom of Information Act, which showed the largest payout to have gone to an officer for slipping on an ‘untreated’ surface – he received just under £15,000 in compensation. One former officer described the figures as “embarrassing”, saying that police officers are simply “jumping on the bandwagon” during this time of a growing ‘compensation culture’.  The police force, however, defended the figures, saying that they have a…

Factory worker wins compensation

Posted: 2 October 2014

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Hand Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A factory worker from Gloucester has been awarded accident compensation after he suffered a serious wrist injury while working with old pipework.  53-year-old Oil Tank Supplies Limited worker, Terry Behan, received £12,000 in compensation after the company admitted to breaching the health and safety at work act. Mr Behan had been replacing old pipework on an oil tank when the accident happened. After he removed the old piping, him and another colleague realised that they had been provided with the wrong metal rings to connect the new piping. Because of this,…

Taxi driver claims following pavement fall

Posted: 29 September 2014

Posted in: Foot Injuries, Pedestrian Injuries, Public Place Accidents

A 57-year-old taxi driver has sued council bosses after tripping on a poorly maintained pavement last year. John Ritchie suffered serious injuries, including a severely broken ankle, after falling on the uneven flagstones last February. Despite his injuries, Mr Ritchie’s battle for personal injury compensation continues, as lawyers acting on behalf of Renfrewshire Council have asked him to admit to 25% liability for the accident. Mr Ritchie, from Glenburn, said that the pavements in his local area are “in a terrible condition”.  He argued: “How can I be responsible for…

Football fan recovers from serious skull operation

Posted: 23 September 2014

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Criminal Injury and Assault, Head and Brain Injuries, Sporting Injuries

A 19-year-old football fan is waiting to see if he has a valid compensation claim after he suffered serious head injuries during a violent attack at a Tigers’ Europa League game in Belgium. Sam Holgate underwent a five-hour operation to have metal plates inserted into his skull after he had a brick thrown at his head last month.  He raised his case with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Association (CICA) to see if anything could be done. The accident happened on the 21st of August after the Tigers’ were defeated at Sporting…

Ambulance service blamed for death

Posted: 19 September 2014

Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Ambulance “cutbacks” have been blamed for the death of 73-year-old grandmother Sonia Powell.  Mrs Powell was forced to wait in an hour-long ambulance queue despite having suffered a suspected heart attack.  She died in the ambulance queue outside Morriston Hospital on Wednesday afternoon. Mrs Powell’s family has blamed NHS cutbacks for her death. Her granddaughter, Kim Thompson, said that her grandmother had originally been admitted to Neath Port Talbot Hospital on Monday, but was being transferred to the cardiac unit at Morriston Hospital after having, what was believed to be,…

Scaffolder in court over worker’s fractured skull

Posted: 29 August 2014

Posted in: Faulty Work Equipment, Head and Brain Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A scaffolder is to receive a four-month prison sentence after his faulty equipment seriously injured a worker. 27-year-old Mark Jones, from Darlaston, had been operating a ‘gin wheel’ (a metal pulley wheel) when it fell seven meters from the scaffold and struck him on the head, fracturing his skull. Mr Jones had been working for a subcontractor on site when the accident happened.  He had been installing lead flashing on a school roof using lifting equipment installed by Christopher Alan Harvey.  It was heard that Mr Jones had been loading…

Dog owner fined after his animal attacks two people

Posted: 25 August 2014

Posted in: Animal Attacks, Arm Injury

A councillor has been fined after his dog attacked two people in Addlestone earlier this year.  John Edwards (65), Runnymede Borough Council’s longest-serving councillor, was threatened with the destruction of his dog if he did not ensure that she was muzzled in public at all times. Mr Edwards’s 32kg six-year-old Ridgeback-cross, Ruby, caused injury to two people on two separate occasions. Mr Edwards pleaded guilty to two counts of being in control of a dog that caused injury, and one count of being the owner of a dangerously out-of-control dog. He appeared…

Injured veterans face compensation delays

Posted: 8 August 2014

Posted in: Armed Forces Injuries, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries

With tens of thousands of armed forces veterans claiming for compensation every year, the Ministry of Defence has admitted that they face delays in having their compensation claims dealt with. MoD figures found that there were a total of 36,000 new compensation claims made by armed forces veterans between 2013-14, an increase of 16% since 2010-11. One injured armed forces veteran group raised the argument that claimants now had to wait for 219 days to have their claim dealt with, in comparison to 82 days recorded in 2010.  However, Veterans UK…

Compensation cost police force tens of thousands

Posted: 28 July 2014

Posted in: Arm Injury, Foot Injuries, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

New figures have revealed that in the last year alone, Humberside Police force have paid out tens of thousands of pounds in compensation for workplace injuries. Since May of last year, a total of 13 employees won compensation for various accidents and injuries. Humberside Police paid out a total of £55,270 to these claimants. The biggest individual payout went to an officer who developed a back condition as a result of sitting on a faulty office chair. They won £16,000 in damages, but the force had to pay an extra £28,444 in legal…

Over £1.1m paid out by Humber authorities

Posted: 17 July 2014

Posted in: Leg Injuries, Public Place Accidents, School Accidents

Following a Freedom of Information request, it has been found that councils across northern Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire have paid out more than £1.1 million to injured school pupils and staff, including legal fees.  The request further revealed that the East Riding of Yorkshire Council paid out £600,533 to 27 claimants in the last five years. Six claims cost North Lincolnshire £239,100, while Hull received 10 claims – costing the city council £187,974. Hull City Council paid one of the largest claims after a large object fell on a student’s leg,…

Man dies in swimming event

Posted: 24 June 2014

Posted in: Public Place Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A man has died taking part in a swimming event on Lake Windermere on Friday 13 June.  He had been competing in the Great North Swim in the Lake District when he suffered a “medical emergency” and was taken to a nearby hospital by air ambulance.  The 52-year-old from Wallington, south London, died shortly after reaching the hospital. The Great North Swim is a three-day event and is one of the several open-water swimming festivals that takes place throughout the country.  Those who enter can choose to swim several different…

Dog owner jailed over attacks

Posted: 17 June 2014

Posted in: Animal Attacks, Arm Injury, Finger Injuries

The owner of three Pitbull terriers has been jailed after he stood by and watched his dogs savage a woman in Harehills Park, Leeds. Jane Chippendale had been walking her dog Maxy, a Lhasa-apso, when the attack happened. She picked her dog up to protect him from the three Pitbulls, but they dragged her to the ground and attacked her. The dogs returned to their owner when two men in the park fought them off by kicking and punching them. Ms Chippendale said that she has been scarred, both physically and psychologically,…

Chronic pain suffers thrown a lifeline

Posted: 10 June 2014

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Personal Injury

With chronic pain affecting almost eight million people across the UK, suffers in the North East and Cumbria are being offered a new form of treatment. 600 patients in the region are already being treated with this new method, but the pain management team at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary say that they can help an additional 100 suffers.  The treatment involves an implant being inserted into a fatty area of the body, such as the stomach or buttock, and wires are connected to the spine. The small stimulator sends electrical impulses…

Potholes continue to cause injury

Posted: 4 June 2014

Posted in: Bicycle Accidents, Head and Brain Injuries, Pothole Injuries, Public Place Accidents

While potholes continue to cause serious injury all over the UK, Kingston Council has recently received seven compensation claims from injured cyclists who blame pothole-damaged roads. Only one of these seven claimants actually received compensation, with £700 going to a cyclist injured on Grafton Road, New Malden, in October of last year. A further six cyclists came forward with injury claims between 2012 and April 2014, however none of them received any compensation. The figures were released as part of a Freedom of Information request by the Surrey Comet, wanting to know…

Doctors misdiagnosing 30,000 brain injury cases a year

Posted: 19 May 2014

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Medical Negligence

Recent research suggests that doctors are misdiagnosing thousands of patients a year who suffer with chronic pain and fatigue. While doctors continue to diagnose them with psychological problems, research suggests that they are in fact suffering from a form of brain damage. Patients affected by chronic pain and suffering are being denied blood tests, which would quickly pinpoint the actual issue. This has resulted in thousands of patients being treated ineffectively every year and living a life of misery. Research has found that the major cause of this form of damage is…

Pothole victim compensation rejected

Posted: 9 May 2014

Posted in: Bicycle Accidents, Head and Brain Injuries, Pothole Injuries, Shoulder Injuries

A compensation claim made by the family of a 15-year-old boy who was badly injured in a cycling accident has been rejected. Ollie Pike from Malmesbury, Wiltshire, had been taking part in a charity bike ride in Gloucestershire when his bike hit a pothole, propelling him from his bike. He was badly injured in the accident, having hit his head and broken his collarbone. Gloucestershire County Council, however, is refusing to recognise the claim as one that requires compensation. Gloucestershire County Council told Ollie’s family that its highway team were…

Compensation to teachers doubled in four years

Posted: 3 May 2014

Posted in: School Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

New figures have revealed that the compensation paid out to injured teachers has doubled over the last four years. With £40million paid out to injured teachers last year alone, some argue that money is being wasted where it could be better spent on teachers and classroom equipment.  The finding that many claims are being awarded simply to prevent the costs from escalating only worsened this dispute. Successful personal injury claims included payouts of thousands of pounds for slipping in wet corridors, tripping into potholes and falling on uneven paving slabs.…

AKI killing 1,000 patients every month

Posted: 24 April 2014

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death

According to a newly published report commissioned by the NHS, around 1,000 NHS patients are dying from an acute kidney injury every month.  Known as ‘Acute Kidney Injury’ (AKI), the people affected tend to be the most vulnerable hospital patients. AKI is acquired through a lack of basic care, with most patients developing the illness through dehydration. The report referred to the death toll as “completely unacceptable”. The report drew attention to the fact that more people are dying from preventable illnesses today than at the height of the hospital bug…

Child falls from coach after rugby festival

Posted: 15 April 2014

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Leg Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Public Transport

A nine-year-old boy suffered “life-threatening” injuries after falling from a moving coach when returning home from a rugby tournament. The boy fell from a door near the toilet of the double-decker bus while on the A47 in Norfolk. The accident happened at Tilney All Saints, near King’s Lynn, at 15:45 BST on Sunday. The coach had been returning from a rugby tournament at Holt in north Norfolk when the accident happened. The parents of the children accompanied them on the coach, including the father of the boy who fell. His mother had been…

Teacher wins £100,000 for injuries suffered breaking-up fight

Posted: 7 April 2014

Posted in: Arm Injury, Finger Injuries, Public Place Accidents, School Accidents, Workplace Injuries

A Birmingham teacher has been awarded over £100,000 in compensation after suffering injuries from breaking-up a playground fight.  Figures released under a Freedom of Information Act request found that a total of £1m had been paid-out by the council to school-related claims over the last five years.  The teacher, who remains unidentified, received a total of £113,905 for the injuries he suffered putting an end to a playground fight earlier in the school year. The Freedom of Information Act request found that many of the compensation packages paid-out by the…

Hospital admits failings over death

Posted: 5 April 2014

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Two NHS trusts have admitted to failings that resulted in the death of 34-year-old Simon Willson.  The father of two was found hanging in a hospital toilet after being transferred out of A&E – having waited four hours – without being seen by a mental health professional. It was found that this was in an attempt to meet the hospital’s targets. Mr Willson was admitted to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital in January 2010 after taking a serious drug overdose. He was first referred to Canterbury’s mental health services –…

Alcohol license dropped after teen injury

Posted: 22 March 2014

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Restaurant Accidents

A fast food shop has been forced to give up their alcohol licence after a teenage boy suffered head injuries having consumed alcohol from their shop. The pizza shop in Ilkeson operated an alcohol delivery service as part of the pizza business. The licensing conditions stated that alcohol could only be delivered with a food order; however, the 15-year-old boy was sold alcohol despite not ordering food, and being underage. The licence holders of the Briggs off-license, in Nottingham Road, were warned by a Derbyshire police officer following the incident. The…

Police have claimed £85million in compensation

Posted: 16 March 2014

Posted in: Finger Injuries, Hip Injuries, Pothole Injuries, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

Following a Freedom of Information request made by The Sun newspaper, figures have revealed that police officers have claimed £85million in compensation for injuries at work. Accidents ranged from falling in potholes to insect bites, with one individual alone receiving £130,000 for falling and breaking his hip in a store room while on duty. The figure is a total of all personal injury claims made between 2008 and 2013. Critics have highlighted that some claims should not have been accepted, with Jonathan Isaby from The Taxpayer’s Alliance saying: “In some…

Four-year fight for compensation sees success

Posted: 9 March 2014

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Head and Brain Injuries, Pedestrian Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

An Essex family has finally been awarded with compensation following an accident that happened in 2010.  Martin Vann and his wife had been on holiday in Vilamoura in the Algarve when a speeding driver hit them while crossing the road to return to their car. Mr Vann, from Westcliffe-on-Sea near Southend, died after the accident and his wife was left with serious injuries. Their children have been fighting for compensation ever since. The couple had been on holiday with their son Alex Vann and their daughter Julia Plappert, and their partners,…

Birmingham council pays out £190,000 to school children

Posted: 2 March 2014

Posted in: Finger Injuries, Public Place Accidents, School Accidents

A recent report has found that Birmingham City Council has paid out around £190,000 in injury compensation to school children.  There has been increased concern regarding the safety of school classrooms and equipment, with health and safety experts Employment Law Advisory Service (ELAS) finding that many of the incidents have occurred as a result of this. Compensation claims included: £12,000 payout to a boy hit by a golf club £10,100 payout to a child that got fingers trapped in a door £2,010 payout to a child injured by acid during…

Guitarist wins £6,500 compensation

Posted: 27 February 2014

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Hand Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A 23-year-old guitarist has won £6,500 in compensation after being electrocuted while sound checking for a band aboard a P&O ferry. Dominic Zyntek from Coventry suffered a two-minute long electric shock after plugging in his guitar aboard the Pride of Hull ship in November 2012. Mr Zyntek was a musician who covered numerous bands, but now works in Sainsbury’s while trying to work on his own music.  Mr Zyntek sustained extreme burns on his hand as a result of the electric shock. Emergency services were contacted immediately after the accident and…

College fined over girl’s death

Posted: 14 February 2014

Posted in: Neck Injuries, Public Place Accidents, School Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

York College has been fined £175,000 after a 3-year-old girl died on her first full day at the college’s nursery. The college has been fined for health and safety breaches after Lydia Bishop got her neck caught in a rope on an outdoor slide at York College’s nursery in 2012. The college denied charges, but was finally convicted last week for failing to ensure child safety between August and September 2012. Lydia died at her first full day of nursery when she became caught in a rope that was intended for…

Safety measures improved where British woman died in US hospital

Posted: 27 January 2014

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Medical Negligence, Public Place Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

After a British woman was discovered dead at the bottom of a stairwell in San Francisco General Hospital last October, an investigation has recognised a dramatic improvement in safety measures. Lynne Spalding, from Haswell in County Durham, had been missing for seventeen days before she was found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs only yards away from her bed.  The hospital was searched and the Police opened a missing person investigation. It was later discovered that Sheriff Department deputies had failed to search in stairways. Health inspectors,…

10-year-old girl awarded £5m for hospital failures

Posted: 20 January 2014

Posted in: Birth Injury, Head and Brain Injuries, Medical Negligence

10-year-old Louisa Ravouvou, who suffered severe brain damage in 2003 due to hospital failures, has been awarded with £5m in a High Court ruling. Louisa suffered a bleed on her brain when in the womb, which hospital staff failed to treat, resulting in her brain damage.  Not long after her birth, hospital staff failed to carry out a blood transfusion: resulting in “catastrophic brain damage”. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust both admitted to care failures concerning Louisa Ravouvou. Louisa’s mother had been admitted to…

Husband and wife fall in Lake District

Posted: 30 December 2013

Posted in: Personal Injury, Public Place Accidents

Both husband and wife were airlifted to hospital after both falling from the same spot while out walking in the Lake District on Sunday afternoon.  A passerby witnessed the incident, saying that first the man fell from Swirral Edge in Brown Cove, followed by his wife who slipped when trying to reach him.  The witness had been in the middle of phoning 999 when he watched the woman fall from the same spot as her husband. It was believed by Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team that the woman had been trying…

Esso fined for sailor death

Posted: 17 December 2013

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Faulty Work Equipment, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Esso has been fined £100,000 after a member of staff was crushed to death under a fuel hose, an accident described as “wholly avoidable”. The company has admitted to health and safety failings and has been ordered to pay an additional £50,000 in costs.  40-year-old Juan Romero died in August 2008 when a corroded bolt gave way, allowing a pipe and its crane to fall and crush the worker at Fawley marine terminal in Southampton. The seaman, originally from Honduras, had been working on board the docked ship when the accident…

Holiday company fined £20,000 over young girl’s death

Posted: 30 November 2013

Posted in: Gym & Leisure Centre Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A Flintshire-based holiday company has been fined £20,000 after a 7-year-old girl got into some difficulty and drowned in the facility’s swimming pool.  Seojin Kim, from Birmingham, had been on holiday with her family at Talacre Beach Caravan and Leisure Park in October 2010 when the accident happened.  The former owners of the leisure site, Plas Coch Holiday Homes, admitted to safety breaches in 2012 and were also ordered to pay £32,000 costs.     Despite admitting to a lack of risk assessment surrounding the operation of the swimming pool,…

Fifth cyclist death in only a matter of days

Posted: 14 November 2013

Posted in: Bicycle Accidents, Bus Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

After a crash occurred between a cyclist and a bus at a junction yesterday morning, London’s roads have seen their fifth cyclist death in only nine days. The crash happened in the early hours of the morning at a junction between Whitechapel High Street and Commercial Road.  The man was immediately rushed to hospital but died only a matter of hours later. The frequency of cyclists being injured, or even killed, on London’s roads is raising great concern.  Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg had called for cycling-highways to be designed in…

Hospital doctors signed elderly woman’s ‘death warrant’

Posted: 5 November 2013

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death

After 79-year-old June Brook was admitted to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital with sickness and diarroea last month, doctors at the hospital signed a ‘do not resuscitate’ order without the approval of her or her family. During her stay, it was granted by doctors that if her condition worsened, it would be a case of allowing her to die.  Paperwork stating that the order had been issued due to her family not being present was discovered in Mrs Brook’s handbag after she had been discharged from the hospital. The order found…

Firm guilty over go-kart death failings

Posted: 27 October 2013

Posted in: Neck Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

18-year-old Suzanne Cornwell lost her life in 2009 when her scarf became tangled in the axle of her go-kart – the company in charge has pleaded guilty to health and safety failings. The teenager from Hardwick had been with friends at Cambridgeshire raceway when the accident occurred in December 2009. Both the company in charge, Peterborough Raceway Ltd, and the manager at the time, Paul Shinn, have both pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety. The accident occurred when Miss Cornwell attended an ‘out-of-hours’ go-karting session with friends on the…

Child died because nurse used ‘too much force’

Posted: 15 October 2013

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death

10-year-old Pheobe Willis from Locking in North Somerset had been submitted to Westo General Hospital with a rare genetic condition in the summer of 2012, but died after a nurse “inserted her feeding tube with too much force”. Pheobe Willis’ family took her to Weston General Hospital after taking advice that the hospital had a specialist nurse for their daughter’s condition. She was treated by this nurse for her cystinosis on the 24th of August 2012, but then became severely ill and died of peritonitis two days later at Bristol’s Children Hospital.…

Hospital trust fined following death of diabetic patient

Posted: 9 October 2013

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death

The Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust has pleaded guilty to safety breaches after a diabetic patient died in 2007.  Gillian Astbury (66), from Hednesford in Staffordshire, died at Stafford Hospital after two nurses failed to provide her with insulin, causing her to fall into a diabetic coma.  The Nursing and Midwifery Council panel cautioned one of the nurses responsible, Jeannette Coulson, yet Ann King was struck off completely after both were found guilty of misconduct. The Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust now faces a large fine after pleading guilty to failures in…

Lifeboat callouts have risen by 22% in Blackpool

Posted: 24 September 2013

Posted in: Personal Injury

The seaside town of Blackpool has the busiest RNLI crew in the north of the country with around 13 million tourists holidaying there every year.  The RNLI believe that the reason behind the dramatic increase in callout numbers is because of the high temperatures experienced over the summer months.  Blackpool’s crew saw 62 launches over June, July and August, while Sunderland and Redcar – which both saw 45 launches during the same period – were named the two busiest stations in the country. With Blackpool’s inshore lifeboat team seeing an…

North-west England sees one in six dog bite admissions

Posted: 4 September 2013

Posted in: Animal Attacks, Head and Brain Injuries, Neck Injuries

A recent health report has found that one sixth of dog bite admissions in England occurred in the northwest of the country. After parents, whose children had been killed by dogs, took a petition to Downing Street earlier in the year, extensive research has been carried out looking into the trends and figures regarding attacks throughout England. Primary care trust data from The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) revealed that the highest level per 100,000 people was in the northwest of the country, standing at 21.6. Yorkshire and Humber saw…

Woman ‘died in squalor’ at Redditch hospital

Posted: 29 August 2013

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Negligent Cancer Diagnosis, Wrongful & Accidental Death

After doctors at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch misdiagnosed Sandra Aston’s cancer as pneumonia, her daughter described the way in which she was treated as “worse than an animal”.  The daughter of 79-year-old Mrs Aston, Tracey Holmes from Evesham, said that her mother had been left in her room “cold and desperate, with bleeding cracked lips”. The hospital have apologised for their “unsatisfactory” standards of care, saying they are “deeply sorry”.  Mrs Holmes, however, described this apology as “pathetic”.   She provided examples of the hospital’s lack of care for her…

More than 11,500 shares on Facebook for injured cyclist

Posted: 21 August 2013

Posted in: Bicycle Accidents, Hand Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents

A Facebook appeal attempts to track the man responsible for seriously injuring cyclist Mark Canning, which has received over 11,500 shares so far. After severe road rage culminated in the driver of a Range Rover hitting Mr. Canning’s bike intentionally, people across Britain are spreading the story via the social networking site to try to find the ‘maniac’ responsible. Mark Canning had been cycling along the A6 when he was intentionally hit at Whatstandwell, in Derbyshire. Mr. Canning, originally from Pixton, said that the driver became extremely aggressive after he had…

Car firm fined following a death at Cheshire plant

Posted: 14 August 2013

Posted in: Faulty Work Equipment, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A Vauxhall parent company has been fined £150,000 for their failure to comply with health and safety regulations – resulting in the tragic death of a member of their staff.  Ian Heard (59) was crushed to death at the Cheshire car plant in July 2010 after having worked for the company for 43 years. Mr. Heard was caught in the machinery when working in the Ellesmere-based plant three years ago.  Mr. Heard, originally from Birkenhead, was taken to a hospital in Chester, where he died eleven days after the accident. …

Recent deaths in the River Thames cause concern

Posted: 11 August 2013

Posted in: Personal Injury, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Berkshire fire and rescue service have described the recent number of people dying in UK rivers as “worryingly high”.  One largely contributing factor has been the high temperatures experienced in the UK over the summer months, with people spending more time outside and cooling down by swimming in open waters. Recent deaths included a 12-year-old boy The last month has seen five deaths. The body of a 12-year-old boy was found after he got into difficulty swimming in the Jubilee River in Cippenham, Slough, on the 31st of July.  Wednesday also…

Spinal Cord Injuries Compensation Claims

Posted in: Personal Injury, Spine & Back Injuries

If you or someone close to you know has suffered a spinal cord injury, then you may be entitled to claim compensation, and it is important that you speak to a personal injury specialist in Birmingham as soon as possible. The compensation amount that you may be entitled to will depend on a number of different factors, including but not limited to the severity of the injury. Generally speaking, the average amount is significantly greater than most types of personal injury claim. This is due to the fact that injuries…

Eye Injury Compensation Claims in Birmingham

Posted in: Personal Injury

We all know how important our eyes are to the quality of our life. If you therefore suffer an eye injury to one or both of your eyes as a result of a third party’s negligence, then you could be entitled to make a compensation claim. To stand the best chance of success, you’ll need the assistance of our personal injury claims solicitors** from Birmingham. The eyes can be injured in any number of ways from road traffic accidents to injuries at work and slips, trips and falls. Where a…

Sandbank trio rushed to hospital

Posted: 24 July 2013

Posted in: Personal Injury, Public Place Accidents

Three men had to be taken to hospital after they became trapped on a sandbank in Sussex on Monday.  The trio had walked out to the nearby sandbank, but as the incoming tide became increasingly overwhelming, they required urgent help.  Unable to swim back against the strong currents, lifeguards assisted the three men who were immediately taken to hospital. Two men had to be revived Believed to have walked out to the sandbank at low tide with a bigger group of people, the men did not realise how dangerous the…