Pages On: Wrongful & Accidental Death
Of all the different types of personal injuries that solicitors deal with, accidental death has to be the most tragic. Something has to be seriously wrong for an accident to outrightly kill someone. Accidental deaths are unfortunately very common in a road traffic accidents. There are a very small percentage of fatal workplace accidents, but they are still a very clear and present danger. Even in the medical profession, wrongful death can occur when a patient suffers from neglectful care that could have otherwise prevented the death from occurring. If a loved one has died from accidental death, you may be entitled to claim personal injury compensation on their behalf. Not only will it hold those responsible to account, it will help your family cope with the tragedy, as well as the financial implications.
Death and Fatal Accident Claims in Leeds
Posted in: Personal Injury, Wrongful & Accidental Death
If a Fatal Accident has killed a close family member of yours, you need a legal team who will give you the friendly support required. As well as bringing those responsible to justice with the full force of the law. We can help you claim for an accidental death with our expert legal team. Our personal injury experts of Leeds will tirelessly pursue damages for your family to make life without them that much more bearable. Contact us on 01132 234 466^ to get a free claim assessment and hear about our…
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Tour operator responsible for tragic deaths
Posted: 7 March 2016
Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Public Place Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death
A tour guide from a Vietnamese tour operator is being questioned by police, and the tour operator has been suspended, following the tragic deaths of 3 British tourists on Friday. 24-year-old Beth Anderson and her sister 19-year-old Isobel Squire died, together with 25-year-old Christian Sloan, in the Da Lat area of Lam Dong when they were swept away by fast flowing water and swept over a waterfall. The sisters, from Sheffield, and Mr Sloan from Kent, had entered the water at an unauthorised area, and it was later confirmed that…
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Man jailed for causing road death
Posted: 2 March 2016
Posted in: Car Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death
A Southport man has been jailed for two years and banned from driving for two years for causing the death of Lancashire man, Andrew Birch, in January of last year. Mr Birch, 46, from Scarisbrick was the passenger in a Peugeot Horizon being driven by his 80-year-old mother. 58-year-old Kenneth Grisedale admitted causing the death of Mr Birch, and the serious injury of two other people, by driving dangerously in his BMW. “a clear message to anyone who carries out dangerous manoeuvres” Liverpool Crown Court heard that Grisedale dangerously overtook…
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Diabetic could have been saved
Posted: 1 March 2016
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death
Type 1 diabetic, 27-year-old Lisa Day, could have been saved if an ambulance had arrived sooner, a coroner has stated. Ms Day, from Saffron Walden in Essex, was with her friend Luke Halliburton when she fell ill in September of 2015. She was living in West Hampstead in north London when she became ill. The inquest heard that she had to wait almost five hours for an ambulance to arrive, during which time she suffered a heart attack and became unconscious. Ms Day never regained consciousness. Struggling to cope with…
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47-year-old dies as a result of undiagnosis
Posted: 9 February 2016
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Negligent Cancer Diagnosis, Wrongful & Accidental Death
A coroner’s inquest into the death of 47-year-old Jeanette Scully heard that she had made 58 medical visits in the five months leading up to her death. Ms Scully died from an aggressive form of cancer and was in extreme pain due to the rare malignant tumour that spread throughout her pelvis and abdomen. The hearing in Sunderland Civic Centre was told that Ms Scully had first approached her GP in 2012 suffering from abdominal pain and rectal bleeding. She was also experiencing pain in her back, hip and thighs. Diagnosed…
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2 dead following undiscovered fire
Posted: 20 January 2016
Posted in: Personal Injury, Wrongful & Accidental Death
A serious chip pan fire that was missed by fire-fighters left two people dead at 11:00 on Saturday. Neighbours of dinner lady Keli Morgan, 44, and her husband Joe Morgan, 41, had called the fire services upon smelling smoke. Fire-fighters attended the report and searched for 25 minutes to find the source of the smoke, however they could not find any source of fire and left after isolating the electricity to one of the light fittings. During their first time in the house they carried out a thorough search, which…
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Shoreham airshow disaster victims could be in line for payouts
Posted: 11 January 2016
Posted in: Public Place Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death
It has been revealed following the tragic Shoreham air show crash that injured spectators could be in line for very large compensation payments. This has come as a result of the aircraft’s owners admitting liability for the accident, which saw eleven killed and fourteen seriously injured. The Hawker Hunter 1950s RAF jet crashed during an aerobatics display on 22 August 2015, causing it to fall out of the sky in a fireball and smash into several cars on the ground. Former RAF pilot Andy Hill was flying the aircraft at…
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Experimental heart surgery causes death
Posted: 2 November 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death
A judge at London’s High Court has awarded damages of £13,686 to the daughter of a man who died as a result of experimental surgery on his heart in 2007. Mr William Ewan, 86, died in Leicester’s Glenfield Hospital of complications during a key-hole operation which caused him to bleed to death. Mr Ewan’s daughter, Gabriele Shaw, from Cheshire, was awarded the compensation by Mr Justice Warby after a two day hearing. During the hearing, the court heard that Mr Ewan had been an “intelligent and active” man who could…
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Company denies safety breaches following death
Posted: 4 June 2015
Posted in: Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death
37-year-old Martin McGlasson was killed in 2011 when he fell down a flight of concrete stairs in Cumbria. Mr McGlasson had been polishing the newly built staircase when he collapsed and suffered fatal injuries. When paramedics arrived at the scene of the incident – ACP Concrete in Workington – Mr McGlasson had already been assisted by colleagues, but died before an ambulance arrived. ACP Concrete pleaded not guilty to three health and safety breaches at Carlisle Crown Court this week, prompting a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation. A trial…
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Man’s helmet ‘muffled’ train sound
Posted: 1 June 2015
Posted in: Motorcycle Accidents, Public Transport, Wrongful & Accidental Death
A man was killed in May 2014 after failing to hear a train approaching at a level crossing because his crash helmet ‘muffled’ the sound. 37-year-old Paul Martin, from Stroud, had been crossing a train track in Gloucestershire on his trail bike when an oncoming train hit him. A report drawn up by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) following his death found that the nearby signage did not explain that trail bike riders were prohibited from using the Frampton level crossing. The RAIB said that Network Rail must greatly improve…
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Father blames Thomas Cook for death of his children
Posted: 2 May 2015
Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Public Place Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death
Wakefield Coroners’ Court heard that the father of two children who died whilst on holiday in Corfu in October 2006, “firmly believed” that his children would be alive today if Thomas Cook had inspected a faulty boiler. The children, Robert aged 6 and Christianne aged seven died from carbon monoxide poisoning after complaining of feeling unwell. Their father, Neil Shepherd of Horbury, West Yorkshire, told the court he was “paralysed by guilt” by their deaths and wept as he recalled his “perfect son” and “feisty, loving” daughter. Sharon Wood, the…
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Man dies in ‘under-pressure’ hospital
Posted: 2 May 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death
West Midlands Ambulance Service has said calling a “disaster doctor” to care for patients in Worcestershire Royal Hospital in April was “unprecedented” and a “decision not taken lightly”. This was following the death of Mr John Flaherty who experienced long delays in receiving medical attention at the hospital after a serious fall. Mr Flaherty, who suffered from ill health, was left at least five hours on a trolley in the accident and emergency ward on 10 April. He died five days later. Ambulance bosses have confirmed that they decided to…
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Firm fined over worker death
Posted: 5 February 2015
Posted in: Criminal Injury and Assault, Employer Negligence, Falls from Heights, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death
A building firm has been fined after one of its workers died as a result of falling from a roof. 42-year-old Jason Pennington fell 7.6m through a skylight onto a concrete floor in 2011. His employer, Cumbria-based building firm Peter Mawson Ltd, was fined £200,000 for corporate manslaughter at Preston Crown Court. The accident happened in 2011 when Mr Pennington had been working at West Cumberland Farmers LTD in Lindal, Ulverston. An investigation carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), following his death, found that the company had…
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Family awarded money following concrete mixer death
Posted: 30 January 2015
Posted in: Criminal Injury and Assault, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death
The family of a man who was killed in a concrete mixer accident in Essex has been awarded £12,000 in compensation. 33-year-old Lee Balkwell suffered fatal injuries after becoming trapped under the drum of a concrete mixer lorry. Colleagues found him crushed under the vehicle after the accident happened in a lane at South Ockendon. Mr Balkwell’s father, Les Balkwell, believes that his son was murdered and argues that the police investigation into his death was not thorough enough. The accident happened in 2002 when Mr Balkwell had been cleaning…
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Nurse ignored child care worries
Posted: 20 January 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death
The parents of a one-year-old girl who died following heart surgery at Bristol Children’s Hospital (BCH) said that they voiced concerns regarding her care before she died. Isabella Janew, from Gloucester, was born with a rare heart defect in April 2012. Following an operation to widen a heart valve in September 2013, however, she went into cardiac arrest and died. Her parents said that they had repeatedly raised concerns about their daughter’s care with an intensive care nurse, but nothing was done. Isabella’s father, Daniel, and mother, Debbie, had asked…
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Ambulance downgrading causes death
Posted: 15 January 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death
According to a recently released report, a number of patients died after their 999 calls were downgraded at the ambulance emergency department. It was found that a total of 57 deaths were caused by East of England Trust ambulances not being sent out or arriving too late. This came as a result of guidelines being relaxed by the call centre managers without any consultation between 18 December 2013 and 22 February 2014. It was admitted last week by the trust that a total of 8,324 patients were affected by the…
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Three police officers charged following custody death
Posted: 17 December 2014
Posted in: Criminal Injury and Assault, Public Place Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death
Three police officers have been charged with manslaughter after a man collapsed in custody and died. 32-year-old Thomas Orchard collapsed while being held in a cell at Heavitree Road Police Station in Exeter not long after being arrested. He was immediately transported to hospital, where he died. Mr Orchard, a caretaker at St Thomas Church in Exeter, was arrested in October 2012 on suspicion of public order offence. He was taken to the local police station where he collapsed in a cell around one hour later. An ambulance took him…
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Ambulance officer admits hillsborough disaster failings
Posted: 7 December 2014
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Public Place Accidents, Sporting Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death
A senior ambulance officer recently admitted to failings which played a part in the Hillsborough disaster. Paul Eason told the inquest that he and a colleague were supposed to be the “eyes and ears” of the ambulance service control room, but failed to “properly assess” the unfolding tragedy. The Hillsborough disaster saw ninety-six Liverpool fans die in the crush on 15 April 1989. Mr Eason said that on the day of the accident his “eyes were blurred and his ears were blocked”. He, the fellow station officer Patrick Higgins, and…
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Man’s death was preventable
Posted: 28 September 2014
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death
An inquest into the death of 20-year-old John Moore-Robinson found that he could easily have been saved. Mr Moore-Robinson died in his home in 2006 after he was discharged from hospital with an undiagnosed ruptured spleen. Despite his obvious symptoms, the doctor diagnosed him as having bruised ribs following an x-ray. He collapsed only hours after being discharged and later died at home. The incident happened following a mountain bike accident on Cannock Chase, in Staffordshire. Mr Moore-Robinson was taken immediately to A&E at the scandal-hit hospital, Stafford Hospital, where…
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Salmonella source identified
Posted: 24 August 2014
Posted in: Food Poisoning, Wrongful & Accidental Death
With a recent Salmonella outbreak having affected over 200 people across England, Public Health England has identified a source of eggs to be the cause. It is believed that it is the same strain of Salmonella that is making people ill all over Europe. In the past week alone, the number of people affected by the illness has increased from 158 to 247. Symptoms of the illness include sickness, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever. Although most people can recover without treatment, a reported three people have already died from the…
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Cancer surgery team “dysfunctional”
Posted: 17 May 2014
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Negligent Cancer Diagnosis, Wrongful & Accidental Death
A recent report into the deaths of five cancer patients at a hospital in Kent has found that the surgery team was “dysfunctional”. The review of the cancer unit at Maidstone Hospital – carried out by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) – actually took place in October, but has only now been made public due to pressure from victim’s families. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust finally agreed to make the report public, with the dynamics of the surgery team described as “dangerous”. The review found that the upper-gastrointestinal…
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NHS Trust faces investigation following death
Posted: 15 April 2014
Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims, Wrongful & Accidental Death
An NHS trust faces investigation following the death of a patient who was being treated under critical care at Hereford County Hospital. The death of the patient came after a complaint had been made concerning the hospital’s medical and surgical management, which has been referred to the NHS ombudsman. A second complaint had also been made against the Trust after a patient underwent a hysterectomy, arguing that she had been “unhappy” about the standard of follow-up treatment. WYE Valley NHS Trust (WVT) has seen a recent increase in complaints, with latest…
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Pensioner had five-hour ambulance wait
Posted: 12 March 2014
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death
A pensioner from Nottingham had to wait five hours for an ambulance after the phone call was logged incorrectly. Stewart Maltby’s GP had been visiting Mr Matlby at his home in Farnsfield having recently suffered a stroke and abdominal surgery. Finding that he was severely dehydrated, GP John Porter requested an ambulance to be sent within 2 hours, which arrived 5 hours later. Stewart Maltby died of kidney failure and other problems two days later. An inquest at Nottingham town hall heard that the individual who answered the call had…
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Powerboat accident leaves family devastated
Posted: 4 February 2014
Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Leg Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death
The Milligan family has been torn apart after their powerboat spun out of control on holiday, leaving two dead and two severely injured. The family had a holiday home near Rock where they spent last May going out on their boat along the Camel estuary. An investigation was carried out by ‘The Marine Accident Investigation Branch’, which found that the reason behind the incident had been that “the driver Milly was not wearing a kill cord”. Both Mr and Mrs Milligan had completed a Royal Yachting Association powerboat-handling course, which…
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Cyclists appeal for safer roads
Posted: 7 January 2014
Posted in: Bicycle Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death
Following the deaths of numerous cyclists on Britain’s roads in the last year, one man is calling for more to be done to protect cyclists from other road users. Former engineer Graham Andrews (45), who is now in a wheelchair, suffered severe spinal injuries after colliding with a hit-and-run driver while cycling to the beach one Sunday evening. Mr Andrews was thrown 8ft into the air by the motorist, and was found unconscious on a grass verge two hours later by two members of the public. The passers-by who found Mr…
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Museum told to improve safety after crush death
Posted: 4 December 2013
Posted in: Public Place Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death
After a 7-year-old boy was crushed to death under a ride at a museum last year, the museum has been told to improve its safety dramatically. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have issued the open-air museum in County Durham with an urgent improvement notice, while they carry out an investigation into the cause of the death. Karl Doran, from Darlington, had been at the Beamish Museum with his family at the time of the incident. The accident happened in July of last year when Karl’s father Philip was driving…
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Hospital death could have been avoided
Posted: 27 November 2013
Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims, Wrongful & Accidental Death
After a radiology specialist accidentally cut an artery of a man suffering from high blood pressure, a coroner said that his death could have been “avoided”. 47-year-old Brian Galea, from Preston, was admitted to the Royal Preston Hospital on the 14th of August last year, but died only a few hours later due to the specialist’s serious error. It was heard at Preston Coroner’s Court that the specialist had been trying to remove a blood clot at the time of the incident, accidently tearing one of his arteries. Coroner Dr…
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Patient death caused by ‘wrong gas’
Posted: 10 September 2013
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death
An investigation has been launched into the death of a patient at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital after being given the ‘wrong gas’ during an operation. The investigation is being carried out by the hospital’s trust, which argues that the cause of the death is still not certain. Details concerning the death of the individual have been passed onto the Worcestershire coroner, but cannot be released until the investigation has closed. The trust believes that although there is a link between the supposed error and the patient’s death, it has not,…
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Health Trust payout following death of diabetic
Posted: 13 August 2013
Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death
After the family of Margaret Pitt (55) were “let down so badly” by health workers at Alexandra Hospital, an undisclosed settlement has been paid out to Mrs. Pitt’s family. The nurses working in Alexandra Hospital – part of the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust – failed to monitor Mrs. Pitt’s glucose levels properly, which led to her death in November 2010. Margaret Pitt, from Redditch, had lived with type 1 diabetes for the last 30 years of her life, yet died due to an irreversible brain injury following the failures of…
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Investigation into resident’s death at care home
Posted: 3 April 2013
Posted in: Hip Injuries, Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death
The former owners of a Buckinghamshire care home have been sentenced for serious safety failings after a frail 76-year-old woman died following a fall from a hoist. Aylesbury Crown Court was told that Mrs Barbara Kilty, who had been resident at the home for more than three years, slipped from her wheelchair after she was transferred from her bed using a hoist. She broke her hip as a result of the fall but the incident was not reported within the care home. Ten days after the incident, Mrs Kilty was…
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Sole trader sentenced for tipper death failings
Posted: 19 March 2013
Posted in: Employer Negligence, Road Traffic Accidents, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death
A Berkshire haulier has been fined for safety failings after a long-serving employee was run over and killed by a tipper lorry at his Reading head office. Brian Gutteridge was crossing a road from the main office to a car park when the vehicle struck him. He died at the site as a result of the injuries he sustained. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated and found there were no designated crossing points on the road, and nothing to segregate pedestrians and vehicles or guide on who had the…
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Family awarded compensation for son’s death
Posted: 22 November 2012
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death
A family has been awarded compensation following the death of their son after two doctors failed to identify that he had contracted meningitis, reports the Telegraph. Thirteen-month-old Bobby Bushell’s parents had taken him to Doncaster Royal Infirmary on the advice of their GP. While he was there, he was seen by a senior house doctor and then a registrar, both of whom failed to diagnose the condition, despite the baby having developed the classic rash associated with meningitis. He was eventually seen by a consultant, who recommended that Bobby be…
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