Pages On: Public Place Accidents

Holidaymaker contracts salmonella in Jamaica

Posted: 25 April 2016

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Food Poisoning

A 33-year-old holidaymaker from Heathcote in Warwick has been awarded a considerable sum in compensation after contracting salmonella whilst on holiday in a five star hotel in Jamaica.  Daryl Wiseman lost two stone in the two weeks he suffered the food poisoning and decided to sue holiday agents, Direct Holidays, for damages.  Mr Wiseman was staying in the Gran Bahia Principle Runaway Bay Resort when he became ill.  He decided to take action when the hotel refused to investigate the reason that caused his illness. Remained ill for four months…

Mesothelioma Handbook Launched on 20th Anniversary of Landmark Case

Posted: 22 April 2016

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma, Public Place Accidents

A handbook to help sufferers of mesothelioma has been launched on the 20th anniversary of June Hancock’s landmark case. Ms Hancock was the first non-worker to successfully win a compensation claim for asbestos exposure that resulted in mesothelioma. Ms Hancock had been exposed to the deadly substance as a child living near to the JW Roberts asbestos factory in Leeds. She succeeded in securing a five-figure compensation payout a year before her death in 1997. Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a highly aggressive form of lung cancer that is caused by breathing…

Middlesbrough woman wins compensation case

Posted: 21 April 2016

Posted in: Leg Injuries, School Accidents, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

A Middlesbrough woman has won her claim for compensation against her employer, Middlesbrough Council, following a fall that caused serious damage to her leg.  Mrs Linda Williams had been working as a kitchen assistant in a Middlesbrough primary school for 18 years.  The 58-year-old claimant had been walking through the dining room during the lunch time service to collect some kitchen equipment when the accident happened.  She slipped on a patch of wet floor which had just been mopped following a pupil urinating on it.  There was no notice to…

Teacher’s Family Claim Compensation for Asbestos Death

Posted: 15 March 2016

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Mesothelioma, School Accidents

The family of a teacher who was exposed to asbestos at work have successfully made a compensation claim against her former employer. Elizabeth Belt died of mesothelioma aged 68. This is a deadly form of cancer that is directly connected to breathing in asbestos fibres. Asbestos was routinely used as an insulating material in homes and schools before it was banned in 1999. The substance poses no threat while it lies dormant. However, when the material is disturbed the air can fill with the harmful dust. If breathed in, these…

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…

Wall collapse seriously injures two children

Posted: 15 February 2016

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Leg Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries

Two young children, a boy aged four and a girl aged seven, were badly injured when a 10 foot wall collapsed as they were walking to school with their mother during Storm Imogen.  It is thought that the children were walking a little ahead of their mother when the garden wall in Bretforton, near Evesham in Worcestershire, fell on top of them. The children were pulled from the rubble and air lifted to hospital where they were treated for injuries to their legs, backs and faces. Due repairs Speaking on…

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…

Shopping centre fined £75,000 for severing a man's toe

Posted: 31 December 2015

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

A shopping centre in Nottingham has been fined £75K after a customer was severely injured on an escalator. 27-year-old Michael Reddington had been shopping in the West End Arcade when his foot got trapped in an escalator, resulting in the loss of his big toe. The incident happened on 15 March 2012 when Mr Reddington had been trying to pick up his mobile phone after dropping it. It was heard that the sound engineer had accidentally placed his left foot inside a missing part of the escalator’s steps, which he…

Pensioner wins compensation for a fall in a supermarket

Posted: 10 December 2015

Posted in: Arm Injury, Head and Brain Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Shop Accidents

Supermarket giant, Sainsbury’s, has paid out a five-figure sum to pensioner Jean Annis, 79 from Alsager, following a compensation claim.  Mrs Annis tripped on matting in the Sainsbury’s Local store causing four fractures to her right arm, which has left her unable to use her right hand.  She also sustained injuries to her eye, lip and chin.  The injury to her arm has left Mrs Annis, who is also carer to her husband Norman, aged 89 and suffering from dementia, unable to carry out simple daily tasks such as cutting…

‘Human error’ caused Alton Towers crash

Posted: 28 November 2015

Posted in: Knee Injury, Leg Injuries, Public Place Accidents

Staffordshire theme park, Alton Towers, have announced that the accident that occurred on 2 June of this year, seriously injuring several people, was due to human error.  The park confirmed that staff had misunderstood a shutdown message and restarted the ride, causing the carriages to collide with stationary carriages on the track.  It has been confirmed that there were absolutely no mechanical or technical issues with the ride. 16 people were seriously injured, 2 of whom had legs amputated, when the Smiler ride crashed into an empty carriage.  Leah Washington,…

British Airways passengers take legal action

Posted: 23 September 2015

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Arm Injury, Public Transport

Passengers that were left with physical and psychological injuries after a British Airways plane caught fire earlier this month have decided to take legal action. A total of 157 passengers had been onboard the aircraft when it set on fire on the runway at Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport on 8 September. Of those 157 passengers, a total of 40 passengers have taken legal advice for their injuries. One of the passengers, Steve Bingham, had been on the London-bound flight when the accident happened, leaving him with a severe arm…

Schools payout £1.5m in compensation

Posted: 24 August 2015

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

It has been revealed, following a recent Freedom of Information request, that schools paid out £1.5million to pupils last year through personal injury claims. The total figure went out to 150 pupils, including one claimant who won £4,000 after suffering burns from an icepack following a playground fall. The pupil received compensation from Gateshead council, and was said to have suffered the burns due to the lack of instructions on the pack. Of all the payouts made by Local Education Authorities in England, the majority of them were claimed as…

Teenager’s bone cancer misdiagnosed as sports injury

Posted: 21 August 2015

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Negligent Cancer Diagnosis, Sporting Injuries

A 16-year-old girl was told by her GP on ten separate occasions that the pain she was experiencing was simply a sports injury. Melissa Sutton, from Rochdale in Lancashire, was a keen trampoliner when she first visited her GP with pain in her ribs. However, after being sent away and told to rest, the pain continued to increase and she started to experience difficulty breathing. When her mother began to suspect that something was wrong, she returned to the GP but was told that it was a pulled muscle ten…

Hogweed victim battles for damages

Posted: 24 July 2015

Posted in: Arm Injury, Finger Injuries, Foot Injuries, Public Place Accidents

The case of a 7-year-old boy who suffered life-changing burns from a Giant Hogweed plant has been taken to court. The young boy, who remains anonymous, suffered severe burns to his upper body, arms, feet, and chest after he came into contact with the plant while on holiday in his family’s static caravan in a holiday park in Wales. The boy’s case is thought to be the first of its type in the country. The boy had been playing with friends when he picked up a branch of the highly…

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…

Slip, Trip & Fall Injuries in Public Places in Leeds

Posted in: Public Place Accidents

What can appear to be a minor slip, trip or fall can lead to quite serious consequences for your health and wellbeing. Our personal injury specialists will be able to guide you whether your claim has merit. Public Liability Claims for Leeds — Guidance on Trips & Slips Claiming compensation for an accident that was not your fault can seem like it will be a lot of hassle. You may believe the accident sounds too petty to be worth bothering about, but this is rarely the case. Whether your claim…

Accidents in Public Places — Injury Lawyers for Leeds

Posted in: Public Place Accidents

A wide variety of accidents can lead to claims for compensation. The majority of us will have tripped on an uneven pavement at some point in our lives. Most of the time, an accident of this type will be fairly insignificant. That does not mean that nobody is liable. It simply means the accident has had such a minimal impact on your day that there is nothing for you to be compensated for. When the accident is more serious, it is easy to forget that you are entitled to compensation,…

Boy wins compensation following childhood injury

Posted: 2 March 2015

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

When Jack Cooper was only 12-months-old an autistic child pushed him in his baby chair – leaving him with severe head injuries. The accident happened in March 2005 at a café in Morrisons at Teeside Park. He was tipped head first onto the floor while strapped in his baby chair. The council admitted to failing to control the autistic child who subsequently caused harm. Jack turned 11 last week and still suffers with the effects of the accident.  The fall left him deaf in one ear and the brain injuries…

£3m compensation awarded following pool accident

Posted: 20 February 2015

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Public Place Accidents

A woman has been awarded £3m compensation for the brain injury she suffered as a child. At the age of 10-years-old, Annie Woodland drowned during a swimming lesson at school which caused her to suffer severe brain injuries. For months following the incident, Ms Woodland, now aged 25, suffered with severe depression and even contemplated suicide. 15 years later, she has finally been awarded compensation of £3million. Ms Woodland says that she and her family endured a very long battle for compensation, which involved them having to move house due…

Man seriously injured after department store fall

Posted: 30 December 2014

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

A man is currently in hospital with severe injuries after he fell in a department store in south-west London.  The accident happened at around 13:05, when the man, believed to be in his 20s, fell from an escalator. A fellow customer in the shop, a 28-year-old woman from Richmond, said she was walking away from the escalator when she heard a sudden thud. It is believed that the man fell from the third or fourth floor. The customer said that the entire floor gasped when they saw what had happened.…

Spa fined after customers fall ill

Posted: 29 December 2014

Posted in: Gym & Leisure Centre Accidents, Public Place Accidents

A spa has been fined after customers fell ill with painful rashes.  It was found that the Kensington Salon and Spa in Derbyshire was ‘bacteria-infested’ when four teenage girls fell ill in May 2013.  An inspection following the incident discovered that the spa pool contained harmful bacteria 24,000 times the usual level. The owner of the spa, Lisa Matthews, admitted to six charges of health and safety failings. The girls fell ill with rashes and puss-filled pimples after attending the spa for a birthday pamper day.  They were each diagnosed…

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…

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…

Football heading could see schools sued

Posted: 29 August 2014

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Neck Injuries, School Accidents, Sporting Injuries

With a group of American mothers suing Fifa for putting their children at risk of concussion, lawyers believe that it wont be long before parents in the UK do the same. The group has accused the Football Association of acting “carelessly and negligently”, calling for new safety rules to be introduced on how many times a player can head the ball during a game.  This arose after research revealed the true dangers of heading a football.  It has been proven that, with children, their neck muscles have not fully developed…

Thomas Cook pays out

Posted: 25 August 2014

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Food Poisoning

A woman has won compensation after falling seriously ill while on holiday in Mexico. 27-year-old Natalie Daymond had been on holiday at the Barcelo Costa Hotel, near Cancun, when an E.coli outbreak swept through the luxury resort. Ms Daymond still suffers with gastric problems as a result of the illness. With high expectations of the luxury resort that she had booked to stay in with her boyfriend, Ms Daymond said that they arrived to find dirty bedsheets, an unclean bedroom, uncooked chicken in the restaurant and re-used foods at mealtimes.…

Cash-strapped council pays out

Posted: 27 July 2014

Posted in: Faulty Work Equipment, Public Place Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries

It has been found that over the last three years, an icy car park and an unsafe chair have cost Barrow Borough Council £16,000 in compensation.  The largest of these payouts went to an employee that suffered serious back injuries after sitting for prolonged amounts of time on a faulty office chair. He received £10,780 in compensation, (the council’s insurance policy covered £750 of the claim, breaching its £10,000 excess limit).  The second payout went to a worker who slipped and fell in an icy car park, costing the council…

School support worker claims for back injury

Posted: 16 July 2014

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

Following only thirteen days at her new job at Rastrick High School, support worker Helen Sloan made a claim of £50,000 for a back injury.  Her injury was caused as a result of pushing pupils around the school in wheelchairs, blaming inadequate training and a lack of risk assessment for her disabling injuries. Her position at the High School was to provide learning support for children with special needs. It was argued by Mrs Sloan’s barrister that the school failed to protect staff from the dangers of pushing wheelchairs on such…

Road injuries cost council £417,000 in compensation

Posted: 3 June 2014

Posted in: Foot Injuries, Pedestrian Injuries, Pothole Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents

Last year alone, Haringey Council paid out over £417,000 in compensation to pedestrians and motorists injured on the borough’s roads.  The figures, which were released by the Liberal Democrats, found that a total of 19 people were awarded compensation in 2013/14, totaling at £417,635.  Haringey Council received 194 claims for personal injury and damage, of which only 52 were settled without payment and 123 were outstanding. The borough’s roads have been repeatedly criticised by the public for not being poorly maintained. In the last six years, Haringey Council has paid…

£23,000 to teacher who slipped in puddle

Posted: 28 May 2014

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

A teacher has received £23,000 in compensation after slipping on a puddle of water in a school corridor.  The teacher suffered serious ligament damage in the accident, with injuries to their feet and ankle. The court ruled that the school was to blame for the accident, awarding the unnamed teacher with £23,000 in a taxpayer-funded settlement. The claim came to light following a Freedom of Information request to West Sussex County Council, which runs the school.  It was highlighted that the compensation package awarded to the teacher was higher than…

Pothole claims all time high

Posted: 8 May 2014

Posted in: Pothole Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents

New figures have revealed that the number of claims for injuries related to potholes has risen by 750% in the worst hit areas.  This is most likely due to having just endured the wettest winter in England and Wales since 1766, with winter flooding causing significant road damage.  The AA said that despite the Government’s emergency help, totalling £383million, this is just a “drop in the ocean” compared to what is needed to help the problem.  Campaigners argued that pothole damage has already cost drivers £730million, with a firm belief…

Almost a quarter of a million paid out in school injury compensation

Posted: 4 April 2014

Posted in: Arm Injury, Foot Injuries, Public Place Accidents, School Accidents

Newly released figures have revealed that almost a quarter of a million pounds of taxpayers’ money has been paid out as injury compensation to children in Leeds over the last five years.  This figure covers money paid out to children that have suffered injuries in Leeds’ primary and secondary schools, with injuries including broken bones and burns. One child received £35,000 in compensation after breaking a limb at school in 2009.  The figures – obtained under the Freedom of Information Act – found that a total of 188 personal injury…

£70,000 compensation after pothole crash

Posted: 22 March 2014

Posted in: Arm Injury, Bicycle Accidents, Head and Brain Injuries, Pothole Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents

A cyclist has been awarded £70,000 in compensation after a pothole threw him off his bike in 2009.  Alan Curtis from Bushey in Hertfordshire suffered a “severe head injury” in the crash on The Drive in Rickmansworth.  The 57-year-old sued Hertfordshire County Council for failing to fill-in the pothole, which he described as being a “real source of danger” to road users.  The council said that they were “disappointed” in the High Court for ruling in Mr Curtis’s favour. The charity fundraiser had been cycling with his two best friends…

Injury claims cost Essex County Council £1m

Posted: 4 March 2014

Posted in: Arm Injury, Head and Brain Injuries, School Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

Essex County Council has paid out over £1m over the last three years to staff injured in Essex schools.  The largest payout, nearly a quarter of the total compensation paid to staff hurt in the city’s schools, went to a teacher who slipped on a ketchup packet.  The teacher was awarded with £230,000 in compensation.  Figures revealed that Essex County Council has paid out a total of £1.05m to 34 claimants between 2011 and 2013. This information was made available following a freedom of information request.  Most of the payouts…

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…

Council worker compensated for burnt hand

Posted: 15 January 2014

Posted in: Hand Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

A council worker has received a £3,000 payout after severely burning their hand on a hot fish pie while serving lunch.  This was one of the numerous claims paid out by authorities in Greater Manchester to their own staff in the last year.  Other injuries included hurting themselves while setting up a trampoline, tripping while delivering leaflets, being assaulted by aggressive members of the public and many others; all of which won full compensation. The area’s ten local authorities have faced a huge number of claims from employees since the…

New app allows cyclists to report potholes instantly

Posted: 28 December 2013

Posted in: Pothole Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents

The Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC) is due to receive £30,000 from Whitehall to improve their website, “Fill That Hole”, and develop a new app to enable cyclists to report potholes at the click of a button.  The new app will provide cyclists in Leeds with an easy way to report dangerous potholes on the roads, alerting the council of their need for repair.  The new app is due to be available to more than twenty-six million iPhone users in February, replacing the old app that is only available to nine…

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…

Four injured on Alton Towers rollercoaster

Posted: 4 November 2013

Posted in: Public Place Accidents, Shoulder Injuries

Alton Towers’ new £18m rollercoaster has caused four injuries after wheels fell off, hitting the passengers in the front carriage.  The 14-loop ‘Smiler’ was opened in May, but has already seen three incidents.  The ride already saw closure in the summer, 21st of July, for four days after the track broke, from which 48 people had to be urgently rescued.  It was also closed in August for five days due to a “technical issue”. When a few of the “small guide wheels” fell off the rollercoaster this weekend, one man…

Woman wins case after nearly drowning as a child

Posted: 23 October 2013

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

Annie Woodland had to be resuscitated after she almost drowned in a school swimming lesson thirteen years ago – she has only now won a landmark case at the Supreme Court.  Ms Woodland had been a pupil at Whitmore Junior School in Basildon, Essex, when the accident occurred in 2000. Her near-death experience caused her to suffer severe brain damage, which her father, Ian, described as doing “enormous damage” to their family.  2011 saw a rejection of a £3m damage claim, which was maintained by the Court of Appeal last…

Gardener falls 60ft down shaft

Posted: 14 October 2013

Posted in: Falls from Heights, Foot Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries

Marvin Christie, a gardener from Banbury Street in Battersea, is lucky to have survived after he fell down a 60ft shaft while doing routine landscaping work.  The 23-year-old had been weeding some plants on a traffic island, with the assistance of his mother, when the metal grill on which he was standing gave way beneath him. The 60ft fall (which happened on the 24th of July) caused him to break his back, shatter his ankle and break many of the bones in his feet.  A personal injury claim is soon…

Sporting injuries effect mental health

Posted: 23 September 2013

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Sporting Injuries

Having been continuously applauded during his career for putting his ‘body on the line’ for English rugby, Lewis Moody told media that he is starting to feel concerned for his future mental health.  After ending his 16-year long career last March, Moody fears that due to the countless concussions he endured during his rugby career, he may be victim to early onset dementia. Only in recent years has the link between concussion and early onset dementia become apparent in the sporting world of rubgy.  During Lewis Moody’s career, the link…

Contaminated water supply at Exeter school

Posted: 2 September 2013

Posted in: Food Poisoning, Public Place Accidents, School Accidents

A Carillion employee has been found guilty of producing a falsified document that provided greatly inaccurate figures concerning the level of iron present in a school’s water supply.  Carillion is responsible for the infrastructure at six schools in Exeter, one being St Peter’s C of E School.  St Peter’s C of E School had readings that revealed dangerously high levels of iron, while another Carillion-run school’s water supply – West Exe College – contained legionella, the bacterium that causes Legionnaires disease. The falsified document, which concerned the readings of St…

Rise in temperature leads to surge in 999 calls

Posted: 9 July 2013

Posted in: Public Place Accidents

Saturday (6 July) saw more 999 calls that New Years’ Eve, purely because of the hot weather.  New Years’ Eve is traditionally the busiest day of the year for emergency services, but last Saturday topped these figures by a fair stretch. West Midlands Ambulance Service said that 3,211 emergency phone calls were made on Saturday, compared to the 2,815 that were made on New Years’ Eve.  Due to the increase in temperatures, people are spending more time outside – by the likes of open water – and tend to consume…

The ‘largest blaze’ in the West Midlands

Posted: 1 July 2013

Posted in: Public Place Accidents, Workplace Injuries

In the late hours of last night, the West Midlands Fire Service were called to an emergency, described by many as the biggest fire recorded in the West Midlands.  Fire crews faced a blaze containing around 100,000 tonnes of recycled plastic at an industrial estate in Smethwick. The cause of the blaze has been blamed on chinese lanterns that have fallen from the sky onto the plastics. Around 200 fire fighters, crews from both Warwickshire and Staffordshire, are still trying to put out the blaze.  So far, nine fire fighters…

Health and safety cuts put lives at risk

Posted: 9 April 2013

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

Teacher’s union, the NASUWT, has raised concerns over the Coalition Government’s attacks on health and safety protections, claiming that these attacks threaten to put the lives of children and adults in schools and colleges at risk. At its recent Annual Conference, representatives of the NASUWT argued a motion condemning moves by the Coalition to remove vital health and safety protections in the workplace. Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said: “By trivialising and trashing health and safety provisions, the Coalition is gambling with people’s lives. “This is reckless and…

Claim Compensation for a Sports Injury

Posted in: Public Place Accidents, Sporting Injuries

It is a common misconception that sports related injuries do not allow for the possibility of compensation payments. However, this is not always the case. If you have suffered a injury playing a sport, you should contact our personal injury solicitor** for Leeds to discuss whether or not you are entitled to claim compensation for the injury suffered. Sports injuries include fractured or broken bones, as well as back and neck injuries. However, it is worth noting that certain sports injuries can be far more serious and even result in…

Council in court for ignoring asbestos threat in school

Posted: 6 March 2013

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Public Place Accidents, School Accidents

Thurrock Council has been fined after admitting to failures in how it managed asbestos across its schools. Basildon Crown Court heard that despite being made aware of asbestos concerns in a boiler room at a Junior School, no action was taken. A specialist contractor tasked with carrying out an asbestos survey by the council in 2004 said that dust and debris found in the boiler room containing asbestos fibres should be removed immediately under licensed conditions. However, an HSE inspection in April 2010, as part of a national initiative to…

Call for Government to slow down personal injury reforms

Posted: 5 December 2012

Posted in: Personal Injury, Public Place Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents, Workplace Injuries

The Law Society has warned that rushed implementation of Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentence and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) risks adding to costs and clogging up the civil courts. In a letter to Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, Law Society president Lucy Scott-Moncrieff said more time must be given for the civil justice system to adjust. She said: “There is no fiscal urgency to make the reforms quickly and every reason for them to be implemented to a timescale that can be managed by…

Accident Abroad Compensation Claims for Leeds' Residents

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Public Place Accidents

Do you live in Leeds and have been involved in an accident abroad? Being involved in an accident on holiday can be both a traumatic and an overwhelming experience particularly if you do not speak the local language. If you have suffered an illness or injury abroad, that was not your fault, then you could be entitled to claim compensation. You can make a personal injury claim in the Leeds following an accident abroad with the assistance of our personal injury solicitors**. Solicitors for Leeds Helping to Claim for Accidents…