Pages On: Workplace Injuries

Industrial Disease Claims Leeds

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

If you have developed an industrial illness, it is more than likely that you will be entitled to compensation. Our Leeds-based lawyers are experienced in handling all work-related injury and illness cases and can help you win the compensation that you rightly deserve. You employer owes you a duty of care, and if that duty of care has not been met that you are more than justified in seeking compensation. Unfortunately, workplace illness is a common issue in the UK, especially within working environments where harmful substances are handled, such…

Claim for Repetitive Strain Injury in Leeds

Posted in: Repetitive Strain Injury, Workplace Injuries

A repetitive strain injury is a soft tissue injury caused by the repetition of an action or trauma. If you have developed a repetitive strain injury as a result of your work, you could be entitled to compensation. RSI is a common injury that numerous people in several different job roles develop. It can cause severe pain, numbness, weakness, tingling and a loss of dexterity – making even everyday tasks difficult. If you believe that you have an RSI claim, our personal injury lawyers covering Leeds could help you win…

Stress At Work in Leeds Claims

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Workplace Injuries

Are you suffering stress at work and don’t know what to do? Our solicitors for Leeds could help you today. We understand just how stressful your job can be, with most people feeling as though they can’t speak to their employer directly in case it has a negative effect on their career. That’s where we can help. We have a wealth of experience in dealing with stress and injury at work cases, experience that you could benefit from if you get in touch with us. We handle every claim with…

Compensation awarded to prison officer forced to leave her profession

Posted: 1 May 2016

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Hand Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A former prison officer, working in a London young offender’s institute, has been forced to quit her job after sustaining a debilitating injury whilst at work. The officer, who has chosen to remain unnamed, was eventually awarded the sum of £140,000 in compensation, following a six year battle with her ex-employer.  Her solicitors argued that the prison service was to blame following an altercation between two inmates that should never have been allowed to occur.  The officer had warned colleagues that the two inmates were on ‘separate unlock’, meaning that they…

New Mesothelioma Funding for North East

Posted: 27 April 2016

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Mesothelioma

Government funding has paved the way for a new mesothelioma cancer research centre in the North East of England. Rates of mesothelioma are particularly high in the North East due to the region’s historic links to industry. Asbestos was routinely used as an insulating material in industries such as ship building, car manufacturing and construction. When asbestos is disturbed, the microscopic fibres can be breathed into the lungs and can lead to the development of mesothelioma many years later. The news of the £5million research centre was welcomed by Chris…

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…

Fire fighter injured in the line of duty

Posted: 12 April 2016

Posted in: Shoulder Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A fire fighter has been awarded an undisclosed amount of compensation from his employer, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, after sustaining a serious injury whilst fighting a fire at a house in Bickleigh, near Exeter.  The serviceman was pulling thatching off of the blazing house’s roof when a 120kg ladder toppled over and hit him on the shoulder.  The 39-year-old from Honiton, had previously warned that the ladder was not properly secured, stating that it needed to be bound by a rope to stop it falling over.  His…

£940000 compensation following freak accident

Posted: 4 April 2016

Posted in: Hand Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A Manchester man has received £940000 in compensation after taking his employer to court following a freak accident at work. The accident, that initially seemed innocuous, left the employee with every bone in his wrist broken, rendering him unable to go back to work again.  The man in his forties decided to take his employer to court after his contract was terminated just weeks after the incident.  Having built up substantial skills over his working life, the claimant was able to earn a very good income.  After sustaining debilitating injuries…

Civil servant receives £20k compensation following fall in workplace

Posted: 22 March 2016

Posted in: Leg Injuries, Workplace Injuries

An employee of the Department for Work and Pensions has been awarded £20,000 after a fall she took at work, leaving her disabled. 50-year-old Alain Sargent from Kent town, Westgate on Sea, decided to press for compensation after being left disabled when she had her shoe heel lodged in a faulty step causing a debilitating accident.  Ms Sargent sued Dalkia Plc for neglect, the company who maintained the building of her employer, the Department of Work and Pensions, who admitted liability and settled the claim out of court. “difficult to…

Making a Claim for Asbestos Related Death

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Mesothelioma

Before being banned in 1999, asbestos was routinely used in many industries. It was a standard insulating material and was used in manufacturing, electronics and boiler making. For this reason, the workers who are most at risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease include construction workers, electricians, builders and those who worked in the shipbuilding industries. Due to the industrial connection, the vast majority of asbestos disease sufferers are male. When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed through demolition, chipping or sawing, tiny fibres of asbestos will move into the air…

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…

How Your Employer Should Protect You in Cold Temperatures

Posted: 21 December 2015

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Workplace Injuries

As the days grow colder, working outside becomes increasingly hazardous. It is important that your employer takes extra precautions during these winter months to protect you at work. The law states that it is your employer’s responsibility to protect you from the dangers of cold and stormy weather, so make sure that if you are injured, you claim compensation. Your employer has a ‘duty of care’ towards you, which involves a number of responsibilities with regards to winter weather. Alongside protective clothing, safe equipment and up-to-date training, there are a…

Farm owner fined over worker accident

Posted: 8 November 2015

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Leg Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A Northumberland farm owner has been sentenced after one of the farm’s workers suffered severe leg injuries after a concrete panel fell onto him. It was heard at Mid and South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court that on the 4th August 2014, the worker, who remains unnamed, and one of his colleagues, were using a telehandler with a fork attachment to build cattle troughs. The troughs were being made out of reinforced concrete panels weighing approximately 1.5 tonnes. Six fractures to lower right leg The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) told…

How professionals value their body parts

Posted: 30 September 2015

Posted in: Arm Injury, Leg Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A study carried out by insurance brand There found that where a builder’s leg is worth around £1.1million, an engineer’s eye is worth £3.4million. The study asked 2,000 professionals across a total of 20 different industries to put an insurance value on their different body parts to show their impact on earning potential. Engineers came in at the top of the table, placing an insurance value of £3.4million on their eyes, followed by electricians and plumbers at £3.1million and telecom workers at £2.6million. The study came about when it was…

Plea to help workers affected by asbestos

Posted: 30 August 2015

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Mesothelioma

When figures revealed that 85 people in the Doncaster area had died from asbestos-related cancer over a four-year period, campaigners demanded that more support should be offered to those affected. The figures showed that 85 people, who had worked primarily in the industrial sector, had died from mesothelioma between 2010 and 2014. 6.2 deaths per 100,000 people were caused by mesothelioma in Doncaster, furnishing it with the 43rd highest mortality rate in England and Wales. The average rate for England and Wales is 4.4 deaths per 100,000 people. “legacy of…

Mesothelioma suffer fights to prove asbestos exposure

Posted: 6 July 2015

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Mesothelioma, Workplace Injuries

67-year-old Brian Coffey, diagnosed with mesothelioma in April, has turned to his former colleagues to help him prove his exposure to deadly asbestos at work. The cancer sufferer from Walkergate in Newcastle believes that his cancer was caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibres during his time at work at Morley Coachworks (between 1985 and 1986) and the Prescription Pricing Authority (between 1987 and 1994). Mr Coffey said that many of his colleagues at Morley Coachworks worked on clutch and brake linings, which were made from asbestos, and he often…

Police paid out £450,000 in PI claims

Posted: 24 June 2015

Posted in: Animal Attacks, Faulty Work Equipment, Workplace Injuries

Following a Freedom of Information request, it has been uncovered that West Yorkshire Police has paid out more than £450,000 through personal injury claims in five years. These claims only include payouts to police officers and civilian staff and are drawn from between January 2008 and December 2013. The total figure of £450,000 can be broken down into key areas, with £315,987 being paid out for slips, trips or falls, £52,042 paid for ‘lifting or carrying’ injuries, £32,700 for ‘defective equipment, furniture or premises’ and £12,620 for dog bites. The…

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…

Injuries From Building & Construction Sites in Leeds

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

According to the Health and Safety Executive, the UK’s construction industry accounts for just 5% of the country’s workforce, but is responsible for 10% of reported major injuries. Clearly, even with modern health and safety regulations, building sites can be dangerous places. If through no fault of your own you have suffered an injury whilst working on site, you may be eligible for compensation by making a building site accident claim. Have You Had an Accident on a Building Site? At Accident Claims Leeds, our team have helped many victims of construction…

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…

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…

More than five a week bitten by police dogs

Posted: 30 October 2014

Posted in: Animal Attacks, Workplace Injuries

New figures have revealed that police dogs bite more than five members of the public every week in London alone.  Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act found that compensation paid out to those bitten by police dogs has doubled in the past three years to around £250,000. Lawyers involved in the report said that more has to be done within the force to prevent these attacks from happening. It was highlighted that within these three years, Met Police dogs have bitten a total of 827 people – with…

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…

NHS to pay £75k to nurse

Posted: 25 July 2014

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

Following an incident whereby an NHS nurse developed OCD after being pricked by a needle at work, the NHS are being forced to pay around £75,000 in compensation.  Alcinda Tobbal had been a trainee nurse at Whipps Cross Hospital when the accident happened, leaving her unable to carry out many of her day-to-day duties due to a fear of bacteria and ‘contamination’. The accident happened in February 2008, after which the 45-year-old developed a very severe form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  Her condition left her unable to live a normal…

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…

£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…

Company director fined over unsafe work procedures

Posted: 1 May 2014

Posted in: Employer Negligence

The managing director of a roofing company has been fined for its dangerous work procedures after a member of public photographed one of the workers jet washing a roof without any safety measures in place. The photo was taken in June 2013, showing a man standing on the sloping roof of a house using a power washer. He had been employed by the homeowner to clear the dirt and moss from the roof. The photograph was sent to the Health and Safety Executive, who sent the roofing company a Prohibition Notice ordering…

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…

Dockyard workers win £35m in asbestos poisoning compensation

Posted: 3 March 2014

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Industrial Deafness and Disease

Figures have been released by the Ministry of Defence revealing that dockyard workers have been awarded a total of £35m in compensation for asbestos poisoning at Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth. A Freedom of Information Act request has highlighted that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has had to settle a total of 273 cases for asbestos-related illnesses in the last 7 years, (spanning from 2006 to 2013). These compensation claims led to a total of £19.4m being paid out. Plymouth has been highlighted as the city with the highest rates of…

Widow receives £700,000 in asbestos compensation

Posted: 26 January 2014

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Mesothelioma

A widow who contracted the same cancer as her husband had, has received £700,000 in asbestos compensation following years of washing his asbestos-covered clothing.  66-year-old Monica Haxton cared for her husband Ronald as he suffered with mesothelioma.  Ronald had spent years working as an electrician for Philips Electronics UK Ltd in Guildford before eventually dying of the incurable lung cancer associated with asbestos. Mrs Haxton, a mother of four and a grandmother of eight, cared for her husband during his final years, and two years before his death in 2009,…

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…

Ambulance service crew attacks still frequent

Posted: 17 December 2013

Posted in: Criminal Injury and Assault, Workplace Injuries

New figures have revealed that in the north east of England alone, a total of 48 ambulance crew members have been attacked while trying to assist injured or sick patients in the last year.  It has been described as “baffling” that some people feel aggression towards ambulance staff with their sole purpose being to help those who require medical attention. A further 119 staff were threatened verbally. These figures have revealed a decline from the last two years: where 2012 saw 57 members of staff being assaulted, and 2011 saw…

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…

Road workers under threat of injury

Posted: 8 October 2013

Posted in: Leg Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents, Workplace Injuries

On a daily basis road workers are on the receiving end of verbal abuse and threatening behaviour from road users who deliberately put workers at serious risk.  Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Police have warned motorists that by deliberately driving into coned areas and by speeding, they are putting road workers in great danger. One recent incident saw a road worker sustaining a serious leg injury as a motorist forced their way through a coned off area in Parson Cross. Another incident saw a motorist driving straight through a…

Soldier who fought with broken back to receive military award

Posted: 4 October 2013

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

Despite having broken his back, a soldier that continued to battle Afghan insurgents has been named on a list of military honours.  24-year-old Ccl Josh Griffiths, from the Mercian Regiment, has been recommended for the award by his commanding officers for performing beyond his call of duty.  He is one of the 117 servicemen and women that have been recommended for an award for their bravery and dedication. Ccp Griffiths, from Merseyside, had been eating dinner at his base in Nad Ali, when a suicidal bomber drove a truck into…

Centre opens for injured servicemen

Posted: 18 September 2013

Posted in: Armed Forces Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A £10.7m recovery centre has opened in North Yorkshire for men and women who have been injured or become ill during their service.  The groundbreaking facility is the first of its kind in the north of England and will accompany four other recovery centres for service personnel in the UK. Based at Catterick Garrison, the centre Phoenix House will provide much-needed support to injured personnel and their families.  Co-founder of Help for Heroes, Bryn Parry, said that the centre would play a fundamental role in “inspiring, enabling and supporting our…

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…

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…

Tradesmen still at risk from asbestos

Posted: 13 March 2013

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence

The frequency of asbestos cases being reported to the Health and Safety Executive demonstrates that adequate measures are still not being taken to protect workers from the illnesses associated with exposure to asbestos. Asbestos kills thousands each year Asbestos is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. It is responsible for more than 4,500 deaths each year.  Asbestos is still present in many buildings and any work likely to disturb the asbestos needs to be positively managed to prevent exposure. Architects’ failure risked workers lives One example…

Factory Accidents in Leeds Compensation Claims

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

Factories can be one of the most dangerous working environments, and you may be at risk from chemical accidents, injuries from machinery, slips or falls, burns, back or lower body injuries caused by lifting, or industrial diseases caused by inhaling or ingesting toxic substances. Injuries and illnesses suffered can be short or long term, and it is vital that you seek proper medical advice as soon as possible so that your claim can be confirmed. Our team of specialist injury lawyers covering Leeds will be able to examine your case…

Chemical Injury Compensation Claims

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

Some workplaces can be dangerous, and particularly those places of work where employees are regularly exposed to dangerous chemicals and corrosive or poisonous substances. If you are injured as a result of exposure to chemicals in the workplace, our specialist personal injury solicitors** covering Leeds may be able to help you make a claim for compensation. What Steps Need to be Taken by my Employer to Prevent Chemical Exposure? Chemicals can affect the body in different ways – they can exist in solid, liquid or gaseous form, and can damage…

Dermatitis Compensation

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Personal Injury

Dermatitis is an irritation, inflammation or reddening of the skin, such as eczema or having eczema-like symptoms, which can be very itchy, painful and interfere with your quality of life. You may also suffer from rashes, blisters or hives, or dry flaky scales of skin. Dermatitis can become genuinely debilitating, especially if you have it on the palms of your hands as this can prevent you from working. You may not be aware that you may be entitled to claim compensation if you suffer from dermatitis as a result of,…

Industrial Deafness Compensation Claims

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

Occupational deafness, which is also referred to as industrial deafness, is the loss of hearing arising as a result of certain factors occurring in a workplace environment. If you have suffered industrial deafness at work in Leeds or surrounding areas, our team can help you claim compensation. Occupational deafness often occurs after an individual has worked in an environment where loud machinery is being used. Common examples include working in a factory or on a construction site. However, this does not mean that other occupations can not lead to claims.…

Illness from the Workplace Compensation Claims

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

Recent statistics show that over two million people suffer from a potential work related illness or injury. There are a number of different work related illnesses, and it is not commonly known that you may be entitled to claim compensation if you have suffered from one of them. However, it is important that you speak to one of our personal injury solicitors** for Leeds, wewill be able to explain the process in more detail. Some of the more common examples of work related illnesses include poisoning, vibration white finger, repetitive…

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…

Construction vehicles a threat to cyclist safety

Posted: 12 February 2013

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

Transport for London (TfL) has published the findings of the first independent review into construction logistics and cyclist safety. This was commissioned by TfL following the worrying number of collisions involving construction vehicles and cyclists in recent years. Between 2008 and 2011, 56% of the cycling fatalities in London have involved large commercial vehicles, including a disproportionate number of construction vehicles. Detailed analysis from the TRL report revealed that the excellent levels of safety management that the construction industry provides on worksites needs to be extended to all vehicle movements…

Employers fail to ensure safety of workers

Posted: 10 February 2013

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Falls from Heights, Workplace Injuries

The safety of workers across the country is still being put at risk by employers who fail to carry out the necessary risk assessments, or implement the most basic of safety measures, to ensure their well-being. Falls from height One area where worker safety is most under threat is carrying out work at height.  According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), falls from height remain the most common cause of workplace fatality.  HSE figures show that in 2008/09, falls from height resulted in: 35 fatalities, 4,654 major injuries, and a further 7,065…

European Parliament adopts report on asbestos

Posted: 29 January 2013

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Industrial Deafness and Disease

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament has adopted a report on dealing with the problem of asbestos, reports the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). The report is largely in line with the stated aims of the ETUC and organisations representing asbestos victims in different countries. The report explores the different areas in which the European Union can intervene, and calls for a policy that protects workers and the population effectively. It notes that millions of tonnes of asbestos in existing buildings and facilities continue to…

Court case highlights poor machine safety

Posted: 24 January 2013

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Faulty Work Equipment, Finger Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A food manufacturer has appeared in court for safety offences after one of its workers lost the tip of her finger using a badly-guarded machine in a Doncaster factory. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident and prosecuted the company for breaching regulations designed to safeguard workers using machinery. Doncaster Magistrates heard that Ms Thapa was in the production area at the firm’s premises. A mobile screw conveyor was being used to fill a packing machine with powdered ingredients but the machine was known to block regularly. HSE…

Reducing occupational exposures to bloodborne viruses

Posted: 15 January 2013

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Medical Negligence, Workplace Injuries

There were 541 reports of needle stick injuries that exposed healthcare workers to patients carrying bloodborne viruses in 2011, twice as many as a decade ago (2002) when 271 exposures were reported. The figures come from the Health Protection Agency’s fourth Eye of the Needle report, which includes occupational exposures to bloodborne viruses in healthcare workers reported by hospitals through the HPA’s enhanced surveillance system. These reports are only a fraction of needle stick injuries that would have occurred. Since the previous report, which presented data until the end of…

Firms fined after worker suffered serious head injuries

Posted: 18 December 2012

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Workplace Injuries

Two North East firms have been fined after a worker suffered serious head injuries when the fork of a forklift truck struck him on the forehead. Jim McGowan was employed by an engineering services firm, which had secured a contract to remove redundant machinery and equipment at the premises of a company in Hartlepool. Mr McGowan was carrying out the work with a colleague who was driving the forklift truck. He was working to remove a piece of equipment from a mezzanine platform and had bent over ready to hook…

Better protection from electromagnetic fields

Posted: 11 December 2012

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

New rules to improve the safety of workers most exposed to electromagnetic fields with protective measures and new maximum exposure limits have been approved by a large majority in the European Parliament’s social affairs and employment committee. The draft law applies to all sectors but chiefly concerns workers exposed to high risks, for example in heavy industries such as steel or metal processing, or people working long hours close to television and radio broadcasting stations, radar installations and mobile phone pylons. The new directive proposed by the Commission addresses the…

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…

Food company fined for failing to protect workers

Posted: 30 November 2012

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Falls from Heights, Shoulder Injuries, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

A global ingredients company has been fined for safety failings after two workers were seriously injured in separate incidents a year apart at its UK manufacturing base near Hitchin. In the first incident, in July 2009, a maintenance engineer fell more than two metres while attempting to clean flour product from inside an elevated conveyor. He stood on the frame of a nearby machine to remove upper guarding on the conveyor but slipped, fracturing his right shoulder blade and a vertebra in his spine when he hit the floor below.…

Reducing dog attacks on postal workers

Posted: 27 November 2012

Posted in: Animal Attacks, Workplace Injuries

Royal Mail has welcomed an independent report calling for new legislation with tougher legal sanctions to be introduced against owners of dogs which attack postmen and women. Over 3000 postmen and women were attacked across the UK by dogs from April 2011 to April 2012. The report highlights that the legal sanctions currently available in England and Wales when dogs attack people on private property are largely limited to action against the dog, e.g.  issue of a control order or an order that the dog be destroyed. Tougher measures are…

Firm prosecuted for unsafe scaffolding

Posted: 15 November 2012

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Falls from Heights, Workplace Injuries

The lives of several construction workers were put at risk as they worked on unsafe scaffolding at a farm in the Ribble Valley, a court has heard. The men were spotted working on a barn conversion during a series of on-the-spot inspections carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) targeting refurbishment and roof work. The inspector immediately served a Prohibition Notice ordering the men to come down from the scaffolding and their employer was prosecuted for failing to take sufficient measures to prevent workers being injured in a…

Call for greater protection from ‘sharps’ injuries

Posted: 13 November 2012

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Workplace Injuries

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has issued a call for greater protection for people who work with sharp medical instruments. Responding to a consultation by the Health and Safety Executive, IOSH warned the regulator against excluding non-medical workers from so-called ‘sharps’ regulations, now under review. Injuries to workers from needles, scalpel blades and other sharp instruments – collectively known as medical sharps – have to be prevented, says IOSH. They can lead to exposure to blood-borne viruses and serious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, from…

Demolition firm fined for illegal asbestos removal

Posted: 8 November 2012

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Industrial Deafness and Disease

A Cheltenham demolition company has been prosecuted after exposing its own workers to dangerous asbestos fibres and illegally removing asbestos waste from a property in Gloucester. The court heard the firm undertook an asbestos survey before demolishing the building showing it contained a quantity of Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB). The report identified that this would have to be safely removed in a controlled manner before demolition went ahead. However, during a six-week period in August and September 2011, the building was demolished and asbestos boarding removed by the firm’s employees,…

HSE publishes workplace ill health and injury figures

Posted: 1 November 2012

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published provisional statistics on workplace injuries and work-related ill health and injury in Britain between April 2011 and March 2012. The figures show that: 22,433 major injuries such as amputations, fractures and burns, to employees were reported – a rate of 89.90 injuries per 100,000 workers – compared with 24,944 in 2010/11. The average for the past five years is 27,170.88,731 other injuries serious enough to keep people off work for four or more days were reported – a rate of 355.5 injuries…

Oil Rig Accident Compensation Claims

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

Employers owe their employees a duty of care. This means that employers are responsible for health and safety in the workplace. This duty applies to all working environments, but employers have to take extra care when it comes to high risk working environments such as oil rigs. Oil rigs are heavily regulated, and therefore oil rig injuries are rare, nevertheless when they do occur they can be fatal. You only have to look at the oil rig that caught fire and exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 to…

Claim for Work Injuries from Industrial & Manual Environments

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

Industrial injuries are those that have occurred in heavy duty environments such as construction, factories and warehouses. If you have suffered an injury in an industrial accident then you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation. This is because most industrial injuries are a result of an employer’s negligence. What is Employee Duty of Care? Employers have a duty of care towards the health and safety of their employees. This means that they are responsible for providing employees with the appropriate training (such as manual handling) and health…

Office Injury Compensation Claims

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Workplace Injuries

Offices are generally safer than other working environments, particularly industrial workplaces such as factories and construction sites, but this does not mean that office accidents do not happen. If you work in an office then you have the right to work without fear for your health and safety. This is because employers have a duty of care to ensure that their employees (and visitors to the office) do not get injured during the course of employment. When Can I Make A Claim For An Office Injury? All workplaces are subject…

Accident At Work Injury Claim Lawyers for Leeds

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

Accidents can happen anywhere and anytime, but suffering an injury at work that isn’t your fault can be particularly upsetting. Employers are legally responsible for the safety of everyone on their premises. They must have adequate insurance in place, and they have to obey Health and Safety rules. Had an Accident in the Workplace in Leeds? If you have had a workplace accident that you believe has been caused by your employer failing to meet these responsibilities, you could receive compensation by making a work accident claim. Even if you…

Work Related Arm Injury Compensation

Posted in: Arm Injury, Workplace Injuries

These injuries normally include tendon and joint inflammation, carpal tunnel syndrome, “tennis elbow, “golfers elbow” and other repetitive strain injuries. Work Related Arm Injuries claims lawyers for Leeds This category contains a broad group of injuries grouped together. They are categorised in this way as they are more than likely to be the result of exposure to certain conditions at work. The court will consider the following in making an award: Is the injury on one or both sides? The level of the symptoms – swelling, tenderness etc The ability…

Vibration White Finger Compensation Claims

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

Vibration White Finger (VWF), also known as Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), is an industrial injury normally caused by using hand operated power tools and is common in industries such as coal mining and construction. How Does Vibration White Finger Effect Arms and Hands? It results in a tingling or cold sensation, numbness or discolouring of the fingers and general lack of dexterity or grip and aches and pains throughout the hand and arm. It is called VWF because its symptoms are suspected to be caused by the effect on…

Asbestos and Mesothelioma Compensation Claims

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is an industrial disease; a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a material that was popularly used in the building trade before its dangers, like developing cancer from exposure, were discovered. Many of the employees who worked in such an environment where asbestos was used did not realise straightaway that they have contracted mesothelioma as the symptoms can take time to appear and if you worked in an environment where asbestos was used, you may wish to get a medical check up. At the time,…

Lung Disease Compensation Claims

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease

Lung disease is quite the broad term. It covers a number of illnesses including breathing disorders such as silicosis or pneumoconiosis. If you suffer from a lung disease as a result of a third party’s negligence then you could make a compensation claim against that party. Those most likely to be able to make a lung disease compensation claim are those who have contracted the illness through the course of their employment, for example those who have been exposed to dust, chemicals or asbestos whilst at work. In these cases…