A Simple Guide To Criminal Injury Compensation Authority (CICA) Claims
What is the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA)? The CICA is a government body which aims to compensate those who are victims of violent crimes and abuse. The organisation helps to administer financial aid to victims in England, Wales and Scotland, even if the perpetrator has not been brought to justice. What injuries will the…
Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence – We’re Here For You
This week is sexual abuse and sexual violence awareness week highlighting the abuse and violence often suffered by women. And as a simple reminder, one just has to look in the papers…we have shocking stories of metropolitan police officers joking about “knocking birds about”, messaging female colleagues about raping and chloroforming them and generally using…
Join The Conversation On Sexual Abuse And Sexual Violence Awareness Week
The fifth annual Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week is coming up from 7th – 13th February 2022, and it has never been more important to talk about sexual abuse and violence, to act on the campaign’s message that ‘it’s not OK’ and to ‘join the conversation’ and speak up about an ordeal you…
How The New Highway Code Rule Changes Could Affect You
Major changes to the Highway Code were introduced onto UK roads from Saturday 29th January 2022, which aim to protect the most vulnerable road users and put more emphasis on the responsibilities of those road users most likely to pose a threat or cause an accident on the road. Some of the changes are being…
Did You Know? The Law Relating To Road Traffic Accidents Has Changed!
The law relating to Road Traffic Accidents changed on the 31st May 2021. If you are either a driver or a passenger in a vehicle involved in a Road Traffic Accident and have suffered a soft tissue whiplash injury, then you will be affected by the new ‘whiplash reforms’. Any injuries sustained in a Road…
Road Safety Week 2021 – Time To Take Action For Safer Roads
The UK’s biggest annual road safety campaign has come around again, with Road Safety Week taking place from November 15th to 21st and adopting the tagline of ‘taking action for safer roads’. The annual campaign aims to raise awareness and get more people involved in road safety, with a series of events, demonstrations and fundraising…
Transfer Your Personal Injury or Clinical Negligence File
Has your solicitor ceased trading? Are you dissatisfied with your current solicitor? You can transfer your personal injury or clinical negligence case to Ison Harrison solicitors. The personal injury market has taken a battering over recent years with legal reforms to fix costs and make pursuing claims almost impossible, so it comes as no surprise…
The HGV Driver Shortage & The Risk Of Personal Injury
We presently have a shortage of HGV drivers and we need to ensure they are kept safe at work. Simon Helliwell, Chartered Legal Executive in our personal injury department recently recovered damages exceeding £50,000.00 for a client who suffered substantial orthopedic injuries. The settlement comes on top of other recent settlements Simon has achieved for…
Simon Helliwell Secures Significant Damages For 87 Year Old Brain Injury Client
Simon Helliwell, Chartered Legal Executive in our personal injury department has recovered damages in the sum of £100,000.00 for a client who suffered a traumatic brain injury at his local Golf club. The settlement is in addition to recent brain injury claims secured by Simon of £3.3 million pounds and £ ½ million pounds. Simon’s…
Over £3 Million Compensation Obtained For Brain Injury Client Following Rejection By Other Solicitors
Simon Helliwell, Chartered Legal Executive in our personal injury department recently obtained compensation in excess of £3 million pounds for a client that suffered a traumatic brain injury in a road traffic accident. Simon accepted the case when it was close to the Limitation date, which is the latest date legal proceedings can be commenced,…
Family Courts Deemed Unsafe For Domestic Violence Victims
In light of the Family Judge Tolson case, whereby a leadership judge declared outdated views around sexual consent, a letter has been signed by 130 professionals and lawyers raising concerns that courts aren’t safe for victims- with outdated views on consent and sexual violence. This came off the backlash from Judge Tolson, who rules that…
Rape In The UK: An Overview
Family Judge criticised for view on sexual consent in rape case; ‘Woman took no physical steps to stop the perpetrator, she was not raped.’ Family judges will now receive training on sexual consent after a leadership judge’s judgment was found to be flawed; Judge Tolson stated that a victim must physically resist the perpetrator to…
Personal Injury Claims In The Winter – Our #SolicitorChat January 2020
We recently took part in a #SolicitorChat on Twitter to discuss personal injury claims in the winter, advising on how the claim process works and what information a solicitor needs in order to help you make a claim. Read our answers below and please contact us if you would like any further information about the…
Children & Non English Speaking Clients: A Level Playing Field?
The general public may not be aware but in cases where damages are valued at less than £25,000.00 then the Claimant’s lawyers can only recover fixed costs from the insurers irrespective of the amount of work that needs to be carried out. In cases that are settled before legal proceedings are commenced these fixed costs…
Successful Case Against a Slippery Defendant
Mr Simon Helliwell in our personal injury department recently obtained compensation in the sum of £26,000.00 for his retired client following a slip in communal floors in a block of flats. The cleaner had just mopped the floor and it appears that he used either the wrong type or wrong amount of cleaning product. These…
Desired Outcome Reached In Inquest With Gareth Naylor
An inquest before HM Assistant Coroner Jonathan Heath took place on the 9 July 2019 to investigate the death of a motorcyclist who died on the 29 May 2018. Our Partner and Head of Personal Injury Gareth Naylor represented the brother of the deceased, Mathew. On the 29 May 2018 Mathew was riding his motorcycle…
£115,000.00 settlement achieved following a tripping accident
Mr Simon Helliwell in our personal injury department recently obtained compensation for his client against the local authority in relation to a tripping accident. Initially, it was thought that the Claimant’s injuries to her ankle were minor and that a recovery would have been made in a short period of time. Simon’s client unfortunately required…
Victim Of Vehicle Accident On Private Land Entitled To Compensation
In the recent decision of Motor Insurers’ Bureau v Lewis, the Court of Appeal has confirmed the rights of those people injured in car accidents on private land to bring a claim for compensation. The court found the Motor Insurers Bureau was liable to pay damages to the Mr Lewis who was walking along a…
Worker Falls From Height: Are The Work at Height Regulations and Health & Safety Executive Investigations Sufficient?
Mr Simon Helliwell in our Personal Injury department recently obtained compensation for his client who fell through a skylight in a roof at work and fell 30 feet to the floor. Simon describes: “It was my client’s case that major works were to be carried out on site and due to a threat of workers…
Can The Brain Heal Itself After Brain Damage?
Suffering a traumatic brain injury can be a very harrowing time and it can be difficult for clients and their loved ones to see a way forward. At Ison Harrison our first priority is the patient’s rehabilitation. The brain is a very sensitive and complicated organ, and when you consider the many variables that can influence…
The Stats And Facts When It Comes To Cycling Accidents
As the cost of petrol rises, more and more turn to bicycles instead. Unlike drivers, cyclists do not have insurance whilst cycling on the road. Statistics The Road Safety Factsheet details 120 cycling fatalities, 3100 serious injuries and over 19,000 cycling accidents in the UK each year. It is estimated that less severe causalities will…
Legislation Changes to Personal Injury: How Does it Impact You?
“A world where Darth Vader is the good guy and Luke Skywalker is the bad guy.” The principle of insurance is that the many pay for the few. Fortunately, the vast majority of people will never be involved in an accident but if this happens how would you expect the system to support you? If the…
Global Study Finds Sexual Abuse is Overlooked by State Laws
According to a global study conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit, the sexual abuse of boys is not addressed by the laws in many countries. The findings show the response to child sexual abuse and exploitation across 40 countries. The study examines how countries respond to such threats of sexual violence against children, as well…
Local Authorities Overspent On Children’s Services By An Approximate £807m
With the rising number of children taken into care by local authorities, pressure is rising on budgets, and is being overspent. Analysis conducted by the Local Government Association LGA found that 133 out of 152 councils responsible for children services overspent in 2017-2018. The budget was overspent by an estimated £807m. Government data published in…
Yorkshire Child Sexual Abuse Ring
Yorkshire police arrest 55 men in child sex abuse investigation, after seven women made historical allegations Police arrested 55 men as part of an investigation into historical allegations of child sexual abuse in Dewsbury, Batley and Bradford areas between 2002 and 2009. The men were recently interviewed and released pending further inquiries. DI Ian Thornes…
The Randox Scandal
Have you received a letter from the Crown Prosecution Service, stating your conviction may be unsafe? We have been approached by clients who have been affected by the Randox scandal in which one of their operators had allegedly manipulated some of the data which led to potentially unsafe convictions. It is understood that more than 10,000…
£850,000.00 compensation obtained for “Iron Man”
Simon Helliwell in our Personal Injury department recently achieved a settlement in the sum of £850,000.00 for a client who suffered substantial Orthopaedic Injuries. Simon’s client was driving home for lunch and was hit head on by a third party motorist. The accident scene, rescue and initial treatment were all broadcast on the Real A&E Helicopter Rescue…
Graham Roberts: Successful Child Abuse Case
Graham Roberts, part of our Personal Injury department shares his recent success in a child abuse claim: Miss C and Mr C ‘s mother could not look after her children appropriately, therefore in the 70’s the two children were placed by the Local Authority into Foster Care. From the ages of 11 to 16 both of…
Whiplash Claims Reforms Pass Final Obstacle
Controversial whiplash claim reforms took a step nearer to reality at the end of October, when Labour amendments were defeated and a second reading of the Civil Liability Bill opened up a debate and voting, which saw it advance to the final stages. The bill aims to introduce a fixed tariff for whiplash damages and…
600 Ambulance call outs in 3 years to UK Amazon Warehouse
A Freedom of Information request to ambulance services from the GMB union has revealed that over the past three years, ambulances were called out 600 times to an Amazon warehouse, with 115 call outs this year to site in Rugeley, near Birmingham. Three call outs were related to pregnancy or maternity problems Three for major…
Burn victim achieves settlement of £55,000.00
Simon Helliwell in our personal injury department recently settled a case involving a 96 year old Claimant who suffered serious burns to her lower leg after a storage heater that had very recently been fitted fell away from the wall due to shoddy workmanship. The storage heater weighed 165Kg and trapped my client’s leg for…
Chris Drabble’s Success Story
Our client, Kickboxing champion and proud father of two, Mr Chris Drabble, recently received £135,000.00 in settlement following an accident at work on the 7th September 2015. He suffered a significant fracture dislocation of his wrist when the boom on a genie lift fell towards him and he put his hands out to protect himself. …
Children Accidents
Infants and children can often be involved in accidents. This can be due to their inquisitive nature; the desire to test everything they find. On some occasions, an accident may lead to an injury. You may be able to make a compensation claim on behalf of your child. Common accidents include Defective playground equipment Poorly…
Victims of Abuse Being Let Down by the NHS
Reports find lack of support and failings within NHS Mental Health Services Child maltreatment has been called the tobacco industry of mental health. As smoking directly causes or triggers predispositions for physical disease, early abuse can contribute to virtually all types of mental illness, leaving these children vulnerable to depression, addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder…
Allergic Reaction Causes Fatal Accidents
Boy with severe dairy allergy dies after schoolmate throws cheese A 13 year old boy from Greenford West London, died due to a serious allergic reaction, after going into anaphylactic shock. The boy was severely allergic to wheat, gluten, all dairy, eggs and all nuts. He was also asthmatic and suffered from atopic eczema. The…
Sale of Conventional Petrol and Diesel Vehicles Ending by 2040
Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 The government are implementing the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 to achieve carbon targets set out in the Climate Change Act 2008. Decarbonising transport is a key aspect of this policy. It has been announced by government that nearly all cars and vans should be zero emission vehicles…
We’re Supporting Injury Prevention Day – 15th August
Today is Injury Prevention Day, a time to raise awareness around safety initiatives and avoid needless injuries. This year’s focus is on vehicle headrests and ensuring they are properly adjusted. The campaign is spearheaded by APIL, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. As an APIL member, we are committed to seeking reforms to improve the…
Jury Inquest at Wakefield Coroners Court concludes that Spencer James Walker died as a result of an accident
The jury heard that on the 3rd October 2016 Spencer James Walker, 12 from South Elmsall was out with friends when he climbed upon the canopy of Kirkbridge Footbridge which crosses the East Coast Railway Lines. He managed to pass the protective spikes and gain access to the roof of the cage. Spencer then climbed…
£13,000 Spider Bite
A long serving British Airways flight steward, Terry O’Driscoll has recently won £13,000 in damages, after being bitten by a US spider whilst working on a long haul flight. It is thought that Terry had been bitten by a brown recluse spider in May 2013. This happened whilst at work, in the staff resting area…
Court permits a Defendant to re-open a dishonesty defence despite claim being discontinued
A recent decision of the Court shows the importance of ensuring that claims are not brought dishonestly. The High Court has ordered that a fundamental dishonesty defence against a teenage Road Traffic Accent claimant and the driver of the vehicle in which he was travelling should be determined even though they had discontinued their claim….
New HSE Statistics Highlight the Risks of Health and Safety at Work
One of our busiest departments at Ison Harrison is the Personal Injury Department. Our success in representing clients reflects our team’s extensive experience, gained in no small part due to the sheer number of personal injury cases that occur every year and the clients approaching us as a result. Negligence can occur and result in…
Training Deficiency Highlighted as Employee Requires Amputation of Fingers
The issue of enforcing proper training programmes has been raised by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) after an accident at a packaging firm in Sheffield left an employee having to have part of a hand amputated. In this case the employee has solid grounds to claim that negligence on the part of his employer…
2019 Personal Injury Reforms – What Will They Mean For You?
***Updated June 2018*** Our Head of Personal Injury, Gareth Naylor, updated this blog post on 27th June 2018 to provide the most up to date information regarding the Personal Injury Reforms. Controversial personal injury reforms which significantly restrict a person’s access to justice look set to go ahead next year despite the concerns raised by…
Formula One Mechanic Suffers Broken Leg During Race
There are thousands of accidents in the workplace every year, but rarely do millions of people across the globe witness a workplace accident happen live on television. The victim of the accident in question was Francesco Cigarini and the reason millions of people saw him break his leg live was because it happened during a…
Case Study: Acoustic Shock – Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Last week Chris Goldscheider won a landmark case for damage to his hearing caused by loud noise. Mr Goldscheider suffered “acoustic shock” as a result of being exposed to noise levels of in excess of 130 decibels, equivalent to that of a jet engine whilst playing a viola in the Royal Opera House. This case…
Prominent Football Coach Jailed for 30 Years
Barry Bennell has been jailed for 30 years for sexually abusing young boys he preyed on whilst working as a football coach. In passing his sentence Judge Clement Goldstone QC described him as “the devil incarnate”. It was said that this serial abuser of children stole the childhood and innocence of his victims to satisfy…
I’m a Casual Worker and Had an Accident at Work – What Do I Do?
Winter is often a time when the opportunity to gain casual work increases, as companies look to meet the demands of the festive season and beyond. They may take on these staff using a variety of means, but this mix of recruitment methods can cause confusion for workers if something goes wrong. Here, we make…
Inquest jury finds that Pensioner Died from Head Injuries
On the 19 November 2016, 73 year old Keith Holmes was out walking and was on his way to meet his wife in Bingley when he passed The Myrtle Grove pub on Main Street, a JD Wetherspoon pub. As he passed the pub, an advertising board placed outside it collapsed, knocking him to the ground. Mr Holmes…
Hefty Fine after a Manual Handling Operation Goes Wrong
A failure to carry out basic health and safety responsibilities has led to an engineering company in Norfolk being hit by a £20,000 fine, after an employee suffered an injury to three fingers in February this year. Gareth Naylor, Head of Personal Injury, examines the case below. Dantech Engineering of Burrell Way, Thetford, Norfolk, had…
Discount Rate Changes to Adversely affect Accident Victims
The Government has indicated that they are expecting to legislate on changes to the discount rate early next year. David Hatton, a Solicitor in our Personal Injury department, discusses what this will mean in practice. What is the discount rate? The discount rate is a calculation used in serious personal injury (and clinical negligence) cases….