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….
Transfer Your Personal Injury Case? No Problem
Like all businesses, solicitors must deliver the highest standards to keep consumers satisfied. It is common for dissatisfied clients to change solicitors and look elsewhere; which you are entitled to do so. Clients change their solicitor for a multitude of reasons: Lack of communication Solicitor not following instruction You are being dealt with by a…
Considering the Impact of Armes v Nottinghamshire County Council
The Judgment in the case of Armes v Nottinghamshire County Council has now been handed down by the Supreme Court. Here, Graham Roberts considers the impact of this significant and long-awaited decision. The law dictates that local authorities are ‘vicariously liable’ for the actions of their employees as long as the actions are within the…
Don’t be an April Fool!
It’s not just for April 1st– recommend Ison Harrison to anyone injured in an accident that wasn’t their fault and receive £100.00 as a thank you if they contact us and their case is accepted. This ends on 30 April 2017– please contact our specialist Personal Injury team on 0113 284 5000 for more information.
Personal Injury Case Study – Doug McQueen
Personal injury can be a very complex area- due to the very nature of the case, complexity of the law, serious injury and on occasions a difficult Defendant. In order to succeed with a personal injury claim the Claimant must prove negligence on part of the Defendant, and furthermore, that the negligence led to the…
Personal Injury February ‘Sale’
Our Personal Injury team are pleased to announce that for the month of February, new clients will be able to take advantage of a very unique offer. Usually, our standard No-Win No Fee agreements include a 25% success fee. The fee represents a contribution towards our professional fees in the event of a successful claim,…
Vaccines stored at incorrect temperatures
Simon Helliwell, a senior Chartered Legal Executive within our Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Team, has recently been instructed in a number of cases involving a Leeds GP surgery which, following a routine inspection by the Care Quality Commission, was found to have stored vaccines at an incorrect temperature- for up to 18 months. Parents…
Dramatic Or Justified? We Review The Proposed Personal Injury Reforms
A government commissioned report pointed out in 2003, there is usually ‘very little analysis of what the term compensation culture means, let alone proof that such a “culture” exists’. However, the absence of evidence to support a catchy phrase is not stopping the politicians using it to try and rush through massive changes to the industry…
£7.5m Settlement Secured for Personal Injury Client
After five years of skillful negotiation, Ison Harrison Solicitor Geraldine Kane won £7.5m in damages for her client with a personal injury case. Geraldine’s client had suffered severe brain injuries which resulted in life threatening complications and was unconscious for days, all at the age of 19, following a car accident. This case settled at a…
Seven year old girl awarded £10m in damages from King’s College Hospital Trust
Eva Totham, was starved of oxygen at birth in 2007 and now suffers from severe cerebral palsy. The compensation pay-out of £10.1m was awarded to cover Eva’s past and future care, as she is now entirely dependent on others for all aspects of day-to-day living. This was also to cover her loss of earnings as it…
How to make a claim for medical negligence
Time limits It is important that that you speak to a solicitor as soon as possible as there are time limits which apply to pursuing a claim. Court Proceedings need to be issued within 3 years of the negligence or within 3 years of the date that you become aware of the negligence. In cases…
‘The Compensation Myth’ of work injuries
Insurers, Government and media have been quick to portray lawyers as fuelling a compensation culture. The joint APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) and TUC (Trades Union Congress) report highlights 10 myths around compensation claims and the workplace. Here is a snippet of the finding Claims are escalating out of control Claims against employers have…
Footballer died of industrial disease
Jeff Astle, the former West Bromwich Albion footballer died 12 years ago and his widow Laraine is still waiting for answers from the FA. An inquest ruled that the footballer had an industrial disease, although may be better discribed as an occupational disease. Heading heavy leather balls over a number of years contributed to the…
£7.5m damages following RTA
We all dread it – the phone call – you know the one that changes your life forever. Kathy Fox received one of those in the early hours of 9th May 2009. A few hours later, she was rushing to the bedside of her 19 year old son, Chris, who had suffered a devastating brain…
The Mesothelioma Act
The Government today announced the level of compensation payments to be made to victims of the asbestos related disease mesothelioma. After much debate in the commons an average figure of £123,000 is to be awarded as to each mesothelioma sufferer or their dependents and whose employer’s liability insurer cannot be traced. Claims against this new…
Widow awarded £705,000 after contracting same disease as husband
Monica Haxton’s husband died from mesothelioma in 2009 after several years working near asbestos in his job as an electrician. Two years later, Mrs Haxton started to suffer from acute breathlessness just as her husband had done. She too was diagnosed with mesothelioma. It became apparent that she had been exposed to asbestos by hand…
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
As winter bites we should be aware of the danger posed by carbon monoxide. Unfortunately there is a common misconception that smoke alarms will protect us from carbon monoxide poisoning and this is not the case. In the UK it is estimated that carbon monoxide poisoning accounts for 4000 people attend to attend A&E 400…
Personal Injury News
Jonathan Wearing issues this stark warning on the back of amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act. “It is clear that some personal injury departments are ignoring the changes, operating at a loss and as a consequence clients are starting to suffer. Locally we have seen well established firms like Walker…
Action For Brain Injury Week 2104
The dates for the 2014 Action For Brain Injury Week have been disclosed. Make a note for your diary for the 12-18th May. Last year the focus of this successful campaign was targeted to GP’s, we wait on the emphasis of the 2014 campaign. With an estimated 200,000 people admitted for hospital treatment each year…
Remember Remember the 5th November
Firework injuries are often the result of horseplay or defective fireworks. The most serious types of injury involve burns and eye injuries. Many councils run public displays and these tend to be, according to figures, safe. Fire services are particularly stretched at this time of year and need the general public to be sensible in…
Sandwich bar employee awarded £47,500 after falling at work
She suffered several injuries including whiplash to her neck, damage to her ribs and blurred vision. The woman, who was 34 at the time of the accident, went down to the basement with an empty bread tray. The stairs were made of wood with rubber strips on the edges of the steps. However, some of…
Overworked database administrator awarded £35,000
The 50-year-old has been with the same employer since 1997. In 2006, he received a promotion which meant he was given more responsibilities. This led to him working an excessive number of hours. On a typical week he would work around 30 hours over his normal time. He had a history of neck pain and…
Dependency and Compensation Claims Following Fatal Accidents
It may not be the first thing that comes to mind after a tragic accident but those dependent on the victim will have a claim for compensation, and this claim could be essential to the upkeep of the dependent. Fatal Accident Compensation A fatal accident claim is usually split into two parts. First, compensation for…
Man awarded £2,750 after getting food poisoning at hotel
After the meal he started to suffer from diarrhoea and vomiting. It took him two weeks to recover from the illness and he was weak for a further seven days afterwards. A total of 90 people who had been at the charity dinner suffered the same symptoms. The man was self-employed and was unable to…
Woman awarded £11,500 after falling in a Sainsbury’s warehouse
The woman worked for a company that sold sweets to the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain. It had been part of her job to visit the warehouse to check the delivery of the sweets. The warehouse was poorly lit and a spade had been left on the floor in the walkway. As the woman walked past she…
Man injured on holiday wins £4,500 compensation
The injury happened when he opened the wardrobe in his hotel room in Tunisia. The door came off its rail and fell on his foot. His foot was throbbing with pain but it took two hours for the medical assistant to arrive. The assistant didn’t have any equipment with him so was only able to…
Woman awarded £12,760 after a fall at work
She had worked as a cleaner at a commercial cleaning company. She was carrying a tray of mugs into the kitchen when she tripped on a mat that had been placed on top of the kitchen carpet. She fell head first into a work surface. She fractured three of her teeth in the fall and…
Man awarded £2,500 after tripping on snow covered pothole
The man had been walking across a car park, carrying his one-year-old nephew. There was a large pothole in his path. It was estimated to be six feet wide, three feet long and five inches deep. The man didn’t see it because it was partially covered by snow. He tripped and fell heavily on his…
Pensioner awarded £22,000 after accident on holiday
She had a share in a ground floor timeshare apartment – she needed to be on the ground floor because she was partially wheelchair dependent. However, when she arrived she was told that the ground floor apartment wasn’t ready so she reluctantly agreed to stay in another apartment which involved having to go upseveral steps….
Man awarded £8,000 after suffering hearing loss at work
The man worked in a warehouse for eight years between 2001 and 2009. The warehouse had 17 loading bays. It was a noisy environment with pump trucks, wagons, auto-pickers and dock levellers often being operated simultaneously. During his time at the warehouse, the man sustained permanent bilateral hearing loss of 11.4dB and mild tinnitus as…
Teenager awarded £5,000 after falling off faulty bicycle
He had been riding his mountain bike along an approved track that went through woods and included lots of twists, turns and jumps. As he was travelling downhill, he took a relatively small jump and when he landed, his right handlebar snapped. The boy went flying over the handlebars and his body hit the ground…
Teacher receives compensation after attack by pupil
The teacher was 49 years old when she was attacked at the school where she worked. She was pushed against a wall and the pupil then struck her on the shoulder with aschool bag. She sustained injuries to her neck and shoulder, and suffered from post traumaticstress disorder for two years after the attack. She…
Golfer receives nearly £400,000 after being hit by ball
The accident happened when the novice visited a golf club in 2007. He and his companions were approaching the 7th tee when they heard a warning cry of “fore”. The novice golfer ducked his head and raised his hand to protect himself but was still struck by the ball. His injury was so bad that…
Man awarded £1.8m compensation after ‘sun glare’ accident
He had been in the passenger seat of a vehicle when the driver was blinded by glare from the sun. The driver lost control of the car and collided with a stationary truck. The passenger suffered a near fatal brain injury. He was unconscious for six weeks and then had to spend three months in…
Have you had problems with hair removal creams?
In May 2011 she used AVON’s ‘skin so soft’ hair removal cream adhering to the instructions, and within minutes of application she suffered a severe chemical burn to her skin. The only warnings that were given were on a leaflet in very small print stated “to avoid a skin reaction, test before each use”.There were…
Woman injured in hair salon receives £21,250 compensation
She needed to undergo a skin graft procedure and the hair in the affected area of her scalp will never grow back. The incident happened when she went to a salon to have highlights put in her hair. It wasn’t the first time she had had highlights but it was the first time she had…
Boy left scarred after road accident awarded £30,000
A 14-year-old boy has been awarded £30,000 compensation for injuries he sustained in a road accident. The boy was only two years old when the accident happened in 1998. He was travelling unrestrained on the back seat of a car when the driver lost control and swerved off the road. The boy was thrown through…