I was saddened to learn how a motorcyclist died after a collision involving a car in Tyldesley. The article, reported by the Leigh Journal, described how Keith Haydock, 47, of Tyldesley, was travelling up Hough Lane in the direction of the Manchester...

I was pleased to learn that the Food Standards Agency (FSA), in partnership with local authorities, has introduced the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The scheme has been developed to assess premises which provide...

Motorists are being warned not to increase their motor insurance policy voluntary excess to unaffordable levels. High voluntary excess levels have left some policy holders unable to pay car repair bills due to having a voluntary excess on their policy...

The government will set out a series of new measures in a bid to cut what they consider to be an excessive number of whiplash claims, often referring to the UK as "the whiplash capital of Europe". The Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke and Transport...

I was reading some recent research which has revealed 33% of Brits have injured themselves whilst on a night out and that 70% of those injuries were caused by too much alcohol. The research was commissioned to highlight the dangers that drunken nights out...

I was astounded to hear on the regional news yesterday evening that a local mother had been refused car insurance after she moved a few doors down the lane from where she had lived for years. Clare Blackwell says she was told it was because she was now...

Attending conferences and training courses is a fundamental part of my job, but it does involve time away from the office and home, and I often have to weigh up the pros and cons of attending such events. Having just come back from attending the APIL...

The BBC consumer programme "Watchdog" has spoken out against insurers who hike policyholders renewal costs whilst simultaneously offering cheaper deals online. A practice was uncovered of insurers increasing renewal premiums for their existing...

Today sees the start of a test case, which will push the limits of car insurance policies further than ever before and which has insurers nervously awaiting it’s outcome. The case involves eight of the victims of John Worboys, the notorious London...

For many years it was believed by accident investigators that if there was no damage to a vehicle in a car accident, it was extremely unlikely that anyone in either of the cars would have suffered any personal injury. However, this was refuted by many people...

I received some tragic news this weekend about a very good school friend of mine, who sadly died in a fatal accident on the A666 road to Blackburn. The A666 road, also know as 'Devil's Highway' or 'Devils Road' has claimed yet another...

I was saddened to learn that the body of a walker from the Greater Manchester area had been found on the morning of Wednesday 11th April 2012 in a gulley approximately 2,800ft on Mount Snowdon. I understand that Mr Tyrer had failed to return from the...

A major safety crackdown has been launched this week by Greater Manchester Police, following a huge increase in the number of deaths on the region’s roads. “Operation Dice” is a new crackdown on motorists putting lives at risk by flouting...

Being an avid skier, I have for many years never worn a helmet, preferring to feel the rush of the wind through my hair whilst hurtling (on occasion) down the mountain side. This year however was different. Having never skied in Italy before, friends...

I was getting ready for work early yesterday morning (Wednesday 14th March) when I heard the terrible news on the radio of the Swiss coach crash, which has left 28 people dead, including 22 children. I could hardly believe what I was hearing – such a...

It has been reported in the last few days that a hotel in Bath was fined £10,000 following a fall by a two year old girl from a first floor window. The child suffered a fractured skull and spent 5 days in a specialist hospital head injuries unit,...

When it comes to personal injury claims , as legal practitioners, we are fully aware of the range of injuries and events which could result in a claim for compensation. But, with such an abundance of television adverts promoting claims following 'a...

Network Rail has been mentioned in the press after indicating it would plead guilty to breaches of health and safety over the Grayrigg rail crash in Cumbria in 2007. A woman died and more than 80 people were injured. The Virgin train derailed on the west...

From 6 April 2012, employers will only have to report injuries that lead to a worker being incapacitated for more than seven consecutive days as the result of an occupational accident or injury. RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous...

We are all aware of what are deemed "hazardous" occupations: firemen and people who have worked with asbestos for example, but would you ever think that a beauty salon nail technician would fit into this category? There has been mention in the...

Three breaches of health and safety laws have been admitted this month by Network Rail following the deaths of two teenage girls in Essex in December 2005. Charlotte Thompson, 13, and Olivia Bazlinton, 14, were hit by a train as they walked over tracks at...

Holidays are a time most of us look forward to - some for many months, but for some they turn out to be a nightmare rather than the rest and relaxation they were hoping for. When we holiday abroad, we have a right to expect the hotel we are staying in to...

Is this an example of a growing compensation culture or an example of why we must ensure that health and safety regulations protecting employees must stay? I read an article in the Daily Mail online which in my opinion shows an example of why health and...

I listened with interest to a news item on BBC Radio 2 this week about plans to “overhaul” the existing Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme – due to the fact that running costs are spiralling out of control, having trebled since 1997 to...

My heart goes out to the family of the young girl savagely attacked whilst playing in the park last weekend. It is reported that her injuries are extremely severe, including the loss of part of an ear and that she is going to require reconstructive surgery...

It is a fresh start to the New Year and the Prime Minister, Mr David Cameron, has already outlined where he will be leading our Country over the next 12 months. One aspect of his speech yesterday particularly caught my attention; his fixation on the...

I was horrified to read in the news that a 3 year old girl had been picked up by her mother from nursery looking like she had been ‘attacked by a dog’.  If you have seen the pictures on the news it is a heart wrenching sight – she...

The BBC reported on it’s website recently about a new form of fraud, which takes advantage of the fact the car insurance costs have significantly risen recently, the fact that young drivers are particularly hard hit by these costs and the “gotta...

Most of us have, at some stage or another had a bad experience at the hairdressers; be it a dodgy haircut or an unflattering dye job. But what happens when the result is more extreme than simply an unfortunate haircut? What recourse do customers have when a...

Twenty years following the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act to the UK, Judges have now published the first-ever proposed sentencing guidelines in respect of offences committed under the 1991 Act.  The move, by the Sentencing Council for England...

The cards are being written, presents wrapped, and a decorating and shopping frenzy is taking place across the country, in the run up to Christmas. However, Christmas can also be a time of hazards and accidents waiting to happen. The Royal Society for the...

It is not uncommon for victims of serious accidents to fail to report their accident or fail to secure evidence at the earliest opportunity after an accident. Here are 10 steps which should be taken when you have suffered an accident: 1.   ...

A Scottish mother of two has had a slice of luck after being involved in a horrific crash last week, but walking away with only cuts and bruises. Liz Douglas, 51, was on her way home from a shopping trip in Glasgow when her car flipped onto its roof after...

I’ve read this week that, Mrs Brooks, a cleaner at my former high school St Josephs RC High School and Sports College, has been killed after being hit by a lorry at Armstrongs Environmental Services Ltd, Horwich. It has been reported that Mrs Brooks...

Last month, multinational cement firm CEMEX Operations UK Ltd was fined £200,000 after one of its workers died in an explosion at its premises in Rugby. 28-year old Peter Reynolds died in January 2008. He had been treating waste cement dust and whilst...

In Great Britain, on average 50 people are killed every year as a result of a fall from height, with almost 9,000 seriously injured. The roofing industry is one particular sector in which falls from height are prevalent. In Oldham, shocking images emerged...

Last year, a BBC2 programme uncovered a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 which has led to a Cambridgeshire company recently being prosecuted over failure to prevent exposure to dust in the workplace. Mastercrafts, presented by Monty Don,...

Over the last couple of weeks there have featured in the news, tragic stories about women who have either died, or been left fighting for their lives as a result of doing what so many of us do on a regular basis and that is dying our hair. Tabatha McCourt,...

Back in July we discussed a case in one of our blogs which involved an employee pursuing her employer for £1 million after she suffered a serious fall at work which left her facing a future confined to a wheelchair. Sylvia Cheung experienced spinal...

When a motorcyclist takes a pillion passenger on a journey, he has certain responsibilities. First and foremost, he must be legally permitted to travel with a pillion passenger. Motorcyclists who do not possess a full licence or do not have a vehicle with a...

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 call for any electrical equipment with the potential to cause injury to be safely maintained. Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is the name given to the testing and visual examination of electrical equipment and...

Over the five year period between 2004 and 2009, according to the European Commission, the number of products notified to the EU Recall Registration System (RAPEX) increased from 468 to 1,993. 60 per cent of products recalled in 2009 originated from China...

Most people will be aware of the fact it is possible to make a claim against a previous employer for asbestos related illness compensation, where it can be proved that the employer was at fault. But fewer know it is possible to claim against more than one...

Accidents on demolition sites are common; these are hazardous places to work or to be in the vicinity of, and for this reason the Health and Safety Executive dedicates an entire section of their website to the laws surrounding demolition, dismantling and...

I was travelling down to the West Country with my family on the M5 on the evening of 4th November and we count ourselves extremely lucky to have missed one of the worst crashes in UK motorway history by about 30 minutes. If we had been half an hour earlier...

The whole idea of a beauty treatment is to make you look and feel better and I myself am not adverse to the odd trip to the beauty salon for a treatment or two, and love a manicure, or even a pedicure. But so far I’ve never been brave enough to try a...

My family and I braved the wet weather on Friday evening and thoroughly enjoyed the fantastic firework display put on by Bolton Council at Leverhulme Park. However, I read today that emergency crews in our region have worked tremendously hard over the...

After a hard day at work, there is always an urge to get home as quickly as possible so we can put our feet up. It is something we are all guilty of, particularly as the evenings get colder and the nights longer. With this in mind, it is also important to...

It was in the press this week that mobile disco owners have to pay the highest amount for their car insurance compared to a worker in any other profession, according to research. Comparison site confused.com found that mobile disco owners will pay a huge...

This weekend I managed to spend some time in the newly extended local Tesco (Middlebrook) and was amazed to see the extent of goods and services they are now offering. There is a hairdressing salon in there – offering not just cuts, but tans and...

We all go to bars, pubs and nightclubs to have a good time and let go of our inhibitions. We fully expect them to be busy and the atmosphere to be somewhat boisterous but, whilst we are busy having a good time, do we ever stop to think about the safety of...

A Wigan factory worker has lost two of her fingers following an accident at work involving a machine used to punch handles in plastic bags. 53 year old Karen Schoelzel from Golborne was working for Arrow Flexible Packaging Ltd when the accident took place...

How many of you remember the road safety advertisement with the little girl who comes back to life after she's been knocked down and killed? Road safety laws are there for a good reason, yet at least eight children are killed every day as a result of...

Last year, a one-year old child was injured when part of a streetlight was dropped onto her pram from above, striking her head. The incident, which happened in Hackney, east London, was recently the subject of a prosecution by the Health and Safety...

More than five incidents involving falls from height in the construction industry are recorded every day, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). During 2010-2011, 50 construction workers died in accidents at work. Because this industry...

When we select food from shops or supermarkets, we immediately put our faith in the labelling. We trust that it will give us a true statement of the ingredients and nutritional information of what we’re about to eat. One vitally important piece of...

My commute to work is very tame compared to that endured by a number of commuters on a double decker-bus in Bristol during morning rush hour last week. Six of the passengers suffered head injuries when the top of the double-decker bus they were travelling in...

Research has shown that the number of people killed or seriously injured on Wigan roads has dropped by 36% in 2010. Figures released by the Department for Transport has shown that there were 62 people killed or seriously injured on the boroughs roads in...

An Aberdeenshire woman has been charged with dangerous driving after driving the wrong way down the slip road of a busy dual carriageway and crashing head on into two lorries. Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Shazida Begum admitted causing the crashes by...

As we approach Road Safety Week (21 – 27 November) I was interested to read the Justice Secretary’s recent announcement of a new criminal offence to be introduced in respect of seriously injured victims of dangerous drivers. Kenneth Clarke has...

We are often approached with potential claimants who have been injured participating in some form of sporting activity, and we approach such cases with great caution, as they are extremely difficult to win. Many sports are dangerous, and it is an accepted...

As the parent of a teenage boy about to begin to learn to drive I thought I would arm myself with a few statistics to try and impress upon him the dangers that being a driver can entail, after all male drivers aged under the age of 21 are 10 times more...

When 37-year old Michael Benn, an industrial cleaner contracted to work at E.On power station Connah’s Quay, went to investigate a poorly functioning pump he and two colleagues were using to clear away silt and sludge, he fell into a water cooling tank...

A 78-year old woman injured when her husband lost control of the car she was travelling in and collided with another vehicle has been awarded £34,000 in compensation from his insurance company. The woman suffered a head injury leading to a brain...

It was reported in the media last week that Sian Thomas, a 38-year-old old pub landlady had died in an extremely rare accident after falling over in high heeled shoes. The inquest heard that she stumbled after catching her heel in the hem of her dress,...

I was horrified to read about a three-year-old boy losing his arm after becoming trapped in a washing machine while at home. Lewis Wrench, from Crewe, in our neighbouring county of Cheshire, was found by his mum, covered in blood, with his arm detached and...

According to a survey undertaken by Young Marmalade (who are an insurer specialising in young motorists), one in five young motorists have considered breaking the law by driving without insurance to avoid having to pay increasingly higher motor insurance...

According to the Health and Safety Executive, slips and trips are the most common cause of major injuries at work and approximately 90 per cent of these injuries involve broken bones. These accidents cost businesses over £500 million per year but the...

£280,000 in compensation has been awarded to a cyclist who was left with a deformed leg after she was crushed by a lorry in a road traffic accident . Three years after 31 year old student Doris Barrera Torrico first started proceedings against the...

According to the National Statistics Annual Business Inquiry 2006, the dry cleaning and laundry industry employs around 39,000 people. This covers everything from independent dry cleaners to industrial laundries and onsite laundering facilities in the health...

51 year old electrician Henry Truszkowski suffered serious burns when he was hit by a 33,000 volt electric shock whilst carrying out maintenance work in 2008. He was working for steel company Celsa Manufacturing (UK) Ltd at the time, who was later fined...

In one of the first cases of its kind, a 13 year old schoolboy has been awarded compensation topping a four figure sum after suffering at the hands of a classroom bully. Jed Winfindale was attacked with a wooden drawing board and suffered arm and shoulder...

Public playgrounds are popular places for families, especially during the school holidays. But sometimes, if playgrounds are poorly maintained, they can potentially be extremely dangerous places. Basildon Council in Essex is set to be sued by a parent whose...

Farms can be dangerous places to work. Heavy duty machinery can pose many risks if there are failures in the training and supervision of operators, or if equipment is not adequately maintained. Vehicles are also responsible for many accidents on farms....

We are thrilled to announce that our personal injury and clinical negligence teams have been short listed for a 2011 Proclaim Personal Injury Award, in the ‘Claimant team of the year’ category. These awards are the highlight of the personal...

Whilst repetitive strain injury (RSI) is most commonly associated with computer users who suffer wrist and arm problems due to prolonged use of a keyboard and mouse, the condition can, in reality, be suffered by anyone who carries out repetitive actions as...

It has been leaked today that the maximum speed limit on motorways is likely to increase in 2013, to 80mph, following a consultation. The Government’s reasoning behind this is that the number of drivers breaking the law is undermining the principle of...

The High Street giant, Marks & Spencer was this week found guilty of two charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, following a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive. They were found to have failed to protect customers, staff...

Local councils have a duty to maintain public footpaths so that they are safe for pedestrians to use and pose no risk of accident. In an ideal situation, footpaths would be regularly inspected and action taken where repairs are necessary, and reported...

The hazards associated with working in a factory environment are widely reported. Because of the high risk of injury to employees operating, servicing, cleaning or working near machinery, it is crucial for employers to conduct a thorough risk assessment so...

The risks faced by those employed in the woodworking and furniture industries are to be investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). It is thought that around 50 people are diagnosed with nasal cancer every year, which is likely to have been...

55 year old Keith Rowley has been awarded a £10,000 out of court settlement by his employer, General Kinematics Ltd, after his hands were left permanently damaged by his use of vibrating tools in his work as a fitter. Mr Rowley suffered the...

Tuffnells Parcels Express Ltd was fined £150,000 after one of their employees was seriously injured in an accident at their Essex depot. 22 year old warehouse porter Simon Mason suffered serious head injuries when his skull was crushed by a...

A young woman has received £5,250 in an out of court settlement against a hairdressing salon in Nottingham, following treatment which left her looking like a “scarecrow”. Charlotte Jones paid £60 to have the salon change her from...

Autumn - the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness when parents across the country breathe a sigh of relief that their little darlings are back at school and into a new routine.  Autumn of course, brings its own delights for children, such as the...

I read with interest today in the Times, that the Dowler family have written a letter to David Cameron making it clear that without the existence of the no-win, no-fee arrangement and the insurance which backs such an agreement, they “…would not...

The summer holidays are over, and parents have bought uniforms and supplies, preparing their children for another academic year, safe in the knowledge that they will come to no harm whilst in the care of their school or college.  Not so,...

Wigan Council has paid out nearly £3.5 million in compensation to members of the public and employees in the past three years, according to a report in the Wigan Evening Post this week. Personal injury claims brought against Wigan council include...

A 30 year old plant operator was lucky to survive when he fell onto machinery at his place of work. He now faces the possibility of being dependent on a wheelchair later in life because of his injuries. Simon Lowe fell onto spikes and suffered internal...

Machine operators can face many hazards in their work, particularly if the correct training is not given, safety guards are not in place, protective wear is not provided or there is a lack of supervision. Many machine related accidents occur when operators...

Eight workers at a Job Centre in Harrow, Middlesex were awarded compensation after they were exposed to potentially lethal fumes in their workplace and suffered ill effects as a result. The employees endured headaches and nausea for several months after a...

The disaster at the Pukkelpop music festival in Belgium, where five people died and fifty were injured after a severe storm caused a stage to collapse, came as shocking news, especially so soon after another similar storm-related disaster in the United...

Road traffic accidents often have very serious consequences for those involved and when a negligent driver causes devastating, life changing brain injuries, the repercussions are felt throughout the victim’s family emotionally, and financially. ...

Burn injuries don’t just leave physical scars, they can have an effect on confidence and even acceptance in society. The connotations of serious burns can be devastating and will often change lives completely. One industry that is commonly exposed to...

Broken bones are a common result of many accidents. Some are naturally more serious than others and it’s generally broken limbs that have the most debilitating consequences. Some broken bone injuries are temporary and whilst they cause pain and loss...

Road traffic accidents involving motorcyclists are common. They can be caused by pedestrians, motorists or other motorcyclists and can result in catastrophic injuries in some cases.   Pedestrians sued for £300,000   When...

Compensation of £14,000 has been awarded to a seven year old boy who was hit by a car whilst using a pedestrian crossing.   Liam Brickell was only three years old when he was hit by a disqualified and uninsured driver. He sustained major cuts...