Pages On: Public Place Accidents

Holidaymaker requires stitches following aeroplane toilet incident

Posted: 24 April 2016

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Head and Brain Injuries, Leg Injuries, Neck Injuries, Public Transport, Spine & Back Injuries

A 55-year-old holidaymaker from Forest Hall in Newcastle required 14 stitches to her head following a metal toilet cabinet falling on her head during a long-haul flight. The woman, who has remained unnamed, had been on holiday in Kuala Lumpur and was returning to Newcastle via Amsterdam when the accident occurred. The traveller, who passed out in the toilet, sustained injuries to her neck, back, coccyx and thigh.  She also required both internal and external stitches to her head. The airline, Dutch company KLM, denied liability however offered to pay compensation of…

Laser tag company admits failings

Posted: 30 January 2016

Posted in: Knee Injury, Public Place Accidents

Former owners of a laser tag arena in Oldbury, DFI Services Limited, pleaded guilty to two offences of neglect at a hearing in Sandwell Magistrates’ Court on 19 January 2015. The hearing followed a serious accident that took place at The Raceway, Park Lane Trading Estate on 13 July 2013 when an 11-year-old boy fell onto a metal grid, lacerating his knee. The wound required 60 stitches and the boy is still suffering ongoing medical issues.  He has also undergone several operations on his injuries. Fined £10,000 It was found that…

British airways passenger sues

Posted: 12 January 2016

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Public Transport, Whiplash Injuries

A passenger that suffered serious injuries after a bag fell onto them from an overhead compartment is suing air travel giants British Airways. 45-year-old Wayne Herbert from north London had been travelling on the US-bound plane when a fellow passenger’s travel bag fell onto his head as the plane waited to take off. He claims he suffered serious whiplash injuries as a result of the incident. The accident happened on 28 October last year, but Mr Herbert claims that he still suffers from anxiety following the “traumatic” incident. It was…

British couple wins damages following accident abroad

Posted: 30 November 2015

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Head and Brain Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A couple who had been working abroad as freelancers in Ethiopia have been awarded compensation after being involved in a serious road traffic collision. The couple had been travelling as passengers when the vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with another car. Both suffered severe injuries in the accident, including head and spinal injuries, and required emergency care in Addis Ababa before being repatriated to the UK by air ambulance. The case was taken to the High Court where both the Ethiopian and American defendants accepted the jurisdiction of…

Young rugby players at risk of memory loss and depression

Posted: 25 October 2015

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Sporting Injuries

New research has revealed the extent to which rugby is damaging players, with harm being done as young as school age. Being such a high impact sport, injury is a common occurrence. However, researchers have found that at least one head injury or concussion occurs per match in the community game, with concussion equally common in children’s games. People are starting to question, for a game that features traumatic and repetitive brain injury as a routine occurrence, is it safe? Rugby is a sport that continues to grow in popularity…

Manchester second highest for pothole accident claims

Posted: 27 September 2015

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

According to recently released data, Manchester stands as the city that had the second highest number of accident claims filed against its council in 2014 for pothole-related injuries. The information showed Birmingham to be the number one city in the UK for pothole-related claims, followed by Manchester and then Newcastle. It was found that Manchester City Council received over 3,500 complaints over potholes in 2013/14, only marginally fewer than those received by Trafford in the Greater Manchester area, (over 3,880 complaints). Manchester’s residents complained that the condition of many of…

Holidaymaker seeks damages

Posted: 15 August 2015

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Food Poisoning

24-year-old Jake Ankers has embarked on a battle for compensation after returning from a trip to a luxury holiday resort in Egypt with Salmonella. Mr Ankers had booked the all-inclusive trip to Sharm El Sheikh’s Sensatori Hotel through the tour operator Thomson Holidays, but was forced to return home with serious food poisoning. After developing severe symptoms, including abdominal pains, diarrhoea and a fever, he was forced to seek local medical attention. He was finally diagnosed with the bug upon returning from the trip, with symptoms so severe that he…

Families injured in coach crash in France

Posted: 24 July 2015

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Arm Injury, Bus Accidents, Hand Injuries, Public Transport, Road Traffic Accidents, Shoulder Injuries

Two families from West Lancashire have claimed for damages after a coach crash in France left them with severe personal injuries. The ten British passengers had been on a coach organised by tour operator Esprite Holidays when it crashed at the end of their skiing holiday. They had been travelling from La Rosiere to Chambéry Airport when the accident happened. Doctors informed them that they were lucky to have survived. It was heard that the coach swerved off the road and overturned whilst carrying 32 British passengers. 42-year-old Sarah Rothwell-Bowness…

Holidaymaker awarded £30,000

Posted: 16 June 2015

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Finger Injuries

A holidaymaker has been awarded compensation of £30,000 (€40,000) after losing the tip of his finger on a poolside lounger. 72-year-old Vincent Reid, a retired construction manager, had been on holiday with his wife at the Hotel Savoy Palace, Lake Garda, Italy in August 2012 when the accident happened. The holiday company that Mr Reid booked the weeklong trip through, Topflight, was sued for £30,000 under the 1995 Package Holidays and Travel Trade Act in the Dublin High Court. It was heard that the sun lounger was adjusted using the…

Woman dies on Thomson holiday

Posted: 31 May 2015

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Food Poisoning, Wrongful & Accidental Death

In 2012 a mother-of-two died after eating a sorbet on holiday in Greece, despite warning her travel provider and hotel of her food allergies. 50-year-old Amanda Thompson, from Rochdale in Greater Manchester, collapsed in the Rhodes hotel after consuming strawberry sorbet. It was heard in Rochdale Coroner’s Court that Mrs Thompson had warned the holiday provider, Thomson, that she was unable to eat milk, eggs or apples due to severe allergies. Mrs Thompson had been on holiday with her family when she suffered the anaphylactic shock. North Manchester coroner Simon…

Family seek compensation over F1 crash

Posted: 28 May 2015

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents, Sporting Injuries, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

The family of a Formula 1 test driver that died a year after a serious crash is considering claiming for compensation. Maria De Villota lost her right eye while testing for Marussia at Duxford Airfield in July 2012.  Only one year later, she died, aged 33. Earlier this week the Health and Safety Executive said that no action would be taken against Marussia for the accident. The family, however, said that they would conduct a full analysis of the report to “evaluate the next legal steps to claim the corresponding…

Slips, Trips, and Falls Injury Compensation Claims in Manchester

Posted in: Public Place Accidents, Workplace Injuries

Have you ever slipped in a supermarket, tripped over a pothole, or fell down stairs in an accident at work? If you have been in anything like these situations, you could be forgiven for wanting to forget about it as quickly as possible. However, if you do, even though your accident resulted in an injury that was caused by someone else, you may miss out on compensation that you are entitled to. At Accident Claims Manchester, we take slips, trips and falls very seriously. No matter your accident, contact us today for…

Boy injured from cliff fall

Posted: 1 February 2015

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Public Place Accidents

A 12-year-old boy has suffered severe injuries after falling down a cliff in East Sussex. The boy, who remains unnamed, fell down the 30ft cliff edge on the West Hill in Hastings at around 12.30pm yesterday (31 January). He landed in a gully close by a café. A fire crew was immediately contacted, and an air ambulance crew treated him at the scene. After rescuing him, they were unable to transfer him to hospital as a result of bad weather conditions. A spokesperson from the East Sussex Fire and Rescue…

£70,000 paid out over pothole damage

Posted: 7 December 2014

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

Suffolk County Council has been forced to pay out £70,000 to pothole damage claimants over the last two years. This data was released following a Freedom of Information request, which showed that the council had received 173 for the financial year 2012/13 and 353 last year.  Of these claims, 24 were successful in 2012/13, and 54 were successful last year. Despite this rise, the amount paid by the council has dramatically decreased, with £56,576 paid out in 2012/13, compared to only £12,302 last year.  A spokeswoman from the council said…

Council paid out £101million to injured workers

Posted: 27 October 2014

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

New figures have revealed that over the last five years, councils have paid out £101million to injured workers. With local authorities having paid out to 8,800 claimants, the injuries ranged from a teacher injuring herself from falling off a zip wire, to a cleaner splashing bleach in her eye. The campaign manager for the Taxpayers’ Alliance, Andy Silvester, said that some successful claims were evidence of “compensation culture gone mad”. While 372 councils awarded compensation to 8,800 claimants, thousands of other claims were rejected.  Amongst those were two teachers from…

Couple blames Thomson for food poisoning abroad

Posted: 20 September 2014

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Food Poisoning

A retired couple from Bristol has blamed travel company Thomson for the serious food poisoning they suffered with while on holiday in the Canary Islands.  David and Lynne Fossey suffered serious gastroenteritis during their stay at ClubHotel Riu Oliva Beach Resort, Fuerteventura, and were left bed-bound for days.  Mr Fossey said that the hotel had been run-down, with many of the meals being regularly left ‘uncovered’ and served ‘lukewarm’. The couple were both diagnosed with gastroenteritis by the resort doctor, suffering with symptoms such as severe stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea…

Over half a million paid out by police force

Posted: 25 August 2014

Posted in: Animal Attacks, Asbestos Exposure, Criminal Injury and Assault, Faulty Work Equipment, Public Place Accidents, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

A total of £589,000 has been paid out in compensation and legal fees by West Midlands Police in 2013/14. Among the 26 personal injury claims made against the force, officers injured during personal safety training exercises made up three of the successful claims.  On top of this, other successful claimants included those who had injured themselves moving furniture, tripping in a hole in the office floor and falling from a faulty office chair. Of the half a million paid out, £328,100 was paid in compensation, and £260,900 was paid to…

Asbestos in Wales’ student bedrooms

Posted: 24 August 2014

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, School Accidents

Universities across Wales have confirmed that their halls of residence contain asbestos.  It is believed that over 3,000 students in the last year slept in university bedrooms containing the material.  Aberystwyth, Cardiff and the University of Wales Trinity St David all confirmed the presence of asbestos in their halls of residence.  The British Lung Foundation described the universities as “reckless”. Asbestos was used as a building material for fireproofing and insulation between the 1950s and 1980s, before its potential health risk was identified.  The Health and Safety Executive said that…

Chemical leak injures children

Posted: 20 August 2014

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

A swimming pool at a holiday camp was evacuated earlier this week after a chemical “vapour” was released into the water.  Three children were taken immediately to hospital, with a further three people taken later that day.  The incident happened at Woodland Holiday Park in Trimingham, Norfolk, after residual gas in some of the pipelines found its way into the swimming pool. Lee Fox, a paramedic that was called to the scene, said that patients were “coughing, and complaining of sore throats and stomach aches”. The park manager, Andrew Hird,…

Runner falls 70ft

Posted: 4 August 2014

Posted in: Public Place Accidents, Sporting Injuries

A runner that fell 70ft while competing in an endurance event has been treated for serious injuries in hospital.  The 40-year-old man from Otley, West Yorkshire had been running on one of England’s highest mountains, Scafell Pike in the Lake District, when he fell and suffered serious injuries.  The unnamed runner said that he battled to stay alert after plunging 70ft down the mountain. The team leader of Wasdale Mountain Rescue, Mike Gullen, said: “it was a pretty serious incident”.  He reported that during the rescue, the runner was constantly…

Police compensation triples in one year

Posted: 3 June 2014

Posted in: Animal Attacks, Public Place Accidents, Shoulder Injuries, Workplace Injuries

New figures have revealed that compensation paid out to victims of policing issues in Oxfordshire had tripled in the last year. With claims including police-dog bites and psychological injuries, Thames Valley Police has paid out more than £69,000 since the beginning of 2012.  Members of the public have won a total of 70 cases against the force. One solicitor commented on the figures, arguing that the number of compensation claims against the police force show a serious failing.  The political director at the Taxpayers’ Alliance also commented, saying: “Authorities must…

Almost half a million to council staff

Posted: 28 May 2014

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

In the last two years, just under half a million pounds of compensation has been paid out to East and West Sussex County Council staff. In 2012 and 2013, East and West Sussex County Councils paid-out £472,973 in compensation to injured employees.  One payout of £23,000 by West Sussex County Council went to a teacher who slipped on a puddle in a school corridor, suffering serious ligament damage. A spokesperson from the WSCC said that the council did originally fight the claim, but the court ruled them responsible for the accident, and…

Bolton Council sees biggest bill in Greater Manchester

Posted: 22 April 2014

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

Compensation paid-out by Bolton Council to children injured at school has totaled £150,000, the greatest bill in Greater Manchester excluding Manchester Council.  One payout to an injured child alone was over £24,000. The council saw a total of fifty claims made on behalf of pupils who had suffered a personal injury at either primary or secondary school.  Only fourteen of these claims were successful and a total of £150,881.70 was paid-out including legal fees. The lowest payout stood at £671 for slipping on leaves or ice on a footpath, while…

Schools payout £1.5m to injured children

Posted: 14 April 2014

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

Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request have revealed that Greater Manchester schools have paid out £1.5 million in compensation to injured pupils in the last five years. These accidents were mainly due to ‘basic health and safety failings’, which included one pupil being struck by a falling goal post, and another getting their fingers trapped behind a radiator. Of the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester, Manchester was responsible for the majority of claims.  A total of 190 were made in Manchester, costing the council a total of £943,848. The figures…

Woman hospitalised after drinking Waitrose coffee containing cleaning fluid

Posted: 30 March 2014

Posted in: Food Poisoning, Public Place Accidents, Restaurant Accidents, Shop Accidents

A woman was rushed to hospital after she drank a free coffee offered to her by Waitrose that happened to contain cleaning fluid.  The coffee was offered to the woman as part of the store’s membership card scheme; however, paramedics were quickly called when she began to feel ill.  She was taken immediately from the East Sussex branch of the supermarket to the specialist burns unit in the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. The woman spent hours in the hospital before feeling well enough to return home.  The woman’s…

Morrisons employee assaulted

Posted: 26 January 2014

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

45-year-old Ahmed Mohamud has made a unique personal injury compensation claim against the supermarket giant Morrisons after being “brutally assaulted” by a member of staff.  The customer suffered severe head and neck injuries, as well as a fractured elbow, after being repeatedly kicked and punched by an attendant at the petrol kiosk. Adam Ohringer, his counsel, told London’s Appeal Court that the violence occurred in March 2008 when Mr Mohamud had stopped at a Small Health branch to check his car’s tyre pressure. During Mr Mohamud’s wait at the petrol station,…

Almost £1million of compensation set aside for Apollo ceiling collapse victims

Posted: 19 January 2014

Posted in: Personal Injury, Public Place Accidents

After the ceiling of the Apollo Theatre in London collapsed last month, injuring 79 members of the audience, insurance specialists have calculated that over £1million could be paid out in public liability compensation.  A performance of the play ‘The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time’ saw the theatre packed at the time of the accident, with 58 people taken to hospital with severe injures. 25 ambulance crews and an air ambulance rapid response team arrived at the scene, alongside eight fire engines and more than 50 firefighters.  The…

Is it time to make ski helmets compulsory?

Posted: 7 January 2014

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Public Place Accidents

Following Michael Schumacher’s recent accident on the slopes, the question has been raised whether ski helmets should be made compulsory. Even though Michael Schumacher had been wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, which cracked in half on impact, a neurosurgeon from King’s College in London said that it would have “minimized the severity of injury.” It most probably saved his life. A recent study carried out by a brain injury charity – Headway – unveiled that the impact on a skull protected by a helmet was “four times…

Woman dies after 80ft plunge in Primark

Posted: 23 October 2013

Posted in: Arm Injury, Leg Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Shop Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A woman, who remains unnamed, has died in hospital after falling 80ft (24m) from the third floor of popular clothing store Primark in Liverpool. The accident happened on Tuesday at around 18:00 BST, where she was found at the bottom of the store’s escalators on the ground floor of Church Street’s Primark. The woman had been spotted only moments before the incident near a balcony by the third-floor’s escalators. Believed to be in her late fifties, the woman was immediately treated by a doctor where she was found, but was pronounced dead…

Injured man receives £81,500 after horse was killed by car

Posted: 3 August 2013

Posted in: Knee Injury, Road Traffic Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries, Sporting Injuries

Richard Clutterbuck has been awarded with £81,500 from an insurance settlement after being hit by a car when riding his horse along the roadside. Mr Clutterbuck’s suffered a fractured spine in the accident, yet his horse Linford died instantly. The horse was hit when a car attempted to overtake another car, which had slowed down to pass them. Mr Clutterbuck had been riding alongside his wife, Gillian, and her horse Poppy down Braybrooke Road, Great Oxendon, in August 2010. When realising that the car on the opposite side of the road was going…

Urgent call-out holds up Blackpool lifeboat ceremony

Posted: 1 July 2013

Posted in: Public Place Accidents

Blackpool’s lifeboat station was on the cusp of launching their new lifeboat on Saturday, when an emergency call temporarily delayed the ceremony.  Around 100 RNLI charity volunteers and supporters attended the ceremony, which had to come to a temporary halt so that the distress call could be answered and handled. Two adults and two children had become trapped in the sea, requiring urgent assistance.  Crews quickly managed the situation and all family members were safely rescued. Generous legacy of Mr William Seed The £204,000 lifeboat (an Atlantic 85 B class…

Tourist craft sinks

Posted: 17 June 2013

Posted in: Public Place Accidents, Public Transport

This is not the first time that a ‘Yellow Duckmarine’ has sunk in the last year, yet members of the public have again found themselves at risk when getting on one of these tourist crafts.  After being banned in March, three of the vehicles were re-declared safe in May – however, this was obviously not the case as twenty-seven people were treated in hospital following another craft-related incident a few days ago.  These bright yellow bus-boats are a popular tourist activity in Liverpool’s Albert Dock as even the Queen had…

Employers flout the law, claims teachers’ union

Posted: 9 April 2013

Posted in: Employer Negligence, School Accidents

Teachers union, the NASUWT, has reportedly secured £15,610,924 compensation for members in 2012. The figure represented an increase of 24% compared to the 2011 figure of £12,625,509. The compensation was awarded for successful claims for unlawful deduction of wages, unfair dismissal, breach of contract, constructive dismissal and discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, disability, age and trade union activity. Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said: “It is clear from these cases that if employers operated good employment and health and safety practice, then teachers would not have…

Accidents in Public Places – Personal Injuries In Manchester

Posted in: Public Place Accidents

The most common of all accidents in Manchester’s public places are slips, trips and falls. They can happen absolutely anywhere including pavements, roads, and shopping centres and can be as a result of any number of hazards from uneven paving to slippery surfaces due to spillages. The most common slip, trip, and fall claims are against local authorities for badly maintained pavements and roads or against employers due to obstructions such as loose wiring or uneven flooring. Slips, Trips, and Falls in Public Places If you suffer a slip, trip…

Accident Abroad – Claim Compensation For Injuries Outside The UK For Manchester Residents

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Public Place Accidents

Suffering an accident abroad can be a horrible experience. Regardless of whether you are away on business or on holiday, an accident abroad will ruin your trip. It will leave you with the headache of amending your plans and seeking medical attention, all of which may have to be done in a foreign language, in a foreign culture, and within a foreign medical system. Accordingly, if you have suffered an accident abroad then you should consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Manchester upon your return who could help…