Personal car accident and work injury compensation claim at Injuries Direct

Greater Manchester Police could be facing a hefty compensation claim after officers crashed a high powered sports car into two luxury gardens.

The high powered 270 bhp Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII which can do 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds was confiscated from its owner in the early hours of the morning, when police had suspicions that the driver had been driving under the influence of alcohol.

The man was arrested and a recovery vehicle was called for to remove the Mitsubishi Evo. At this point the two police constables at the scene decided to drive the vehicle along Hale Road, where they came to an abrupt stop after smashing into a garden wall and flipping the sports car onto its side.

An ambulance called to the accident spot took one of the officers to Wythenshawe Hospital, as a precaution for the relatively minor injuries he received, the other police constable was said to be badly shaken.

Both of the officers have been suspended from their duties pending an investigation into the incident. Divisional Commander, Chief Supt Mark Roberts said; “Thankfully, no members of the public were injured. I would like to apologise to residents if this incident has caused any problems or inconvenience.”

Pensioner Mary Lomas whose garden was one of those extensively damaged in the incident commented; “I am relieved that nobody was hurt but I do hope they can put all this to rights.”

A man, who suffered life changing injuries as a child, has written a book about his experiences. The Exeter Express and Echo are reporting.

James Gardner, from Devon was involved in a car accident twenty three years ago, when he was only five years old. The accident happened on the M4 near Bristol, when the car driven by his mother Jacqueline veered out of control. James was left in a coma after the accident and had to be put on a life support machine, his toddler sister, Katie was tragically killed.

As a teenager James won £850,000 compensation after being forced into suing his mother, there was no ill feeling within the family but this was technically the only way James could claim for his damages.

Mr. Gardner attended Vranch House School after the accident, which is an independent day school based in Exeter who help children with severe physical problems. James was taught how to walk again at the school and began rebuilding his life.

However the constant struggle and pain with his fight to get well again, took its toll in later years, James became depressed and at one point even considered suicide. His realisation that his life was worth living inspired James to write a book about his experiences.

James has almost made a full recovery and his book ‘On The Edge: Stepping Back From The Brink Of Suicide’ is a motivational autobiography detailing his struggle to rebuild his life following the devastating accident.

All profits from his book will be donated to Vranch House School, “As Vranch has had a major influence on my life, I have decided to donate all profits from book sales to Vranch said James

A student nurse suffered horrific injuries when she was knocked off her motorcycle. Lisa Bennett was travelling to work for her first night shift at St Ann’s Hospital when she was involved in a collision with a car, reports the Bournemouth Echo.

Her injuries included a broken shoulder, broken ribs and a fractured spine but more devastatingly her right leg had to be amputated just below the knee. Lisa now wears a prosthetic limb but due to severe pain caused by the damage done to her nerves still has to rely on a wheelchair.

“My life has changed forever. I lost my leg, my dream career, my whole way of life,” said the ex-student nurse. Lisa was assisted in her compensation claim by her union Unison who helped secure the £800,000 compensation after the car driver admitted liability.

The actual out of court settlement was for £1 million but 20% was deducted because Lisa’s motorcycle light wasn’t working at the time of the accident and was said to be ‘contributory negligence’.

A spokesperson from Lisa’s legal team commented; “All her work to pursue a new career as a nurse has been wasted and instead she has had to learn how to cope with her dramatically changed personal circumstances.”

Wonderbra model Eva Herzigova caused outrage and controversy with her “Hello Boys” billboard campaign back in 1994, the same campaign was also blamed for dozens of car accidents as motorists were distracted by the sight of Eva’s ample cleavage.

Now Kelly Brook looks likely to cause similar controversy as a 40 foot billboard featuring the supermodel and actress naked apart from a pair of Reebok trainers is set to be displayed at busy road junctions and traffic hotspots across the United Kingdom.

Road safety experts have already condemned the decision, with the Institute of Advanced Motorists claiming that distracting motorists in such a way could result in major car accidents causing serious personal injury or even death.

Peter Rodger of IAM said: “The fact that most men remember the ‘Hello boys’ Wonderbra advert indicates how distracting roadside adverts can be.”

Canadian researchers discovered that road traffic accidents increased by up to 50% when eye catching advertising hoardings were placed at busy road junctions.

Earlier research revealed that one in five men are likely to be distracted by roadside posters which feature scantily clad women, while only one in ten women were found to be similarly preoccupied by semi naked men.

A thrilled Kelly Brook stated “I’m so excited to finally have my own billboard, it was really fun creating the shot and Reebok EasyTones definitely got my bum ready for the occasion!”

The decision by many local authorities to remove speed cameras as a result of cuts to road safety budgets seems to have been an accidental step in the right direction as figures recently released suggest that cameras can actually cause traffic accidents on Britain’s Roads.

New research has suggested that speed cameras have been responsible for more than 28,000 accidents since their inception in 2001. A poll conducted by the insurers LV has revealed that 80% of motorists have admitted to concentrating on their speedometers rather than the car in front when approaching speed cameras. While 5% say they have braked suddenly when they noticed a camera to avoid the risk of a fine.

Five hundred of the fifteen hundred people quizzed said they had seen an accident or witnessed a near miss due to erratic driving in the vicinity of a speed camera.

John O’Roarke, spokesperson for LV Insurance, said: ‘Speed cameras have been a feature on UK roads for almost 20 years, yet the feedback from drivers is that while they may reduce speed they also appear to impair driving ability or at the least concentration on the road.”

Motorists pay out an average of £150 million per year in fines, caught out by the cameras at the side of Britain’s’ roads, but as budget cuts continue to bite cash strapped councils are looking at removing cameras to reduce costs. Oxfordshire County Council recently removed 72 cameras from the regions roads, with many other local authorities likely to follow their lead.

The iPod, iPhone and other mobile devices are once again being cited as a major factor in road traffic accidents especially those involving pedestrians and cyclists an AA report has suggested.

Last year 17 accidents per day resulted in 500 deaths and over 26,000 personal injuries to pedestrians involved in traffic collisions. With many of these accidents being blamed on so called  ‘Inattention Collisions’ it would appear that high tech devices are becoming a lethal distraction.

Listening to music, checking emails and general gadget tinkering are making some people oblivious to the potential hazards surrounding them. Using a mobile phone or mp3 player distracts pedestrians to such a degree that many just step out onto busy roads and into the paths of oncoming vehicles.

“AA patrols have noted a marked increase in the number of ‘iPod zombie pedestrians’ and joggers oblivious to traffic around them as they cross busy roads,” the motoring organisation said in a press release and AA president Edmund King added “Whether on two feet, two wheels or four, too many people are suffering from so-called iPod oblivion.”

The first portable music player the ‘Walkman’ was introduced by Sony over 30 years ago and people have enjoyed listening to music on the move ever since but will this latest report mean that insurance companies will now have to raise the premiums for life insurance policies if the policy owner was proven to be a known iPhone or iPod user?

We are all aware of the damage caused to motor vehicles by the potholes that litter Britain’s roads, a direct result of poor maintenance and spiralling repair costs as Britain’s councils try to juggle their ever diminishing budgets.

But what about those other road hazards that the councils deliberately inflict upon us? Traffic calming or more specifically the dreaded speed bumps that cost an estimated £10,000 each, money which would be better spent repairing potholes, these man made hazards are causing high repair bills for motorists and in some cases death and personal injury, as the emergency services struggle to negotiate the maze of traffic calming measures in place in our towns and cities.

A senior employee of the London fire brigade said: “They affect our attendance times. Each ramp delays our attendance by 10 seconds. In fires minutes can cost lives.”

Chairman of the London Ambulance Service Sigurd Reinton has said “the lives of 500 cardiac arrest patients are put at risk by them (speed bumps) each year.”

In a bold and revolutionary move Barnet County Council has been quietly removing the bumps and has reported a 40% drop in the number of road traffic accidents in the area. Proof that “traffic calming” helps no one apart from maybe the car repairers who are kept busy by the damage speed bumps create.

Former Conservative Chancellor Kenneth Clarke has been quoted as saying “I’m afraid I was responsible in the first job I had as a minister for introducing road humps in this country, it was an awful mistake”.

Hot on the heels of Nissans anti-collision technology, Ford has unveiled its plans for a safer driving experience. As the car giants compete for our attention to show us the technological innovations that will make driving less stressful, the real winner will be the reduction in road traffic accidents and the amount paid out in car accident compensation.

The technology available to car manufacturers today is about to revolutionise driving in a way never seen before. Fords system employs wireless communications, GPS, radar and cameras to protect vehicles from all four sides. It will detect the positions of other cars and inform drivers of any potentially dangerous situations.

With side impact collisions being one of the most common forms of car accident Fords system will detect when a side collision is imminent and automatically apply the brakes to the vehicles involved reducing the probability of such a crash.

For this type of automatic braking to be effective a common standard has to be employed but car manufacturers say they are prepared to work together to make this technology a reality in the not too distant future.

Ford stated that it was “working closely with governments, standards organizations and other global automakers to develop harmonized global standards to support and accelerate the deployment of this technology.”

It would appear that the latest trend amongst the celebrity jet set is to be involved in a car accident, a dangerous photo opportunity to say the least.

Russell Brand got the ball rolling last weekend when the super shiny £150,000 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera he was travelling in was hit from behind by a truck in New York City causing a reported repair bill of £6,000. The comedian played down the incident however stating on his twitter page, “That Lamborghini crash was hardly Jimmy Dean territory, I barely spilled my espresso,”

Next up was the Manchester United Brazilian midfielder Anderson, who’s Audi R8, left a Portuguese road in the early hours and collided with a farm wall. Anderson was pulled to safety moments before the vehicle burst into flames. The player had earlier been seen leaving a nightclub at close to 7 am.

A man and a woman who were also in the vehicle suffered whiplash, concussion and shock. While Anderson is lucky to be still alive after the crash he now faces a police inquiry into the incident.

Even more worryingly Alex Ferguson will want to know why one of his players was out partying until the early hours of the morning. With a new season almost upon us Anderson now faces a race against time to prove his fitness to the Manchester United boss.

Not to be outdone Amy Winehouse fell off the wagon again and almost into the path of an oncoming vehicle, an eye witness told the Sun newspaper, “A car nearly hit her as she walked in the road. It had to brake really hard,” The incident occurred after an evening out in London that lasted until the early hours of the morning.

Potholes across the nation’s roads are costing local councils thousands in car compensation claims. The severity of last years winter is being blamed for the damage caused, yet local authorities seem reluctant to start repairs even though they are having to pay compensation for damaged vehicles.

Derby City Council is facing a bill of nearly £70,000 after motorists made sixty three claims for damage caused to their vehicles last winter and compensation claims in Swindon have more than doubled from 21 claims in 2008/9 to 54 claims in 2009/10.

In Woking almost 800 people have signed a petition calling for the repair of pothole damaged roads, with one local resident saying “Never have I witnessed our roads in such an appalling condition”.

A recent survey by Continental Tyres has stated that over 10 million drivers have suffered damage to their vehicles as a result of potholes adding up to a total £1.2 billion repair bill.

Whilst the majority of councils appear to be struggling to meet the cost of repairing local road networks Hampshire County Council has started phase one of a determined seven year plan to rebuild disintegrating roads.

Hampshire road boss Mel Kendal said: “This is a significant commitment by the county council and reflects the strong views of residents and local councillors, who quite rightly want something done about the state of our roads.” The ambitious repair project known as “Operation Restore” is likely to cost an estimated £100 million.