Personal car accident and work injury compensation claim at Injuries Direct

A young family from Hatfield in Hertfordshire were lucky to escape serious personal injury when their washing machine exploded.

Clare Knight thought a bomb had gone off the night her Indesit washing machine blew up. The mother of two young daughters told the Welwyn Hatfield Times that she was watching TV when the explosion occurred; she added “It was madness, all the lights tripped out and we were left in darkness.”

The explosion wrecked the young mum’s kitchen, destroying work surfaces and tiles, with parts of the machine being found in adjoining rooms. Her pet dog Excalibur was in the kitchen at the time of the explosion and Clare feared he could have been killed, she said; “he was clearly in shock for the rest of the night, he didn’t move.”

The appliances manufacturer Indesit has offered compensation to the Knight family by offering to replace the kitchen but Clare is reluctant to accept, fearing a repeat of the incident.

A spokesperson for Indesit said; “We are currently investigating the incident and are therefore unable to comment further or speculate on the cause until the product has been inspected.” She also added that the company was attempting to settle the matter as soon as possible to Mrs. Knight’s satisfaction.

A scaffolding tower which collapsed at the Corsley show crashed into a mother trying to protect her young daughter, the Wiltshire Times is reporting.

Sharlene McKenna was enjoying a day out at last years village show with her family when the twenty foot tower collapsed. Sharlene was holding her 14 month old baby at the time but managed to protect her from harm by taking the brunt of the impact. The child’s pushchair was crushed by the falling metal.

Miss McKenna was rushed to Salisbury District Hospital after receiving injuries to her back during the incident, the family dog Toby was also hit by the scaffolding suffering an injury to his head.

Days before this years show the family received a cheque for compensation to the value of £4,700, which Miss McKenna’s partner Ben Payne described as, not being very much for the distress and trauma caused by the accident, he added; “It was a terrible experience for all of us. Sharlene was taken off in the ambulance and I was left coping with hysterical children and an injured dog.”

The company responsible for the scaffolding Action Entertainments, who were providing stunt men for the show, were ordered to take part in a training course on how to erect scaffolding towers correctly.

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 teenager paralysed after being hit by a bus, is seeking compensation for his injuries. Nineteen year old Ben Woodham is hoping to receive £2 to £3 million pounds if his claim is successful, reports the Bury Free Press.

Ben from Thurston, Bury St. Edmunds was travelling on his motor scooter on the A143 at Great Barton, when he was hit by a mini-coach which threw him up onto the windscreen causing head and chest injuries and a fractured spine. He was rushed to the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury and was later transferred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge where surgeons operated on his spine.

Ben’s injuries were so severe that he is now paralysed from the chest down. He is claiming compensation to include, damages for the pain and suffering caused, his loss of earnings and for his ongoing medical care and equipment.

Insurers representing the coach company JM Turner who trade as Turners of Great Barton are denying any legal responsibility for the accident.

Ben is asking the High Court in London to decide liability claiming that the bus driver Sarah Turner was driving too fast, failed to give way and made an unsafe manoeuvre.

A stroll in the park with her pet puppy turned into a nightmare for Nadine Jerome, when she was attacked by a huge “devil dog” mastiff, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Miss Jerome, who thought she was going to die when the dog lunged at her, was hospitalised for a week due to the attack and will now require skin grafts to repair the damage to her right leg.

The owner of the mastiff Natalie Cunningham managed to pull the crazed animal off its victim then asked a bystander to phone an ambulance before casually walking off. Cunningham was arrested a month later when she was recognised by a police officer who recalled the description given by the unfortunate victim.

Manchester Magistrates sentenced the dog’s owner to a suspended 6 week prison sentence and told her she must do 200 hours of unpaid work. The court also ordered that the mastiff be put down and banned Cunningham from keeping a dog for 5 years. The dog’s victim is to receive £1, 000 in compensation following the incident.

Miss Jerome who is still recovering from her injuries called the sentence a joke and stated; “She should have been more severely punished. I still can’t walk. The attack was horrific and I still have nightmares about it.”

As dog attacks in Britain become more widespread the Government is being urged to do more to tackle the problem. In London Kit Malthouse who is the Deputy Mayor for Policing is campaigning for new laws that will target irresponsible dog owners.

Mr. Malthouse is being backed in his campaign by animal charities, unions, law enforcement agencies and victims of vicious dog attacks, who have called the current legislation “inadequate”.

Dog attack victim Barrie Hopcroft, required 24 stitches after trying to protect his guide dog from an out of control pit-bull, that had sank its teeth into his dogs neck. He summed up the current state of affairs when he said; “In Britain, they take action if there’s dog mess on the floor but not if the dog attacks someone.”

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.”

A wedding anniversary treat, turned into a nightmare day out for a blind Birmingham couple. Jim and Sally Newbold were travelling to Lichfield to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary, when the accident occurred.

Upon arriving at Lichfield Station, Sally had some difficulty leaving the train and with no staff available at the station to help, she ended up with her leg falling between the train and the station platform.

Jim, who lost his sight when he contracted measles as a child, explained how boarding the train at New Street wasn’t much of a problem as there were staff there willing to help but upon arriving at Lichfield no one was available apart from the driver, Jim said; “We asked the driver if he could help us get off when we arrived at Lichfield, but he said it ‘wasn’t his job”.

Sally, who was born blind, suffered a broken leg in the incident and the couple are intending to seek compensation from ‘London Midland’ the company responsible for the cross city train service.

A spokesperson for ‘London Midland’ said that as no official complaint had been received they couldn’t comment on the incident.

A ‘Paint Mixer’ from South Yorkshire has been awarded £3,760 compensation after breathing in toxic fumes.

Eric Drummond from Rotherham was combining a mixture of chemicals to be used in a paste for a heating system but felt poorly immediately after finishing his work and removing his mask and gloves, he became dizzy and later passed out. An ambulance was called and Mr. Drummond was rushed to Rotherham Hospital.

“The hospital said the fumes I’d inhaled in had left traces of the chemicals in my blood, so even after I was discharged from hospital I continued to suffer for some time” said Eric.

After almost three months of being unable to work Mr Drummond has now received compensation for the personal injuries he suffered and for loss of earnings after the company he worked for, ‘Rotherham Refinishing Supplies’ admitted liability.

The case highlights the need for adequate ventilation when working with potentially hazardous chemicals.  Toxic fumes can build up quickly and it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that employees working in a dangerous environment can do so as safely as possible.

A grandmother had to cancel her long awaited family holiday after she tripped over a paving stone on a Surrey street. Pauline Burgess and her husband Ken had saved for almost a year to join other family members on a dream trip to Egypt.

However a broken paving slab on Leatherhead High Street disrupted their plans, when Pauline tripped over it and broke her pubic bone.

The fuming couple now plan to claim compensation from Surrey County Council, for leaving the street in such a hazardous condition. Mrs Burgess stated: “I am angry because it’s not the first time people have said something about it. They seem to waste so much money on other things and don’t do a good job on what they should be doing.”

It is not the first time Leatherhead High Street has made the news; several years ago it was awarded the accolade of ‘Worst High Street in Britain’ by a BBC poll.

Mrs. Burgess required hospital treatment after the incident and is now having to take a mix of Codeine and Morphine to help her cope with the pain.

The other members of the family almost cancelled their holiday because of the accident but decided to go ahead with it after being told “not to be silly” by Mrs. Burgess.

Iron manhole covers which were stolen from Westfield Avenue in Fleetwood have still not been replaced three months on.

Local resident Michael Sharp who has one of the offending manholes a step or two away from his back gate, claims that the temporary wooden covers are not suitable as they are too light and could easily be removed, which would leave a potential death trap for passers by.

Mr Sharp said; “If someone comes down here late at night and falls down one of these things, there would be a compensation claim.” Mr. Sharp also feared that both the elderly and small children were especially at risk and could suffer serious personal injury if they fell into one of the manholes.

Numerous complaints have been made to Lancashire County Council but to no avail. The cast iron covers are a major attraction to thieves due to there scrap metal value and there removal is becoming a nationwide problem.

Surrey County Council has had 536 covers stolen this year and at a cost of £400 each to replace is money the council cannot afford to lose.

In Essex thieves turned up posing as road workers complete with hi-visibility jackets and removed 100 manhole covers, according to Essex police.

Covers have also gone missing in Chichester, Little Hampton and Bognor Regis, with a spokesperson for one County Council commenting; “They are putting the safety of residents at risk to make a quick buck. It is a real antisocial crime.”