Janet Morritt who works for the Macmillan Cancer Charity, was shopping in the store when she slipped after stepping in a puddle. The slip caused her to fall against a display stand and unable to save herself she ended up on the floor.

Mrs. Morritt, required an emergency operation after the incident and now has a metal plate in her hip, she is unable to walk far without the assistance of a walking stick and for longer journeys requires the use of a wheelchair.

A prawn cocktail spill which originated from the salad counter created the puddle which caused the accident. Mrs. Morritts’ legal team claimed that the store was negligent and had exposed her to unnecessary risk.

Marks & Spencer disputed Mrs. Morritts claim stating that the pensioner had a “duty to watch where she placed her feet”.

Following a Court ruling the retail giant was ordered to pay Mrs. Morritt £7,500 in compensation.

The man was rendered unconscious when the wagon crushed him against a wall in Salisbury Terrace, Darlington. The man who has not been named was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital, where he required stitches to repair a head wound.

Another council employee describing the incident to the Darlington Northern Echo said; “The wagon was backing into a lane when it hit him with the bin lift.” He went on to say that the council employee was very fortunate not to have been more seriously injured and blamed the accident on increased pressure at work. “We have to cut corners a hell of a lot to save money,” he said.

Darlington County Council have refuted the claims and a spokesperson for the council said the incident would be fully investigated by the councils health and safety team, with appropriate action being taken to prevent any such incident happening in the future.

The dustman involved is still off work as a result of his injuries. It is not known if he will be pursuing a work accident compensation claim.

David Whyte was shocked to discover he had been included in a mortality study which will give Government scientists access to his medical records when he dies.

Mr. Whyte was amongst 20,000 ex-servicemen who witnessed the atmospheric nuclear testing, which took part in areas of the Pacific Ocean.

Over a thousand veterans are currently involved in a compensation battle with the Ministry of Defence, claiming that they were exposed to dangerously high levels of radiation during the testing, which affected not only their health but the health of their children and grandchildren.

The M.O.D is disputing the claims, stating that the high incidence of cancers and genetic defects amongst the ex-servicemen and their families was merely a coincidence.

Mr Whyte was based on Christmas Island in 1958 and his duties involved clearing up debris left by the detonation of five bombs. In later life he developed stomach problems and became sterile.

David’s inclusion in the research only came to light when he used the Freedom of Information Act to discover he had been included in the mysterious mortality study. The ex-army engineer, said: “To find out you will be included in medical research you have not agreed to after you’ve died is horrifying.”

Austrian skier Matthias Lanzinger broke both his shin and fibula when he crashed during the World Cup event; the crash also caused major damage to blood vessels, which severely restricted blood circulation in the damaged limb.

He received treatment for his injuries at a specialised clinic in Oslo but due to complications the decision was made to amputate, just below the left knee.

Lanzingers lawyers are now claiming that the treatment the skier received was incorrect and was responsible for bringing his promising Alpine Ski career to a premature end.

Organisers of the World Cup event also came under criticism for what was described as a shocking lack of safety measures. No medical helicopter was available to transport the skier to hospital; Lanzinger had to be taken in a helicopter used by tourists. Alfred Gusenbauer, the Austrian Chancellor commented at the time, “I can’t understand how a World Cup race could be organized at such a low safety level.”

A spokesperson representing Lanzingers legal team said that the claim could take several months making it too early to discuss the amount of compensation involved.

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.

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.

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.”

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

Richard Gardner had been in the police force for twelve years when he suffered injuries to his knees and back during a struggle with a man in Birmingham City Centre, the Birmingham Mail is reporting.

Mr. Gardner required multiple operations on his knees following the incident and had to take several months off work.

After making several attempts to return to his duties the former police officer claims that West Midlands Police made no allowances for his disability, caused by the injuries he received whilst on duty, and as a result he was forced to resign.

The ex-police officer stated; “I was accused of not telling the truth about my injuries and attempts were made to get me back to work although I was totally unfit, I believe there was a manipulation by the police and the medical process in assessing my condition.”

Mr. Gardner maintains that the force could have found him less demanding duties and possibly reduced his working hours in view of his disability.

West Midlands Police are disputing the compensation claim.

Robert Fletcher, 18 of Golborne, near Wigan, had a severe convulsion 10 days after receiving the combined Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine, when he was just over a year old. He now requires constant care, is unable to speak, feed himself or stand without assistance and also suffers recurrent epileptic fits.

A medical panel decided that the MMR vaccine was to blame for Roberts’s condition, a decision which will re-ignite the controversy surrounding Dr Andrew Wakefield, who in 1998 suggested a link between MMR and autism. His remark advocating that parents should opt for single injections for measles, mumps and rubella led to a massive drop in the number of children actually being inoculated against these diseases.

Dr. Wakefield was subsequently discredited and struck off the medical register. Speaking at the time, he said: “I have been asked to go because my research results are unpopular.”

The Department of Health said; “The safety of MMR has been endorsed through numerous studies in many countries. Thankfully, more parents are having their children vaccinated with MMR and consider it as safe as other childhood vaccines.”

A recent outbreak of measles in Wilmslow, Cheshire has been blamed on children not being inoculated against the disease. Dr Sam Ghebrehewet of the Cheshire and Merseyside Health Protection Unit said; “Measles is potentially a very serious – and on rare occasions fatal – disease.”

It would appear that due to conflicting evidence that parents have once again been put in the dilemma of whether or not to have their children vaccinated