The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has this week published a report of its investigation into Britain’s meat processing industry, which has long been suspected of providing inadequate working conditions for a significant percentage of employees. Continue reading →

Risk is a part of everyday life and, unfortunately, accidents that result in injury can occur in almost any situation. However, personal injury claims often arise where accidents are caused by the negligent acts or omissions of other people. The question of liability in personal injury claims usually hinges on several key points: whether a duty of care existed between the defendant and the claimant; whether this duty of care was breached; and whether the breach of the duty of care caused the claimant’s injury. Continue reading →

The Health and Safety Executive launched a campaign last month that was aimed at informing construction workers as to the dangers of exposure to silica dust, which is released by workers who cut stone, concrete or masonry on a regular basis and can cause serious lung disease. The Health and Safety Executive’s ‘Shattered Lives’ campaign has also attracted the support of Darlington College, whose teachers and students enjoy safe learning environments in the joinery, brickwork, plastering, plumbing, motor vehicle training and kitchen areas. In a new campaign designed to further reduce the number of deaths and serious no win no fee Continue reading →

Potholes and personal injury claims are likely to become better acquaintances this year after the AA warned of a sharp rise in cracks and craters affecting British roads following a spell of unseasonably cold weather. The AA estimates that there are currently around 1.5 million potholes in the UK and that local authorities are ultimately to blame for them. Continue reading →

The Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) will today officially launch the Vulnerable Workers Project at the Hallmark Hotel in Derby. The Vulnerable Workers Project has been devised by UCATT to address concerns that construction workers – particularly apprentices, migrant workers and agency workers – are vulnerable to exploitation and thus regularly forced to work in dangerous environments. In addition to raising awareness of the issue in order to improve the attitudes of both construction workers and their employers, UCATT hopes that the project will help to reduce the number of personal injury claims Continue reading →

Members of the British Armed Forces who are injured in Iraq or Afghanistan may be eligible for increased compensation payouts under plans announced by the Ministry of Defence last week. Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth brought the changes before Parliament after a review of the armed forces compensation scheme had been carried out by former chief of defence Admiral Lord Boyce. Following intense public pressure to address the plight of injured servicemen and women in the country, the Ministry of Defence has agreed to implement all of the changes recommended by Admiral Lord Boyce Continue reading →

The recent case of a community enforcement officer who was equipped with poorly fitting body armour by his employer has attracted considerable anger from union officials. Anthony Roach, aged 31, sustained serious back and shoulder pain after he was required to wear defective body armour for almost a year. Community enforcement officers frequently deal with stressful situations in environments that are potentially very dangerous, so the wearing of protective body armour is essential. Unlike some other forms of body armour, the type issued to community enforcement officers is usually designed to protect against stabbings. As such, the body armour incorporates relatively lightweight Continue reading →

fter a spate of product recalls in the US during 2009, Toyota’s decision to extend some of its most recent recalls to the UK, Europe and China has been made ahead of the first British claim for compensation relating to a defective Toyota vehicle. In September of 2009, Toyota announced the largest recall in its history, which covered an estimated 4 million cars in the US. The decision to announce a recall was made after a defect in certain models of Toyota was identified. The defect related to a mechanical fault that could cause accelerator pedals to become trapped in floor mats Continue reading →

It is often mistakenly thought that personal injuries in the workplace only occur where high risk occupations are concerned – heavy machine operators, high-rise construction workers, fire fighters and so on. After all, exactly how dangerous is a ground floor call centre office? Unfortunately, accidents can and do occur in all types of workplace, so the answer is simply “as dangerous as anywhere else”. In fact, slips, trips and falls account for many of the compensation claims that arise after accidents at work, so it is by no means the case that heavy machinery or dangerous activities are required Continue reading →

Many people have a tendency to take their safety for granted when travelling in cars and other vehicles on British roads. Unfortunately, the slender panels of steel or aluminium that appear to protect the occupants of a vehicle from the external world do not always provide adequate safety. In the case of high speed accidents, the fragility of cars can become truly apparent – and usually with devastating consequences. In fact, over 3,000 deaths occur on British roads each year as a result of car accidents, whilst a further 30,000 or so people are seriously injured. Continue reading →