It is probably only right that people live their lives without worrying too much about the myriad hazards that could befall them; although ideally not to the extent that their actions become reckless. It is important to strike a healthy balance between action and caution if a life is to be enjoyed fully and yet in relative safety. During recent weeks, much attention has been focused on the dangers of ice and snow, which have cost hundreds of lives throughout the world – largely as a result of exposure to freezing temperatures and injuries caused by slips or falls. In fact, the NHS has seen a deluge of admissions during the past few weeks as hospitals have experienced huge rises in weather-related personal injuries. Continue reading →

The law – especially in relation to negligence claims – can often appear uncertain. In fact, one of the first and most useful points of law a solicitor is taught to understand when assessing the merits of a case (at least those not pertaining to strict liability) is that an initial query can always be answered by the words: “it depends”. Ultimately, the law can be used as a shield, weapon or both; indeed, there is rarely a question of law that cannot be answered from multiple angles, which is partly why the justice system Continue reading →

Amid numerous reports of public sector payouts to teachers and council employees across the country, Unison has announced that it won 242 compensation cases for its members living or working in the South West of the UK during 2009. The cases amounted to almost £3 million in personal injury compensation, which was paid out to public sector workers represented by the union. The General Secretary of Unison, Dave Prentis, told The Plymouth Herald newspaper that many of the cases involved back injuries relating to slips and falls in the workplace, which remain a common hazard for many employees across Britain Continue reading →

The Telegraph online news service recently reported details of compensation payouts that had been made to staff and students of various schools throughout England and Wales. Rekindling the debate on Britain’s so-called ‘compensation culture’, the report suggests that during 2009 teachers in English and Welsh schools made claims for compensation that totalled more than £18 million. This staggering figure has attracted criticism from Matthew Sinclair of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, who was reported as saying that taxpayers “will be outraged to see so much of their money going to dodgy compensation claims in their schools Continue reading →

Road traffic accidents are a common hazard both at home and abroad, with many such incidents involving minor prangs, scrapes and bumps. Unfortunately, personal injury is also a feature of road traffic accidents and it is common for people to experience bruising and whiplash injuries even in the seemingly most innocuous of accidents. Worse still, around 42,000 people die every year on European roads. With this in mind, it is worth considering the value of the Euro NCAP, which conducts a number of tests on popular cars sold in Europe with the aim of providing motorists with reliable information as to their safety Continue reading →

Although the festive season has well and truly arrived, many people will opt to travel abroad this Christmas in search of warmer – or perhaps colder – surroundings. Indeed, Christmas can be a miserable and depressing time of the year for many people in Britain, which is arguably why the festive period traditionally experiences a rise in suicides (although carol singers, overbearing families and seemingly endless television repeats may also play a part in this). In any case, travelling abroad for the Christmas period is often seen as a pleasant alternative to sitting at home in damp and dreary Britain. However, as a British tourist recently discovered, foreign holiday resorts are far from immune to misery and disaster Continue reading →

n the current economic climate, holding down a steady job is arguably more important than ever, especially when the cost of living has continued to rise throughout the recession. Indeed, many people have found themselves putting work ahead of almost everything else this year, as rising unemployment, increased domestic energy bills and inflated supermarket prices have contributed to one of the worst economic years in living memory. However, putting work ahead of safety should never be an issue, which is why the Health and Safety Executive takes a very dim view of those employers who risk the life and limb of any employee Continue reading →

At this time of the year, it is fairly common to hear of car accidents abroad that leave holidaymakers with serious injuries such as whiplash. Moreover, it is not unusual to read in the news about deaths that have been caused by negligent driving, whilst it is also common to learn of accidents that have resulted from driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. However, it is not every day that the police find themselves on the receiving end of a compensation claim Continue reading →

Car accidents abroad are a common source of misery for countless holidaymakers each year, not least because the typical issues affecting domestic road traffic accidents are usually multiplied when dealing with foreign cases. However, despite such difficulties, a typical victim of a car accident abroad will still be able to make a successful claim for compensation in many cases. Continue reading →

The recent case of Parker and TUI UK [2009] EWCA (Civ. 1261) serves to remind the victims of potentially foreseeable accidents that compensation is not always available to those who embark on hazardous adventures. In the case, Mrs Susan Parker had suffered a personal injury whilst on a winter holiday at a popular Austrian ski resort. The specific details of the case are such that Mrs Parker, who suffers from MS, lost control of her toboggan having remounted it against the general advice of the tour operator Continue reading →