Pages On: Workplace Injuries

Out of court settlement for care worker attacked five times

Posted: 1 May 2016

Posted in: Criminal Injury and Assault, Employer Negligence, Leg Injuries, Shoulder Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A carer, who was working in a residential children’s home in West Bromwich, has received an undisclosed amount of compensation from her employer after being attacked five times by the same resident. The carer, who had worked for the home for nine years and had opted to remain unnamed, was initially hit on the legs by a chair. She was struck so violently with the chair that a permanent dent was left on her leg. She reported the attack to her employers, believing that the assailant would be moved to a secure unit…

Vibration White Finger victim wins £42K in compensation

Posted: 1 May 2016

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Industrial Deafness and Disease

A worker who had been working for Derbyshire County Council has won £42,000 in compensation in a case brought before Manchester County Court.  The road worker from Derby had been working for his employer since 1973, during which time he had been required to use vibrating tools. Over the years, he developed Vibration White Finger and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, both of which could be directly linked to his prolonged exposure to vibrating tools and machinery. The court was told by his solicitors, who were appointed through the worker’s trade union, that at…

£290,000 awarded to widow of electrician exposed to Asbestos for 42 years

Posted: 21 April 2016

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Mesothelioma

The widow of an electrician, who died after a two year battle against the asbestos-related disease, mesothelioma, has been awarded £290,000 in compensation by his ex-employer. The widow, who has opted to remain anonymous, described how shocked her husband was on learning the news. She said: “My husband had no idea that his job could lead to him being so ill.  He was never warned about the dangers until the damage had already been done”. The husband had worked for Western Power Distribution, now EDF, for 42 years during which time he would…

Top London hotel compensates injured staff member

Posted: 12 April 2016

Posted in: Foot Injuries, Hotel Accidents, Public Place Accidents, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

A 63-year-old employee of the five star Savoy Hotel in London has received £9,000 in compensation for an injury he received whilst in their employ. Mr Luis Castillo, from Croydon, had been working for the luxury hotel for 17 years, and was hoping to continue in his role of waiter and sommelier until his retirement. Following the accident, however, he became unable to stand for long periods of time due to the injury he had sustained to his foot.  Mr Castillo had been moving through the kitchen area carrying a tray with…

Former construction worker wins compensation

Posted: 22 March 2016

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Mesothelioma

A Derbyshire former construction worker, 65-year-old Peter Bowler, has won his compensation claim against his former employer, after being diagnosed with the fatal lung disease mesothelioma. Mr Bowler worked for the same construction worker for two years in the seventies, where he was exposed to asbestos present in corrugated roofing sheets that he had to carry over his shoulder, then cut and drill to fix into position. At that time, his job was to build agricultural buildings such as hen houses, barns and stables. A hearing learned that Mr Bowler would go home…

Death caused by potential breach of health and safety rules

Posted: 30 January 2016

Posted in: Road Traffic Accidents, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A trial is currently underway to look into the tragic death of 62-year-old Philip Ledward from Whitchurch in Shropshire. Mr Ledward, who was working for Arkenfield Stable Hire Ltd, died in November 2011 after being hit by a car whilst helping a lorry to reverse into a yard in the dark.  Mold Crown Court were told that it was “an accident waiting to happen”, and the company and general manager Phillip Sutton are standing accused of breaching health and safety rules. Both deny the charges. Arkenfield, of Bronington, Wrexham County, have…

Help for Gulf War Syndrome sufferers

Posted: 19 January 2016

Posted in: Armed Forces Injuries, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

25 years after the conflict in the Gulf, the Royal British Legion are calling for more help for veterans suffering from so called Gulf War Syndrome. The condition, which is thought to affect around 33,000 former soldiers, includes symptoms such as chronic fatigue, joint pain, memory problems, headaches and sleeplessness. Sufferers have also reported respiratory disorders, psychological problems, irritable bowel and digestive problems. The charity has requested that more funding should be made available from the government to research the condition as too little is known about it. 60% suffering…

MoD ‘breaking its own safety rules’

Posted: 24 December 2015

Posted in: Armed Forces Injuries, Employer Negligence, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Two lawyers are to inform MPs that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has repeatedly failed to follow its own safety guidelines on a number of occasions, leading to hundreds of injuries each year for military personnel. The lawyers will tell the Defence Select Committee inquiry that the regulations are being routinely ignored, and, that had they not been ignored, the deaths of three soldiers during an SAS selection course would have been prevented. The three army reservists – Edward Maher, Craig Roberts and James Dunsby – had been taking part…

Fatal heat illness not recognised

Posted: 1 December 2015

Posted in: Armed Forces Injuries, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

After a soldier died following an intensive punishment exercise, an inquest has revealed that no clear risk assessment was carried out beforehand, which would have been enough to save his life. 22-year-old Pte Gavin Williams was ordered to carry out the informal punishment exercise for being absent without leave. On one of the hottest days of 2006, he was forced to undergo the gym exercise known as “beasting”. Pte Williams, of Hengoed, Caerphilly County, collapsed at the Lucknow Barracks in Wiltshire shortly after the exercise. His superiors failed to recognise…

High rate of asbestos deaths in Tamworth

Posted: 24 August 2015

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Mesothelioma

Recently released figures have revealed that 23 people in Tamworth died from the asbestos-related lung cancer mesothelioma between 2010 and 2014. Campaigners argue that more needs to be done to help sick and dying workers, with 7.5 deaths per 100,000 people caused by the illness in Tamworth. It currently stands as the 17h highest mortality rate in England and Wales for the illness. The president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), Jonathan Wheeler, said that the asbestos-related disease is “a legacy of Britain’s industrial heritage”. APIL, a non-profit…

Steward wins £5,500 compensation following pitch invasion

Posted: 30 July 2015

Posted in: Foot Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Sporting Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A safety steward has been awarded £5,500 in compensation after seriously damaging his Achilles tendon during a pitch invasion at the Millennium Stadium. 48-year-old Mark Day suffered the injury while tackling a pitch invader at an international rugby match in Cardiff in 2013. Mr Day took the Welsh Rugby Union to court, claiming that the injury has stopped him from enjoying his “social life” and competing with his local running club. The WRU rejected liability for the injury, claiming that it was only soft tissue damage and that Mr Day…

Firm fined following worker fall

Posted: 23 July 2015

Posted in: Falls from Heights, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A Cardiff-based building firm has been fined £200,000 after a worker fell to his death from a department store front in 2011. 60-year-old Philip Evans, from Penarth, Vale of Glanmorgan, had been contracted to repair glass above a Debenhams store entrance in Exeter when he fell through the opening. He died from the severity of his injuries. Mr Evans had been working for Cardiff-based London Fenestration Trades when the accident happened in November 2011. The firm was sub-contracted by construction firm Sir Robert McAlpine – both firms pleaded guilty to…

Bosses to make workplace healthier and happier

Posted: 29 June 2015

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Workplace Injuries

Where around 27 million working days were lost in 2012/13 in England, Wales and Scotland due to illness and stress, managers across the country have been told to “raise their game” by chief health advisers. Guidelines drawn up by NICE, the health watchdog, suggest that employers keep their staff happy by only allowing them to work reasonable hours and encouraging them to take regular breaks. NICE believe that this will not only increase staff morale, but will benefit the productivity of the business as a whole. Figures reveal that society…

Injured marine’s wife fears for future

Posted: 31 May 2015

Posted in: Accidents and Sickness Abroad, Armed Forces Injuries, Neck Injuries, Workplace Injuries

The wife of a Marine left paralysed following a diving accident fears for the future after a losing battle for compensation. 27-year-old Spencer Vaughan, from Cwmbran in Torfaen, broke his neck diving into shallow waters in the Canary Islands in July 2009. Because the Royal Marine had been off work at the time of his injury, the High Court ruled that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was not liable for his injuries. Mr Vaughan’s wife, Jodie, said that she is worried for their financial future when his employment comes to…

Slips, trips, and falls

Posted in: Public Place Accidents, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

Have you slipped on an icy pavement or fallen over wiring in a shop? Have you had a similar experience with a different hazard? Did it cause an injury? If you are answering yes to these questions, you could be entitled to slip, trip, and fall compensation. Why not contact Accident Claims Cardiff? Making a claim for compensation can be easy with our expert help. How do I know if I am entitled to slip, trip, and fall compensation? If you have the slightest inclination that you might be entitled to compensation…

Building & Construction Site Accident Claims

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

Building sites are especially hazardous areas to work in. The physical labour required and the heavy and dangerous materials and equipment used on building sites present a lot of opportunities for workplace accidents to occur. Workers in the building and construction industry are therefore particularly vulnerable to suffering an injury in a building site accident or contracting an industrial disease. Fortunately, the law recognises the inherent risks involved in working in construction and allows people to make a building site accident claim if they suffer an injury on a site…

North Wales police pay out over £50,000 to officers

Posted: 1 February 2015

Posted in: Finger Injuries, Hip Injuries, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Leg Injuries, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

North Wales police officers have been awarded over £50,000 through personal injury claims over the last five years. The information was gathered as a result of a Freedom of Information request, which found that officers had claimed for incidents ranging from slipping on wet surfaces to exposure to excessive noise. A total of £53,615 was paid out to nine claimants since 2009, with a further four claims still ongoing. The biggest payout was made in 2010/11 to an officer who severely injured their pelvis and hips while carrying out his…

Family calls for inquiry over mine deaths

Posted: 30 November 2014

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

The family of one of the men killed in the Gleision mine tragedy has called for a public inquiry. Four men were drowned in the 2011 accident after 650,000 gallons of water flooded the mine they were working in following a controlled explosion. The parents of one of the men said they are still seeking answers. Charles Breslin (62), David Powell (50), Philip Hill (44), and Gary Jenkins (39) were all working in the drift mine when the accident happened three years ago. A controlled explosion was carried out in the…

Accidents at Work Lawyers in Cardiff

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

When you’re in a workplace, the law puts certain duties on the business to encourage them to keep you, your colleagues, and anyone else, safe from accidents at work. It requires them to ‘take all reasonable steps’ to prevent you from suffering harm. They’re also required to inform you about health and safety issues that could affect you, and help you take action to lower the risks to yourself. If the business fails to fulfil these duties, and you suffer harm as a result, you have a right to claim…

Payouts to teachers at all time high

Posted: 27 April 2014

Posted in: Arm Injury, Head & Brain Injuries, Neck Injuries, School Accidents, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

New figures have revealed that in the last year alone, teachers have been awarded tens of millions of pounds in compensation for accidents at work.  The figures found there to have been a great increase in payouts to school staff, with the total reaching a record level.  Information produced by three of the UK’s largest unions showed that school staff were being awarded five or six-figure payouts, which totaled more than £40 million last year. The UK’s largest teachers’ union, NASUWT, said that they had secured 30% more compensation for…

Workers in hospital following chemical incident

Posted: 10 April 2014

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

Over ten employees have been rushed to hospital after a chemical incident at a foods factory.  The accident happened yesterday morning when two cleaning agents were mixed, releasing a poisonous gas. A major incident response was launched immediately after the incident at English Provender Company (EPC) on River Lane, Saltney. Around a dozen workers were taken to hospital after inhaling the dangerous gas. They were “decontaminated” before being taken to hospital in Chester.  Some of the workers were struggling to breathe due to coughing while they awaited the ambulance at…

Coalmine manager disregarded safety, causes death of four workers

Posted: 31 March 2014

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Following the deaths of four men in a coalmine accident, the manager responsible has been accused of completely disregarding their safety.  It was heard at Swansea Crown Court that the mine manager, Malcolm Fyfield, had been warned several times about the potential flooding of Gleison drift mine, but chose to take no action.  Four men lost their lives in the accident in 2011, three other workers survived, including the manager Mr Fyfield. It was heard that around 650,000 gallons of water swept through a sealed-off area of the mine, known…

Four airlifted to hospital after boat capsizes

Posted: 21 October 2013

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

After a boat capsized off the Gwynedd coast over the weekend, its four crewmembers were airlifted to hospital.  The alarm was raised by a member of public who witnessed the 15-20ft (5-6m) sailing boat overturn close to the shore between Aberdyfi and Tywyn.  After the boat capsized, the four crewmembers – who were all wearing life jackets – succeeded in swimming back to shore safely after lifeboats were unable to rescue them.  When the four crewmembers successfully made it back ashore the Aberdyfi coastguard team, who decided that they should…

Asbestos worker dies on last day of work at site

Posted: 6 August 2013

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, School Accidents, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

James Paul (26) from Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent, died on his last day of work at a school where he had been removing asbestos, his family said.  He was electrocuted when working in a suspended ceiling space at Cwmcarn High School on the 19th of July. It is believed that Mr Paul suffered cardiac arrest due to the electrocution, Gwent Coroner David Bowen heard. Mr Paul was due to be married next year to his fiancé Emily Rogers (20), together with whom he had a toddler son, Kingsley.  A statement conveyed…

Police officers remembered at National Memorial Arboretum service

Posted: 23 July 2013

Posted in: Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

As a convoy of police motorbikes headed the service of remembrance for lost members of the force this weekend, hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects.  Ten officers were mentioned on a roll of honour as they had fatally died within the past year; these officers included PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, who were killed by Dale Cregan last September. The two Greater Manchester PCs, PC Bone and PC Hughes, were killed in a gun and grenade attack after they answered a bogus 999 call made by Cregan…

Two servicemen die in training exercise

Posted: 14 July 2013

Posted in: Armed Forces Injuries, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Two servicemen have tragically died after they took part in a training exercise in the Brecon Beacons in Powys. An investigation is currently underway to find the reasoning behind the deaths, but suspicion lies with the temperatures in which the men were training.  Another of the servicemen is currently in hospital in a critical condition following Saturday’s fatal incident.  Recorded as the hottest day in Wales so far this year, (the temperature stood at around 30C/86F in Powys) it is believed that the temperature played a large role in the…

Repetitive Strain Injuries

Posted in: Repetitive Strain Injury, Workplace Injuries

Repetitive strain injury, also referred to as RSI, describes a wide variety of conditions that relate to muscle, tendon and soft tissue strain. As the name suggests, such strains are usually caused by repeatedly using a particular body part. In many situations, repetitive strain injury relates to a particular job and occurs in the workplace. If you have suffered a repetitive strain injury at work you should contact a Cardiff specialist as they will be able to talk you through the process and provide an initial assessment with regard to…

Armed Forces Compensation

Posted in: Armed Forces Injuries, Workplace Injuries

Although the majority of those serving in the armed services do not suffer any injuries, the role is such that there is always the chance of injury occurring. Regardless of whether or not you are engaged in direct combat, if you serve or have served in the armed forces and have suffered from an injury you may be entitled to armed forces compensation and one of the Cardiff legal experts in the area will be able to discuss your potential compensation claim and come to a decision as to whether…

Worker's tree fall lands farmer in court

Posted: 9 April 2013

Posted in: Neck Injuries, Workplace Injuries

An east Hampshire farm owner has been prosecuted after an untrained worker plunged over four metres from a tree as he was using a chainsaw to prune branches. The worker had climbed up into a large sycamore tree and used a rope supplied by the farm owner to tie the chainsaw to a branch. He straddled one of the tree limbs and was cutting down branches when he lost his balance and fell. The 41-year-old man dropped onto a barn below before rolling off the roof and ending up on…

Workers suffer long term damage from HAVS

Posted: 26 March 2013

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

An aerospace company has been prosecuted for failing to heed safety regulations for at least six years, leaving a group of employees with permanent nerve damage. Portsmouth Magistrates were told that five workers based on the Isle of Wight had been left with long-term damage to their circulation and nerve systems after contracting hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). The workers developed advanced symptoms of the well-known condition after prolonged use of vibrating hand tools, used as part of their work building engine. Their circulation problems mean their hands become white and…

Landscape gardener crushed by 'unsafe' skip loader

Posted: 12 March 2013

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A self-employed businessman has been given a suspended jail sentence for supplying unsafe construction equipment that led to the death of a father-of-six who was working on a garden in Reigate, Surrey. Ken Pinkerton, a 47-year-old landscape gardener, was crushed-to-death when a one-tonne skip loader he was using tipped over onto its side. He had hired the loader, a type of dumper, along with a mini-digger from the self-employed businessman, who was prosecuted for serious safety failings at Guildford Crown Court. Key flaws identified by HSE with the skip loader…

Improving safety in the waste industry

Posted: 11 March 2013

Posted in: Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A landmark summit has recently taken place to discuss options for reducing the terrible toll of death, personal injury and ill health in the waste and recycling industry. The summit was organised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum, and brought together senior figures from key players in the industry. Waste and recycling remains dangerous According to the HSE, there has been a welcome general downward trend in the rate of injury in the waste and recycling sector, but it still…

Building owner fined for asbestos exposure

Posted: 26 February 2013

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Mesothelioma

An industrial property owner has been prosecuted for exposing untrained workers to dangerous asbestos fibres following a series of failings at a building in Newport. In a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Abergavenny Magistrates’ Court heard the owner employed two workers and then helped them to remove rubbish and debris from a site that he part owned. The debris included a large amount of asbestos insulation board (AIB), which was cleaned up in an unsafe manner. Newport City Council notified HSE following concerns about the work.…

Dangers of asbestos exposure

Posted: 10 February 2013

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Mesothelioma

The risks associated with exposure to asbestos have been highlighted in a recent court case, in which two firms were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive after exposing workers to dangerous asbestos fibres. The exposure took place following a catalogue of errors by an engineering company and a building firm during a demolition and refurbishment project in Swansea. Asbestos exposure Asbestos is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK and, according to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures, is responsible over 4,500 deaths a year. Exposure…

Powys developer fined after serious injury

Posted: 29 January 2013

Posted in: Falls from Heights, Workplace Injuries

A site developer from Powys has been fined after a contractor suffered major internal injuries when he fell through a floor and was hit by a falling concrete slab. Caernarfon Crown Court heard that Andrew Wilding and his colleague were using pneumatic drills to break up an unsupported concrete floor on the first storey of a former hospital outbuilding being converted into residential accommodation. During the breaking work, the floor split and both men fell through to the ground below. A section of the broken floor slab fell on Mr…

Worker safety highlighted in Wales

Posted: 9 January 2013

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has called on employers to focus on real risk after 18 workers lost their lives while at work in Wales last year and 1,213 suffered a serious personal injury. The HSE wants to see all business rethink workplace safety provisions in the New Year after the number of deaths in Great Britain as a whole failed to show a significant fall in 2011/12. The 18 deaths and 1,213 major workplace injuries in Wales last year compare to 11 deaths and 1,141 major injuries in…

Building firm in court over life-threatening injuries

Posted: 18 December 2012

Posted in: Falls from Heights, Head & Brain Injuries, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A building firm has appeared in court after a plumber suffered life-threatening injuries in a fall at an outdoor activities centre near Gwynfe in Carmarthenshire. The 64-year-old man was working on the refurbishment of an accommodation block at the site when he fell three metres in March this year. He lost consciousness and suffered a bleed to his brain, a fracture to his cheek bone, bruised ribs and further damage to his existing back condition. He now requires morphine for his back pain and has been unable to return to…

Firm's failures led to workers' exposure to asbestos

Posted: 11 December 2012

Posted in: Asbestos Exposure, Employer Negligence, Mesothelioma

Significant safety failures by a plumbing company may have led to two workers being exposed to dangerous asbestos fibres during a major refurbishment project on flats in Aberystwyth. The workers – a site manager and a subcontractor – were not provided with information about the presence of asbestos while working at the flats between November 2010 and February 2011. The court heard that a routine inspection by the HSE found contractors carrying out refurbishment work without taking account of asbestos that may have been present. Workers had removed 82 metres of…

Vibration White Finger Compensation

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Workplace Injuries

At first, vibration white finger sounds like an unusual name for an injury. The injury gets its name from the colour that the hands / fingers turn to after heavy and continuous use of vibrating machinery. Vibration white finger usually affects employees in heavy duty environments such as builders, construction workers, oil rig employees and so on. If you are an employee that suffers from vibration white finger then you could be entitled to make a compensation claim against your employer. This is because employers have a duty of care…

Oil Rig Injuries

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

It is not hard to imagine the different types of injuries that could take place on an oil rig. You only have to look at the oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 to see that when accidents happen on oil rigs the injuries can be very serious and sometimes fatal. The biggest dangers of an oil rig come from being out at sea and therefore being potentially difficult to reach in an emergency, extreme weather conditions and fires. Offshore Accident Injury Claims Employers on oil rigs…

Office Injuries

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

Have you suffered from an office injury which was the result of the negligence of a employer or a colleague? If so, you should contact our personal injury solicitors** Cardiff as soon as possible to see if you are entitled to any compensation. Workplace Injury Claims – Office There are a number of office injuries which may allow you to claim compensation. Common examples include trips, slips and falls as a result of a slippery surface, an accident in a factory, an accident on a construction site, exposure to dangerous…

Lung Disease Compensation

Posted in: Industrial Deafness and Disease, Personal Injury

If you think you have suffered from an accident which has resulted in a lung disease, you may be able to make a claim for compensation. The safest and easiest way to do this would be to contact a solicitor** in Cardiff who specialises in personal injury claims. They will be able to offer you legal guidance to put you in the right place for making a successful claim. You may have developed a lung disease due to the negligence of your employer. The most common jobs associated with accidents…

Industrial Injuries

Posted in: Workplace Injuries

An industrial injury is an injury that has been suffered during the course of employment. Industrial injuries take place in the more demanding and dangerous working environments such as the oil, construction or engineering industries, factories and so on. As these environments are known to carry particular risks, employers have a duty of care to ensure that they keep their employees safe from harm. If the employer breaches this duty then the employee can make an industrial injury compensation claim against the employer’s insurance company. Claiming Compensation So what can…