Lawford Kidd's Blog

A cyclist who was forced to quit his job due to life changing injuries has been awarded £100,000 in compensation in an out of court settlement.

48-year-old Heath Marshall was left with a serious skull fracture and leg injuries following a crash involving a motorbike. He also suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as well as experiencing flashbacks of the incident. Due to the extent of the injuries, the cyclist was forced to quit his job which left him unable to save for a property which he was looking to move into with his partner and children.

As well as shattering his knee and finding it hard to concentrate on matters as a result of his head injury, the 48-year-old also had to cancel his wedding due to the injuries sustained and struggled to continue cycling, a hobby he loved.

A coroner has ruled that a primary school teacher, who was exposed to asbestos for years, died as a result of an industrial disease.

Elizabeth Belt, who had also contracted cancer, was killed following a battle with mesothelioma after being exposed to the substance when pinning artwork to pinboards in her classroom. Before her death, Belt had spoken of her exposure to asbestos in her school with the coroner confirming that it was this that eventually killed the 68-year-old.

The Law Society has criticised the government following their proposal to raise the small claims limit for personal injury claims to £5,000 and stop compensation payments for road traffic accidents and other such injuries.

The society has been critical of the changes as it believes that the system will result in unfair legal action as those who are entitled to and need compensation will be unable to obtain it.

Change to Small Claims Limit

The changes, which were announced in the Autumn Statement, saw Chancellor George Osborne raise the small claims limit and scrap damages for ‘minor’ soft tissue injuries. The government proposals would also see the removal of legal costs by transferring personal injury claims of up to £5,000 to the small claims court.

A new guide has been published by construction experts to encourage better management at construction sites and reduce the number of accidents on construction sites.

It is hoped that not only will the guide reduce the number of accidents, but also minimise the number of occupational diseases that affect hundreds of construction workers every week.

Workplace Accidents and Occupational Illness: Construction UK

Despite numerous efforts from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and safety campaigners, the construction industry is still a dangerous sectors to work in the UK with one of the highest numbers of fatal and serious accidents each year. Sadly a large number of these accidents are as a result of poor management and a failure to comply with health and safety guidance.  

It seems the winter season has arrived, and unfortunately it brings weather related accidents with it. In the winter time, far more people suffer accidents as a result of wet or icy roads and pavements. However, it may be possible to claim compensation for such accidents even if the weather is to blame. In this post we look at in what circumstances you will be able to make a personal injury claim for  a weather related accident.