Lawford Kidd's Blog

Despite health and safety initiatives having even more scope into the world of employment and some campaigns to try and reduce the number of accidents that occur in the UK, sadly, millions of people are injured each year,

Often people are injured due to their own actions. However, a significant percentage of people suffer severe injury through no fault of their own.

If you are injured as a result of negligence or careless from another, then you could be entitled to take legal action and obtain compensation. Regardless of the extent of your injury, we believe that no one should be injured through no fault of their own. Many people are injured but are unsure whether or not they can obtain compensation, however, we have compiled a list of the most common types of accidents and what you need to make a claim.

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has been ordered by a US court to pay around $51 million in compensation to the family of a woman who suffered from ovarian cancer, allegedly caused by regular use of the company’s talcum powder.

The case was heard in St. Louis, Missouri where the jury determined that the company had failed in their obligation to warn users of the potential risks of using the product, despite the American Cancer Society raising concerns about the product in 1999. Many US manufacturers have since switched to using corn starch as a result of the concerns. However, a number of manufacturers in the UK continue to use alleged cancer- causing substance talcum.

Johnson & Johnson is now facing 1200 lawsuits in the United States as a result of the ruling, with users claiming they were not adequately warned about the risks of using the product.

In our previous blog, we told the story of a woman who is claiming £4.2million in compensation after her career was devastated as a result of a tripping accident at a London pub. Carmen Mazo, a HR consultant claims that her award of £156,871 isn’t even close to reflecting the loss she has suffered as a result of her accident - indicating that she would be making around £700 per day were it not for her fall. Ms Mazo suffered a wrist injury which has left her with prominent and significant scarring as well as psychological issues affecting not only her work but also her social life and confidence. This is an interesting case and one which has highlighted a need to provide those who have suffered accidents with an outline of how compensation is calculated, and how much they could be entitled to after suffering an injury.

A HR representative who sustained a fractured wrist after tripping over a rope outside of a pub in London.

Following the incident, Carmen Mazo, suffered an injury as a result of her fall in the Notting Hill area. As well as suffering pain due to the incident, she also claims that the accident destroyed her career and resulted in her having unsightly scars and post-traumatic arthritis. Furthermore she also claimed that the incident had a devastating impact on her mental health and social life.

The legal action currently being sought by Mazo comes despite the claimant having already taken legal action. In 2013, Mazo was awarded £156,871 at Central London county court after she sued the pub’s operators and they admitted liability for the accident. However, she has been given permission to appeal against the amount she was awarded as she believes that she is entitled to a significantly larger sum.

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.