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If you work, you’re probably at least vaguely aware of the importance of health and safety at work; particularly if you work in the manufacturing industry, or in a factory, or in another similar role. All employers have an important duty of care to ensure that their employees are not harmed during the course of their employment, which is why there are so many rules and regulations employers must follow.

But still, rules are broken and regulations are not followed correctly, and employees become injured through the negligence of their employers. If your employer has failed to maintain the important duty of care they have for you, and they are found to be negligent, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation for the injuries and suffering you have had to endure. So, how’s it work then?

Well, it is a legal requirement for your employers to have an employer’s liability insurance policy in place to cover all of their employees for any injuries they sustain during the course of their employment. You are completely free, and legally entitled, to claim for compensation from it. In fact, the insurance is there for that very purpose!
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OK, so not so much of an original topic given my last blog about road accident madness. But the “madness” theme spreads across all walks of life, and all forms of claims for personal injury. As a specialist firm of personal injury experts, we take on all sorts of claims, given the sheer volume of cases we take on daily; and sometimes we genuinely have to ask ourselves – “how was this allowed to happen?”

Health and safety laws, rules, and regulations are there for very good and very sensible reasons – to prevent people from coming to harm. Never mind what the ConDems say about “elf and safety gawn mad”, if you follow the practices and procedures in place, no one should come to harm. So when people and companies break rules and regulations to such extents that their actions can be classed as “mad”, you do have to ask yourself how on earth they managed to break the rules so tremendously bad.

Personally, I tend to class some of the more simple rules broken as madness. For example, councils failing to inspect and maintain their jurisdiction of highway on a regular basis. It only needs to be done every 3 – 12 months or so, dependant on the use of the road or pathway. A simple inspection can identify defects, and workman can be contracted to repair them. It seems basic enough to me. But there are still highways authorities that fail to follow the rules – meaning claims can be brought against them.
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Road accidents are a daily occurrence. We at The Injury Lawyers take on countless claims for victims of negligent drivers in their search for justice and the compensation they are legally entitled to receive. With the winter months setting in and the weather worsening, I expect a noticeable increase in the volume of road accident claims we take on; which is a common trend.

But every now and then, a road accident is not just a road accident. Sometimes, it seems like shear madness is the cause of negligence – so here’s a couple of stories from Sky News and The Daily Mail of incidents that certainly have an air of craziness about them.

According to one report from Sky News (Melbourne Mum Crashes Car Crammed With Seven Kids), a 35 year old woman from Melbourne, Australia, is being investigated by police after she crashed an unregistered ’92 Mitsubishi Magna which was carrying seven children; including three in the boot! She was allegedly over the drink-drive limit (which is not surprising, and certainly explains, but does not excuse, her actions) when she drove the car off of the road and in to a parked vehicle.
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We all know that it can be a bit of a task to find a restaurant suitable for your baby to dine with you. Babies are noisy and messy; a fact which many restaurant-goers can often take offence to. So it’s nice to find a good restaurant with facilities like high chairs and baby changing rooms to accommodate for your needs. But be afraid – in fact, be very afraid – at this next report from the Daily Mail, as the facilities the restaurants are kind enough to provide may actually be putting your baby at risk…

According to the report (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319401/And-baby-comes–But-watch–restaurant-high-chairs-harbour-bacteria-average-toilet-seat.html), restaurant high chairs harbour more bacteria than the average toilet seat, according to concerning research from Microban, a leading brand of anti-bacterial products. Swabs from high chairs in 30 different restaurants found that the average number of bacteria on a high chair was 147 per square centimetre. Compare this to the average toilet seat, which has just 8 per square centimetre, and you’ve got yourself a concerning comparison.

The results reportedly varied considerably, with some being relatively clean, and others as high as 1,200 bacteria per square centimetre! I’m no microbiologist – but look at the comparison between a toilet seat with 8 bacteria per square centimetre, and a baby’s high chair with 1,200 bacteria per square centimetre, and try not to share the look of absolute shock I have on my face right now! The research also found bacteria such as E-coli, Staph Aureus and Enterococcus Faecalis – all of which can cause upset stomachs and serious illness to babies and children.
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We at The Injury Lawyers, as expert specialist personal injury solicitors, are used to dealing with high value claims for personal injury. Our experience and specialism means that we guarantee maximum payouts for our clients, and we are best equipped to deal with serious injury claims. With these types of claims, it’s all about ensuring that we get the justice the victim deserves, so they can have a better quality of life in circumstances where they have been permanently disadvantaged.

So, here’s a story of a tragic accident that left a talented young sixth former with permanent disabilities after a road accident, according to sources from the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1318558/Beautiful-smiling-teenager-wins-record-17-5m-compensation-car-crash-left-catastrophic-injuries.html).
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We at The Injury Lawyers are experts in the field of personal injury; it’s all we do! So we are used to seeing a huge variety of claims and a variety of clients. And we often see in the news, and take on ourselves, what some people might call high profile claims for compensation.

So, here’s one from sources from the BBC News about an extra on the new Transformers 3 film (which, on a separate note, I personally can’t wait for – let’s hope it’s better than the second one!) who is suing the film company for a serious injury he sustained whilst working on the set (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11485712).

According to the report, the family of Gabriela Cedillo have filed a law suit against Paramount after a thick slab of metal became dislodged from a stunt car and struck the 24 year old actress in the head, leaving her  with permanent brain damage, partially paralysed, and unable to speak and her left eye stitched shut.  It’s a truly devastating story that has left a young actress with life changing disabilities. The family’s lawyer, Todd Smith, has reportedly said that the accident last month was “something that certainly should never have happened, something that we believe occurred as a result of carelessness“.
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In a car, we can survive driving over a pothole or a defect in the road – don’t get me wrong, an accident could still occur, and the council may be liable; but on a motorbike or a bicycle, riding over a pothole or a defect in the road could be a whole different story.

The inspiration for this article comes from my own witness account of this happening just yesterday. A gentleman  on a bicycle, who was fully kitted out with a safety helmet, elbow and wrist guards, and a high visibility jacket, rode over a manhole cover where a section of the concrete just before the covers’ edge had somehow either eroded away or had been taken away; causing a sudden dip in the road surface. The gentleman was clearly an experienced rider, given the impressive looking cycle and the extent of his safety gear; but when you’re concentrating on the road ahead and traffic around you, it’s not easy to spot a hole in the road!
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Road accidents are a daily occurrence –sadly, they affect us all. It’s pretty common to have been in one nowadays, and we at The Injury Lawyers are here to help the victims of negligent drivers that have caused accidents.

So, what should you do if you have been injured in a car accident that wasn’t your fault? As a blameless victim, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation. What you need is an independent expert solicitor representing you for your case. Here are a few tips on what to do and what to avoid:
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We at The Injury Lawyers get a lot of enquires from people who wish to make claims against a council or local authority for the state of the highways. If we believe the defect is significant enough, we will normally take the claim on under our Genuine No Win No Fee. But there is some important information people should be aware of for when they are considering pursuing a claim – so here’s some advice on what to do, and what to know:

I have been injured due to the state of a pathway or a road – what should I do?

Firstly, I should hope you have had some medical attention; particularly if you are suffering quite badly. It’s easy to break a bone on a solid concrete pathway, but even if you are lucky enough to avoid a fracture, always go and see your GP or visit the nearest walk in centre / hospital for medical attention.
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Motorcycle accidents often have massive impacts for those involved. Without the added protection a car offers, motorcyclists are vulnerable to serious injuries if they are hit or knocked off of their bike by another vehicle.

There have been numerous campaigns over the years trying to inform car, van and truck drivers to be even more careful and look out for motorbikes on the roads.

We decided to help the cause and print a few useful tips for drivers out there to take on-board and make sure you stay safe on the roads and don’t end up in an accident with a motorbike.
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