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A national day of mourning is taking place in Russia today after the death toll hits 112 following a blaze at the Lame Horse Nightclub in the city of Perm, Sky News (source) and the BBC have reported (source).

It is reported that around 130 people were admitted to hospital with serious burns and 80 victims were flown to Moscow St Petersburg and Chelyabinsk for medical treatment. Entertainment events and television programs have been cancelled with flags flying at half mast as Russia mourns the tragedy and pays its respects to the victims and the families of those involved.

People have gathered at the central morgue in Perm to lay flowers and light candles outside the venue the tragedy occurred at, and the first funerals have in the central cathedral in Perm with all day memorial services taking place.
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Drink driving – I discussed this yesterday. But it seems there is a lot more out there on road traffic accidents and the effects of drink related driving…

In the run up to Christmas the BBC have reported that the current drink driving limit is to be reviewed by legal experts following a recent move to lower the current limit, and laws are to be tightened on driving under the influence of narcotics (source).

The current drink driving limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or the equivalent of roughly (and by roughly we mean very roughly – this should not be used as a guide and is a very broad comparative spectrum!) two pints of ordinary strength a beer for a man. An independent research report is to be conducted by Sir Peter North and will be presented to the Transport Secretary Lord Adonis before April 2010.

According to the report, there is growing public concern over the driving under the influence of narcotics and there is support for lowering the drink drive limit to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, coming at the launch of the government’s £1.2m anti-drink-drive campaign for Christmas.
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There is a clear reason why driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics is illegal; a person driving under the influence is in no way in full control of their vehicle. It’s no surprise therefore why so many accidents are caused as a result of a driver under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, and it’s the time of year when police step up their game to catch the Christmas and New Year law breakers.

And the results of a road traffic accident involving drink or drugs are often devastating, and sadly fatal.

The BBC  have reported of the story of a teenager left paralysed after a crash that killed three other teenagers due to the driver being under the influence of alcohol (source).
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Any products we purchase must be safe to use and to a sufficient standard, with most products nowadays undergoing rigorous health and safety testing to ensure no one can come to harm from its use.

It’s an important element in the Sale of Goods and Services Act 1982 (source), and is even more important when the product is for infant use.

Sky news has reported of a call for a ban on a particular type of baby bottle that contains a chemical that is believed to be linked with breast cancer among other conditions (source). The National Childbirth Trust claims there is “compelling evidence” that the chemical can lead to serious health conditions with some experts believing children are even more vulnerable to the effects.
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Road traffic accidents are the more common cases of personal injury claims. We at The Injury Lawyers don’t half see a lot of them!

Road accidents are common; and no matter how big or small the incident, the injuries a victim of a negligent driver can suffer can be sometimes be quite serious.

Here are some common examples of where you may stand should you be injured in an accident:
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A man who has been left with serious brain damage has been awarded £3.2m in damages after “critical delays” during his hospital treatment at Manor Hospital, Walsall, the mirror.co.uk has reported (source).

Doctors at the hospital failed to spot the telltale signs of meningitis when 20 year old Mark Thomas was admitted to hospital at the age of 12. Medical staff only took action a considerable five days later after his parents rushed him back to hospital in severe agony.
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More than 150 people have been forced to evacuate their homes after a fire broke out and spread fast in the Peckham area of South London early Friday morning, according to a report from the BBC (source).

More than 125 fire-fighters are tackling the blaze which has so far consumed an entire construction site and spread to two blocks of apartments and a local pub at 04:30 this morning, with reports of “flying debris” and “cars ablaze” in the streets. An eyewitness stated to have seen flames shooting 20ft in to the air from apartments and mass pandemonium.

Reports have so far indicated that only one person has been admitted to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, deemed not life threatening, with no other known casualties, and ambulances on standby at the scene.
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Around one million women are victims of domestic violence at least once a year (that’s just shy of 1 in 60!) according to the British Crime Survey statistics outlined in the BBC’s recent report on a new Government scheme aimed at stamping out  domestic violence at a grassroots level (source).

According to the report every school pupil from the age of five in England as part of the curriculum will be taught that domestic violence is unacceptable under new plans coming in to force in 2011. Under the plans children will be taught about gender equality and how to prevent violent relationships as part of the reformed curriculum in the statutory Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) lessons. Trainee teachers will have to be have to learn about teaching the new curriculum before being able to qualify.
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The most common personal injury cases are usually some form of road traffic accident. At the Injury Lawyers we really do take a lot of road traffic cases on daily, with the majority of the cases not being too serious in nature. Unfortunately sometimes the accidents can be rather severe…

According to BBC reports (source) a major collision on the M8 motorway in Glasgow near Junction 15 brought traffic to a standstill late yesterday night, forcing authorities to close the road throughout the night and reopen early this morning.

According to the report the accident was the result of a vehicle travelling the wrong direction down the carriageway in to oncoming traffic! Police are yet to confirm the identity of the driver and have warned motorists to expect delays on the road and have made an urgent plea for eyewitnesses.
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The mirror.co.uk has reported the story of the lady who was the victim of a violent carjacking which left her fighting for her life. Caroline Jonhson has been left wheelchair bound after a drug addict stole her car whilst she was scraping ice from the wind shield (source).

Kevin Richardson, 34, drove off and dragged the 46 year old mother of four for a staggering 65ft before leaving her for dead on the road, frothing at the mouth and swearing at her behind the wheel. The theft of the vehicle is thought to be related to the offenders drug related habit as it is reported he and an associate where out all night looking for drugs when they targeted their victim.

Mrs Johnson fell in to a coma for weeks, with her heart stopping in the ambulance after sustaining horrific injuries including a collapsed lung and multiple fractures pelvis, arms, legs, lower back, and most of her ribs.
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