Archives
‘Whiplash‘ is the term used to describe a neck injury caused by the sudden movement of the head. This sudden movement causes damage to the ligaments and tendons in the neck. In a whiplash injury the ligaments are usually sprained, and although the ligament is not broken it usually takes a long time to heal.
A whiplash type injury usually causes the following symptoms:
- Neck pain or tenderness
- Neck stiffness
- Temporary loss of movement.
For more severe whiplash injuries the following symptoms can also be present
- Headaches
- Muscle spasms
- Pains in shoulders and arms
- Pins and needles in shoulder, arms and hands.
- Blurred vision
- Lower back pain
- Vertigo
- Ringing of the ear
- Sickness and more.
Trial over Concorde Dispute that Killed 113
The US airline Continental is set to be put on trial in France following the crash of an Air France Concorde jet 10 years ago.
According to the BBC, a wing and one engine caught fire as the Concorde jet was taking off from Paris Charles De Gaulle airport. The flight crashed down in to a hotel and all 109 individuals on board were killed, as well as four people in the hotel.
The trial is set to investigate whether or not a metal strip that allegedly fell earlier from one of Continental’s planes. Following the accident, the entire fleet of Concordes was grounded and an enquiry discovered that one of the plane’s tyres had burst and debris flew up and ruptured the jet’s fuel tank, resulting in a fuel leak which ignited, causing the accident.
Read More
£5.6 Million Payout for Cerebral Palsy Victim
A girl starved of oxygen at birth has been awarded a £5.6 million compensation payout.
According to the BBC, Buckinghamshire hospitals NHS trust admitted responsibility for Alice Joyce’s disabilities.
Alice suffered severe brain damage as a result of oxygen starvation during her mother’s labour at Wycombe General Hospital in High Wycombe, in March 1996. As a result of the incident, Alice was diagnosed as suffering spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and delayed mental development.
The huge payout will allow for around the clock care for Alice, paying for vital equipment, therapy and also accommodation and any necessary modifications which need to be made therein.
Read More
Rise in Elective Surgery for Men
Breast reduction for men is becoming increasingly common, with the number of operations performed last year reaching 581. That’s an 80% increase from the 323 men who had the operation in 2008, making it the fastest growing part of the cosmetic surgery industry for the second year running.
According to the BBC, the figures come from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and one of the big contributory factors has been pressure from men’s magazines.
Male cosmetic surgery in general shot up by one fifth last year, with the top operations being nose jobs and surgery on the skin around the eyes.
Read More
Major Roads Failing To Meet Safety Targets
Only half of the motorways in England reach the highest standard of safety, with other major roads also falling below the highest safety targets.
According the BBC, a report into the country’s major A-roads and motorways found that they fell short in protecting people who went off the roads
The report, conducted by the Road Safety Foundation, stated that many roads could be improved easily, and that structural defects are in existence which would not be tolerated were the same to be found on train lines or runways.
Read More
So just earlier I covered the story of the plans to have more speed cameras on Britain’s roads. Although many are sceptical of the feasibility of such a project, the consequences of speeding and failing to adhere to legal limits (which are there for a reason of course) is evident.
According to a report from the Daily Mail (more), a speeding driver already serving a motoring ban attempted to ‘cover-up’ a high speed crash that left a passenger, one of his own closest friends, fatally injured. Stephen Helm (27) was reportedly going more than twice the 30mph speed limit when he failed to negotiate a left turn due to his excessive speed, and subsequently colliding through railings at the roadside. When he realised he could not save his passenger and friend 20 year old Stephen Ball, he and the remaining passengers left him in the wreckage only to later return and set fire to the vehicle in an attempt to erase any evidence of his presence.
Read More
Average Speed Check Cameras on Every British Motorway?
This may be a reality according to sources from the Telegraph (sourcel).
The Sustainable Development Commission has called for average speed check cameras (the kind you often see on motorways when road works are ongoing) to be used on all of Britain’s motorways in efforts to reduce our carbon emissions and to improve safety. According to the Commission, figures from the Department for Transport indicate that the 70mph speed limit on motorways is ignored by more than half of road users – 52% to be precise.
The Commission has highlighted that the introduction of the cameras would encourage smoother, more environmentally friendly driving. Ministers have advised that where average check speed cameras have been introduced, both accidents and the number of speeding fines have been reduced. According to the report, there are currently 10 permanent sets of average speed check cameras currently operational in Britain.
Read More
Research Findings: Child Drug Errors are “Too Frequent!”
According to sources from the BBC (source) the volume of errors the NHS are making in drug treatments for minors is hospitals is, rather disturbingly, high, experts have warned.
According to the report, a University of London study of five hospitals in the capital concluded that 13% of 3000 prescriptions examined had were subject to errors. More worryingly, a fifth of these drugs given to children in 2004 and 2005 were “administered incorrectly”. Most errors were deemed to be non-harmful, however a small number were potentially fatal according to the Archives of Diseases in Childhood reports.
Read More
Victims of Terror Attacks Abroad Entitled to Compensation
Generally when it comes to a victim claiming for compensation, the damages (money) awarded is generated from the offending party or their representatives; which is usually the insurers for the third party defendant. So what happens when it isn’t possible to claim against the offenders? Say for example, in terror attacks abroad?
Current legislation allows victims of terrorist attacks who are injured in the UK access to compensation, but up until recently many victims of terror attacks abroad have been unable to claim unless they are a part of a scheme in that country. According to the BBC (source) long awaited new legislation has been announced that now allows for victims of terrorist attacks abroad to access the compensation they require.
Although the measures are reportedly not retrospective, they will allow for victims as far back as 2002 to make a claim. Current campaigns relevant to this factor include the Bali attacks back in 2002, the Sharm al-Sheikh incident in 2005, and more recently the attacks in Mumbai in 2008.
Read More
What should you do now? If you have been injured in an accident, particularly a road traffic accident, you may just be about to be hailed with offers left right and centre from companies who want to deal with your claim! And with so many lawyers out there, what should you do!!??
Well, we here at The Injury Lawyers like to do one thing for people out there who are thinking of claiming; give you free, honest, no obligation advice! So here’s some now:
No Win No Fee and 100% Compensation – How it Works….
Read More