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New hope for spinal injury sufferers?

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:15:46 GMT

Those currently seeking compensation for a spinal injury could soon be able to take advantage of a new medical development.

Researchers from Japan have devised a way of using stem cell technology to repair damaged spinal cords in mice.

And the technique may help those who have spinal injuries, if it can be proved to successfully work on humans,

The breakthrough has been made by team from several Japanese education establishments, including Keio University, which was founded in 1958 and operates five major campuses across the country.

Professor Hideyuki Okano of Keio University and Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University led the research, which involved the use of induced pluripotent stem cells to repair damage caused to the spinal cords of mice.

Scientists had been having difficultly using these types of cells successfully, but this latest breakthrough shows it is possible to control their rate of growth by transplanting cells into the brains of the animals.

Posted by Patrick White

27/07/2010 08:15

Big Brother contestant 'could make personal injury claim'

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:15:32 GMT

Producers of Big Brother could face a personal injury claim from one contestant after she fractured her ankle on the reality show.

Keeley Johnson was performing a task with some fellow housemates that involved climbing out of a giant bathtub when she fell and sustained the broken bone.

The 30-year-old has since left the television show - which is currently in its final season on Channel 4 after starting a decade ago - and executives are now concerned she may take legal action and seek damages.

"Technically she has suffered an accident at work and like any employee she can seek legal advice to see if there is a case for compensation," a source stated.

A spokeswoman for Channel 4 added all the tasks that contestants are asked to complete in the Big Brother house are subject to a risk assessment from a health and safety expert before they are given the go-ahead.

Posted by Craig Williams

27/07/2010 08:15

Worker may seek further damages after amputation

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:25:24 GMT

A construction worker may be advised to take legal action after a workplace accident led to him having to undergo surgery to amputate his leg.

Mr Alan Seviour's foot was crushed during an incident at his workplace - John Wainwright & Co - in 2008 when the employee, who worked as a driver, was helping out with some relief road work.

The problem arose when Mr Seviour's foot became trapped between a speed bump and a bar on the machine, which he had been cleaning. The injury was so severe that the worker had to have the lower part of his leg removed surgically.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - which is the nation's independent watchdog on work-related health, illness and safety issues - conducted an investigation on the incident and found that the employer was guilty of breaching two sections of the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act.

John Wainwright & Co. was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay more than £8,000 in costs, but Mr Seviour may wish to take the case further.

Posted by Craig Williams

26/07/2010 11:25

Cyclist may sue after rush-hour collision

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:05:11 GMT

A man may sue for compensation after being involved in a cycling accident.

The 19-year-old suffered cuts and bruises after he was hit at a roundabout on Eanam in Blackburn, the Lancashire Telegraph reports.

Police officers claimed the incident, which happened around 08:30 BST, involved a black Volkswagen Golf.

The vehicle suffered a punctured front wheel on the driver's side as a result of the rush-hour collision after it took place near the Maida restaurant - an Indian and Indo-Chinese eatery at 16 Eanam.

It is believed the cyclist avoided serious injury but sustained a number of cuts and bruises.

The crash forced police to close the road on which it occurred for half an hour while checks were carried out - resulting in long delays for people on their way to work, the newspaper explained.

Investigations into the collision are continuing, but police confirmed no arrests have yet been made.

Posted by Craig Williams

23/07/2010 17:05

Company fined over robot-related employment accident

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:03:47 GMT

A Birmingham-based firm has been fined after an employee suffered an injury at work.

Dura Automotive Body and Glass Systems UK has been punished with a £30,000 fee and ordered to pay £20,000 costs after a worker was hit by a manufacturing robot.

The incident left the man - Michael Brewer - with a damaged voice box and nearly caused him to suffer paralysis down one side of his body.

Mr Brewer was injured when trying to repair a fully-automated industrial robot after he entered a guarded area to see through to the operating cycle of the machine.

The company, which supplies car parts such as door modules, glass systems and seat mechanisms, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive, whose representative Edward Fryer noted: "Keeping the robot on the automatic cycle in these circumstances could very well have resulted in automatic death."

He added it is a prime example of an organisation failing to address maintenance work risks.

Posted by Patrick White

23/07/2010 17:03

Woman may sue over amputation

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:07:48 GMT

A woman who suffered the amputation of three of her fingers may sue her employer.

The individual, who does not wish to be named, was helping a colleague remove aluminium foil from a 130-tonne power press that had become jammed when the incident occurred.

She was working at I2R Packaging Solutions, which is based at Stafford Park in Telford, Shropshire.

The other employee opened the protective guards which stops the machine automatically but had not switched off the pneumatic energy.

Because this stores some power, it meant part of the device snapped up and caught the worker's hand.

The firm pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches and was issued a fine of £10,000, as well as being ordered to pay legal costs.

Commenting on the case, Health and Safety Executive inspector Katharine Walker said: "While the machine had some protective guards and safety mechanisms in place, it seems they were not adequate to prevent danger to operatives during processes such as clearing blockages."

Posted by Helen Jones

22/07/2010 09:07

Man may sue over hand amputation

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:09:17 GMT

A man who had his hand amputated in an accident while he was at work may seek compensation for his suffering.

In June last year, the employee - who has not been named - was performing his role at Conder Solutions when a rotating metal shaft on a metalworking lathe he was using caused him the damage.

As he was polishing the metal with a strip of emery cloth, his hand came into contact with the shaft and cutting tool.

Medical experts were able to re-attach the hand but, despite undergoing a series of operations, the staff member still has no feeling in it and is unable to use it.

The 55-year-old was in hospital for five weeks following the incident.

In a new development, Conder Solutions - which has been operating wastewater pumping, storage, separation and treatment solutions for over 40 years - was fined for breaching health and safety laws.

Posted by Patrick White

21/07/2010 09:09

Broken bones may lead to compensation claim

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:08:52 GMT

A man who suffered broken bones as a result of an accident at work may sue.

Allan Miller was performing his role as a contractor when the incident occurred at the curing department of tyre manufacturer Pirelli in Dalston Road, Carlisle.

The 62-year-old was struck by a forklift truck, causing damage to his leg.

Since the collision, he has been unable to return to his duties.

An investigation revealed that Pirelli Tyres - which describes itself as the fifth largest operator in the tyre industry in terms of turnover - was found to have contravened safety laws.

It had failed to properly manage the risks to pedestrians in the area.

As a result of the errors, the company was issued a fine of £9,000 and was ordered to pay legal costs.

Health and Safety Executive inspector Michael Griffiths said: "The storage area should have been clearly marked as 'pedestrian free' and the injured worker should have been told of the risks prior to the incident in October 2009."

Posted by Craig Williams

21/07/2010 09:08

Postman to receive compensation over accident at work

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:38:18 GMT

A postman who sustained injuries in an accident at work is to receive compensation for his suffering.

Colin Hatch was delivering mail to the home of Pauline Little when he fell, the Daily Mail reports.

The 41-year-old claims he was frightened by her dog and caught his foot on a cracked paving stone as he fled the property.

As a result of the incident, he seriously damaged his knee and was forced to retire for health reasons.

In a statement, Mr Hatch said he heard a dog growling and he was aware Ms Little had two "aggressive" border collies and was worried he would be approached by one of them.

Commenting on the moment he tripped, he said: "Momentum kept my knee going forward and I felt something go in my knee."

A doctor diagnosed him with a torn ligament and he had to undergo keyhole surgery.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, there were a total of 246,000 reportable injuries among workers in 2008-09.

Posted by Helen Jones

20/07/2010 14:38

Man injured in road traffic accident secures compensation

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:36:46 GMT

A man who suffered injuries as a result of a road traffic accident has been successful in his claims for compensation.

Anthony Bennett was a passenger in a car being driven by one of his friends when it crashed into a boulder on the side of the A390 by the market town of Liskeard, which is located near Plymouth, the Cornish Guardian reports.

The incident occurred in October 2003 and he was a backseat passenger.

Meanwhile, the driver died as a result of his injuries.

In a new development, it has been ruled the 26-year-old is entitled to damages as a result of his suffering.

Last week, a judge in the High Court ruled a fellow passenger, 23-year-old Marcus Jeffrey - who was in the front of the vehicle when it crashed - was also entitled to compensation.

As well as Mr Bennett and Mr Jeffrey, two other passengers were also left with injuries.

Posted by Craig Williams

20/07/2010 14:36