Pages On: Road Traffic Accidents

Fire fighter injured in speeding car accident

Posted: 12 April 2016

Posted in: Car Accidents, Neck Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries, Whiplash Injuries

A 45-year-old fire fighter, who was injured in a car accident in Bristol, has received undisclosed compensation for the injuries he sustained. Nigel Morley, from Winterbourne in Bristol, was waiting to pick up a friend’s son from the railway station in Swan Lane, when a speeding Peugeot 106 rounded a bend on the wrong side of the road and crashed into his Citroen Dispatch. Mr Morley sustained whiplash to his back and neck, rendering him unable to walk properly for several weeks. He was signed off his work for four months and…

Public Transport Claims: Bus Accident Claims

Posted in: Public Transport, Road Traffic Accidents

It is possible to sustain an injury anywhere, with the UK roads being one of the main places that many people sustain injuries. Sadly, it is not just car and motorbike drivers that can be injured, and sadly many people are injured through no fault of their own while on public transport. Many accidents on the roads often involve public transport, with buses often being involved in crashes and many people sustaining injuries due to driver negligence. Due to the nature of public transport, it is possible to sustain an…

Car Accident Claims in Wakefield: Making a Personal Injury Claim

Posted in: Car Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents

Many people are injured each year either in their place of work or in public places through no fault of their own. However, one of the most common areas for injuries to occur in the UK is in the form of road traffic accidents. Each year, thousands of people are seriously injured in a car accident, either as a result of poor road conditions or the negligence and carelessness of other drivers. In line with FCA Regulations, you are entitled – if you fulfil the necessary criteria – to make…

“Inadequate and insufficient” mental health care

Posted: 24 January 2016

Posted in: Medical Negligence, Public Transport, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have been accused of failing to handle adequately the transportation of a mentally ill patient from St John’s hospital in Leeds to a mental health hospital in April 2015. North Yorkshire Coroner, Michael Oakley, described the arrangements as “inadequate and insufficient” as he recorded an open verdict at the hearing. 40-year-old Michael South from York stole the ambulance and crashed into a double decker bus on the A64 at Flaxton. He died at the scene. Not carried out a risk assessment of the patient Mr Oakley…

Plans to change cycling injury compensation claims

Posted: 26 December 2015

Posted in: Bicycle Accidents, No Win No Fee, Road Traffic Accidents, Whiplash Injuries

As part of his autumn budget this year, Chancellor George Osbourne has announced plans to radically change the rules surrounding compensation claims for cyclists. Currently, cyclists can claim compensation for damage to equipment and injury through the courts using “no win, no fee” solicitors. The proposals are expected to save the insurance industry around £1 billion a year, savings that should be passed on to the customers. This should save customers around £40 to £50 per annum. If the proposals go ahead in the new year, insurance brokers ETA Cycle Insurance do not believe…

Child cyclist dies after losing control of bike and hitting car

Posted: 25 October 2015

Posted in: Bicycle Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

A seven-year-old girl died in May after losing control of her bike and putting herself into the path of an oncoming car in North Somerset. April Reeves was hit by the car when out for a cycle with her mother in Locking on 28 May. It was heard during the inquest that she “wobbled” and swerved onto the A371 where a car hit her at 60mph; she was killed “instantly”. Following the death, April’s family have called for changes to be made to the road, including the installation of a…

Car crash victim awarded £4m in compensation

Posted: 21 October 2015

Posted in: Car Accidents, Head and Brain Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents

A man has received a compensation payout of £4million after a car crash in 2009 left him with life-changing injuries. Jack Mitchell was seventeen when he was involved in the car accident. The crash left him with severe brain damage, to the extent that he has been dependent on 24-hour care since. Scans after the accident revealed that he damaged his frontal lobe in the collision, which left him with memory and concentration problems, as well as anger managements issues and extreme fatigue. Mr Mitchell had been the front seat…

Aircrews affected by contaminated air launch personal injury claims

Posted: 29 June 2015

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Industrial Deafness and Disease, Public Transport

Airline crew members, from numerous different British airlines, have launched around 17 civil cases concerning ill health caused by contaminated air. Airline crew members continue to come forward, claiming that they suffer with Aerotoxic Syndrome – an illness caused by exposure to contaminated air in aircrafts. Earlier this year, in April, UNITE opened a helpline for worried aircraft employees following increased concerns amongst workers about air quality standards. The union, which represents 20,000 crew members, announced at the beginning of the month that 17 crew members had taken up civil…

Taxi driver ordered to pay compensation to brain injured passenger

Posted: 22 May 2015

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents

A taxi driver is being ordered to pay compensation to a passenger who suffered a severe brain injury after jumping out of the moving vehicle when he refused to drop him off. 27-year-old Kristopher Hicks was returning from a night out in Bath, Somerset when taxi driver Michael Young (56) believed he was planning to ‘do a runner’. Mr Young drove Mr Hicks back to the rank, but when Mr Hicks objected, he jumped out of the vehicle. The taxi was moving at 20mph.  Mr Hicks suffered life-changing injuries as…

Trips and falls lead to £50,000 injury compensation bill

Posted: 3 March 2015

Posted in: Pedestrian Injuries, Pothole Injuries, Public Place Accidents

Slips, trips and falls have resulted in more than £50,000 being paid out by Norwich City Council to injured pedestrians. The council blames City Hall budgets, saying that if they continue to see cuts, the pavements will only continue to deteriorate, causing more injuries. Of the 49 claims involving trips or falls in the last twelve months, the city council defended 40 of them. Of those 40, only 9 received compensation – totaling £52,427. This figure was even greater than the previous year, with 2012/13 seeing 6 compensation payouts, totaling…

Driver awarded £1.5million after being rear-ended at traffic lights

Posted: 31 December 2014

Posted in: Car Accidents, Head and Brain Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents

A motorist who suffered permanent brain damage following a car collision while stationary at traffic lights has been awarded £1.5million in compensation. Peter Siegel was in his car at traffic lights when a vehicle, driven by Lester Pummell, drove into the back of him at 30mph in November 2009. The accident caused Mr Siegel to suffer “severe, subtle and permanent” brain damage, which will continue to affect him for the rest of his life. Following the accident, Mr Pummell’s insurers maintained that the accident constituted a simple whiplash claim, and…

Driver wins £1.5m following brain damage crash

Posted: 19 December 2014

Posted in: Car Accidents, Head and Brain Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents

A man has been awarded £1.5m in compensation after a vehicle drove into the back of his car in 2009, leaving him with permanent brain damage. Peter Siegel had been waiting at traffic lights in his car when a vehicle crashed into the back of him at around 30mph. He suffered no visible marks following the trauma, but suffered a severe brain injury that will affect him for the rest of his life. The insurers of the driver responsible for the incident, Lester Pummel, said that Mr Siegel had suffered…

Tracy Morgan still recovering from brain injury after car crash

Posted: 25 November 2014

Posted in: Car Accidents, Head and Brain Injuries, Leg Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

46-year-old comedian Tracy Morgan is still recovering from a serious car crash he was involved in five months ago. The accident happened in New Jersey in June when a ‘speeding’ Walmart truck slammed into the back of his vehicle. Those involved were taken immediately to hospital, but Mr Morgan’s friend and fellow comedian James McNair was sadly killed in the crash. Three others were severely injured. Immediately after the accident Morgan was taken straight to hospital with several serious injuries including a broken leg, a broken nose and broken ribs. Five months…

Motorbike death caused by “not-roadworthy” car

Posted: 18 October 2014

Posted in: Motorcycle Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

After a teenager died in a road traffic accident in August, the man responsible for the crash has admitted to driving a car that was “not roadworthy”. 19-year-old Greg Taylor was knocked off his motorbike last summer after 38-year-old Niall Darvell lost control of his severely damaged car. He pleaded guilty to the death of the teenager last week. It was heard in Exeter Crown Court that Mr Darvell had been driving home from the pub when the accident happened.  His damaged Volkswagen, which was also uninsured, clipped Mr Taylor’s motorbike…

Devon councils payout £2.5m to personal injury claimants

Posted: 2 October 2014

Posted in: Neck Injuries, Pedestrian Injuries, Personal Injury, Pothole Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries

Figures have revealed that two Devon councils have paid out around £2.5m to personal injury claimants in the last four years alone. The incidents included people tripping on pavements to people falling into a harbour. One of the councils, Plymouth City Council, paid out the majority at £2.1m, while Torbay Council paid out £400,000 to claimants. Both figures were disclosed following a Freedom of Information request. The highest payout made was by Plymouth Council in 2010: £105,000 to a claimant who suffered a severe back injury after tripping due to a “footway…

Compensation will be paid following car ignition deaths

Posted: 20 September 2014

Posted in: Car Accidents, Personal Injury, Road Traffic Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

General Motors Co has agreed to payout following the 19 deaths that were caused by a faulty ignition switch. The ignition switch was installed into 2.6million GM cars, which meant the cars could slip out of the “run position”, stalling the vehicles and disabling the airbags. Many safety advocates have criticized the company for only recognising 19 deaths, when actually around 100 cases could be linked to the fault. A total of 125 death claims and 320 personal injury claims have actually been made against the firm, but they have either been…

Police force pays out £400k in injury compensation

Posted: 25 August 2014

Posted in: Car Accidents, Public Place Accidents, Workplace Injuries

New figures have revealed that Norfolk Police Force has paid out a total of £400,000 in compensation to the public and its own staff. The figures were obtained through a Freedom of Information request, showing the force to be in the top five emergency services for payouts. The figures further revealed the force to be the second highest paying police force, behind the Met in London. Of the £400,000 paid-out, the highest sum was £160,000 to an officer who suffered personal injuries in a car accident.  This was only one of the…

Children ill from coach fumes

Posted: 24 August 2014

Posted in: Public Transport, Road Traffic Accidents

Over ten children have fallen ill after dangerous fumes were released into a coach, in which they were travelling, while on a church trip. The children were on their way to a campsite in Newton, mid Wales, when police and ambulances were called to a service station in Shewsbury, Shropshire. The accident happened on Friday evening, with 8 adults and 49 children affected. Of those on the coach, 13 children, aged between 14 and 17, required medical treatment by ambulance staff at the scene. None of the children required hospital treatment.…

Council pays out £83 a day for pothole damage

Posted: 31 July 2014

Posted in: Foot Injuries, Pedestrian Injuries, Pothole Injuries, Public Place Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents

A council is found to be paying out the equivalent of £83 a day in compensation due to the damage being caused by potholes. Barking and Dagenham Council has paid out a total of £182,635 in the last six years to claimants seeking compensation for personal injury and vehicle damage. The figures were released as part of a Freedom of Information request. It found that a total of 22 claims had been made against the council in relation to pothole damage between January and May 2014, (compared with 40 in the entire…

Council pays out £1m to injured employees

Posted: 18 June 2014

Posted in: Employer Negligence, Finger Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents, Workplace Injuries, Workplace Slip

Leicestershire County Council has paid out around £1 million to injured employees in the last five years. Figures revealed that the council settled a total of 31 claims from workers between 2009 and 2013. The victims of employer negligence received a total of £418,000, while the council paid out a further £655,000 in legal fees to the lawyers handling their cases. During that same time period, a total of 76 unsuccessful claimants sued the authority. Claims included one individual who sliced off the tips of two fingers on a manhole cover – they…

Autonomous emergency braking could cut road traffic accident claims

Posted: 22 March 2014

Posted in: Road Traffic Accidents

The Association for British Insurers (ABI) has called to have all new cars produced in the UK to be fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), with the belief that personal injury claims could be cut by almost a fifth.  Research recently carried out by The Motor Insurance Repair and Research Centre (Thatcham) found that AEB could reduce personal injury claims following road traffic accidents by around 18%. Despite this evidence, only 23% of cars manufactured in the UK are fitted with AEB as standard or an option. The technology uses…

£7million paid out to police officers injured at work

Posted: 3 March 2014

Posted in: Car Accidents, Foot Injuries, Hand Injuries, Spine & Back Injuries, Workplace Injuries

A survey has revealed that over the last three years, a total of £7.4 million has been paid out by 35 of the 44 police forces located across England and Wales. With the addition of legal costs and other factors, the bill would total at £18.7million. The survey found that Police forces are settling over 400 compensation cases a year, with claims ranging from driving injuries to insect bites. Compensation claims included: £2,040 to a civilian employee in Surrey who had a notice board fall on their foot£5,000 to another…

Motorcycle Accidents in Wakefield

Posted in: Motorcycle Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents

The UK has one of the best road safety records anywhere in the world, but despite that fact, there is never an end to what can be done to prevent deaths and serious injuries. This is especially so when those accidents affect vulnerable road users such as motorcycle riders. As a victim yourself, or a loved one, of a recent motorbike accident victim, you will already know all too well just how serious and how traumatic such an accident can be. However, though the path to putting your life back…

40% of sufferers do not claim for whiplash injuries

Posted: 10 February 2014

Posted in: Car Accidents, Neck Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents, Spine & Back Injuries, Whiplash Injuries

A recent report has revealed that around 40% of people who have suffered a whiplash injury do not claim compensation. With some believing that whiplash is not a valid personal injury to claim compensation for, experts stress the degree of its severity. According to a study by the NHS, it takes a whiplash sufferer around 32 days to recover, but around one in five are left with severe symptoms up to as long as a year after their accident.  Whiplash is a type of neck injury that is caused by a sudden…

Launch of road safety campaign following 7 deaths

Posted: 22 January 2014

Posted in: Car Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Having seen 7 deaths in the last nine years, campaigners are calling for road safety measures to be improved on a road in North Yorkshire. A meeting was held about the road on Tuesday, whereby the Wharram-le-Street Parish Council discussed where improvements could be made. The chairman of the parish council, Roger Kay, said that a certain six-mile (9km) stretch of the road is especially dangerous and requires urgent action. Two women and a man died on the road only two months ago when their car collided with a van on…

Passenger of taxi seriously injured in hit-and-run crash

Posted: 28 December 2013

Posted in: Car Accidents, Head and Brain Injuries, Public Transport, Road Traffic Accidents, Whiplash Injuries

A teenage boy has suffered serious injuries after the taxi he was travelling in was involved in a hit-and-run crash on Christmas Day. The accident happened at the junction of Church Road and Sackville Road in Hove at 23:00 GMT on Christmas Day. Both victims were immediately taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance. The 16-year-old boy had been a front-seat passenger in the taxi, a blue Skoda, which was travelling east to west along Church Road when a silver Vauxhall Insignia collided with its nearside. The taxi spun out of control…

Headphone ban for cyclists considered by mayor after multiple deaths

Posted: 20 November 2013

Posted in: Bicycle Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

After this week saw the sixth cyclist death on London’s roads in two-weeks, Mayor of London Boris Johnson believes that there should be a ban on cyclists wearing headphones. With many new methods of tackling the problem being suggested every day, Boris Johnson believes that cyclists’ ability to hear could be a highly contributory factor to the numerous deaths, calling them a “scourge”. Speaking to Vanessa Feltz on BBC London 94.9 he said that he was “absolutely terrified” by the idea of cyclists not being able to hear the traffic…

Coach crash sees 13 injured

Posted: 14 October 2013

Posted in: Public Transport, Road Traffic Accidents

After a coach crashed into a lorry on the A1 in Cambridgeshire early yesterday morning, thirteen people have required hospital treatment. The coach, which had been carrying over 40 passengers, had been returning to Newcastle from a work night out in London when it collided with a lorry on the northbound carriageway between Brampton and Buckden at 05:30 BST. 29 of the passengers had their injuries assessed by ambulance workers and were taken to a medical centre in St Neots – thirteen of which, however, were taken immediately to a nearby hospital.…

New cycle lanes open following cyclist death

Posted: 8 October 2013

Posted in: Bicycle Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

After Jo Walters died in a cycling accident in 2010, her sister encouraged the opening of new bus and cycle lanes in Brighton to prevent further accidents. 28-year-old Jo Walters died after having to swerve on the A270 (Lewes Road) in order to avoid another cyclist. Since the accident, her sister and family commissioned a report that revealed how dangerously narrow the cycle lane was on which Ms Walters lost his life. Ms Walters, a newly qualified maths teacher, lost her life when cycling towards the Sussex University’s Falmer campus when she…

11-year-old dies after being hit by tractor

Posted: 11 August 2013

Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries, Road Traffic Accidents, Workplace Injuries, Wrongful & Accidental Death

Harry Whitlam, from Wakefield, has died after being hit by a tractor at a farm just outside of Leeds. He was injured at around 09:20 BST on Friday morning and was immediately airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary. He received emergency head surgery on arrival, but sadly died on Friday night. West Yorkshire Police have arrested a 48-year-old man on suspicion of dangerous driving under the influence of alcohol. He has since been released on bail until further investigations have been carried out. West Yorkshire Police said that investigations are currently underway and have appealed…

Road Traffic Accidents in Wakefield

Posted in: Road Traffic Accidents

Britain’s roads are getting safer all the time. As the Department of Transport confirm, road accident deaths have undertaken a generally downward trend since 1973, despite the odd fluctuation or two in between. Nonetheless, in the decade between 2000 and 2010, a shocking total of 32,955 people were killed and nearly 3 million injured on Britain’s roads. In 1990, about 5 million people died worldwide in road traffic accidents. It is estimated that by the year 2020, a total of 8.4 million people will be killed every year from injuries…

Woman injured after driving car onto the beach

Posted: 30 June 2013

Posted in: Car Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents

Just before 14:00 BST yesterday, and elderly woman complained about chest pains after her car had been driven on to the rocks on Guernsey’s north-west coast. She was later taken to hospital for treatment. Witnesses believed that her five-door blue hatchback had been parked at Le Grand Havre, one of Guernsey’s beaches, before it headed downwards onto the sand and rocks by the sea. Witnesses saw the car hit the rocks and rushed over to give first aid. This was impossible, however, as the woman could not be accessed and had to…

Mirror, munch, manoeuvre - is eating behind the wheel dangerous?

Posted: 4 April 2013

Posted in: Car Accidents, Road Traffic Accidents

New research has revealed two thirds of motorists eat when behind the wheel despite most drivers thinking it’s dangerous and should be illegal. Almost one in six (15%) motorists have also crashed or had a near miss as a result of in-car eating. The survey of 2,000 motorists by car insurer Admiral has shown that while two thirds of drivers have eaten when driving, for one in twelve it’s commonplace with them doing so between five and ten times a week. Admiral’s study also revealed three quarters (77%) of British…

Controversial new road accident cost reduction rules to remain

Posted: 6 March 2013

Posted in: Road Traffic Accidents

The Law Society has said that it regretted the failure of a High Court action brought by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and Motor Accident Solicitors Society against the government, which sought to overturn its decision to reduce legal costs recoverable by people injured in road accidents. The Law Society had intervened in the case, on behalf of its 160,000 solicitor members. Desmond Hudson, Chief Executive said: “We remain deeply unhappy with the new recoverable costs rules and the process by which the government made its decision. However, it…

Road traffic accident casualty statistics

Posted: 4 March 2013

Posted in: Road Traffic Accidents, Wrongful & Accidental Death

The Department for Transport has published statistics on personal injury accidents on public roads in the year ending September 2012. The figures show that: For reported road trafffic accidents in the year ending September 2012, there were 1,760 fatalities, a 7% drop from the year ending September 2011 figure (1,883). However, the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) rose to 24,860, a 2% increase compared with the year ending September 2011 figure (24,473).Both pedestrian and all road user child KSIs (ages 0-15) fell by 1% between the years…

Whiplash Injury Compensation Claims in Wakefield

Posted in: Road Traffic Accidents, Whiplash Injuries

One of the most common injuries after a car accident is whiplash, which is an injury to the muscles and ligaments of the neck caused by a sudden strain or stretch. Whiplash causes some significant degree of discomfort, and you will find your neck is stiff and sore. Psychological stress is often experienced at the same time, if you have been through a road traffic accident. However, whiplash can also be caused by taking part in other activities which put a strain on the neck, such as bungee jumping or…