Accident Claims & Personal Injury Lawyers Scotland Blog

Lawford Kidd Litigation Secretary Mandy O’Donnell has won the British Isles Under-25 Bowls Championship.Lawford Kidd Litigation Secretary Mandy O’Donnell has won the British Isles Under-25 Bowls Championship.... ...

This article first appeared in the Law Society Journal on December 9th, 2009 The Cabinet Secretary for Justice welcomed Lord Gill’s report in the Scottish Parliament by describing it as “hard hitting” and “the first system wide review in modern times”. The writer concurs in his appreciation of the work carried out by the review team; but questions ...

Manual handling accidents remain one of the main causes of occupational injury within the UK. More than a third of all three day injuries reported each year to the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities are caused by manual handling.Manual handling accidents remain one of the main causes of occupational injury within the UK. More tha ...

In 2009/10 there were 23 fatal injuries to workers in Scotland, 2,548 reported major injuries to employees and 7992 over 3 day injuries to employees.In 2009/10 there were 23 fatal injuries to workers in Scotland, 2,548 reported major injuries to employees and 7992 over 3 day injuries to employees.... ...

The health and safety statistics for 2010 show that although construction accounts for 4% of the employees in Britain, 7% of reported injuries happen to employees in the construction sector.The health and safety statistics for 2010 show that although construction accounts for 4% of the employees in Britain, 7% of reported injuries happen to employe ...

If your claim is successful the insurers will pay a sum of money in settlement.  For example for a whiplash injury they might pay £2500.You will then receive that sum in your hand and there will be no deductions for legal costs.If your claim is successful the insurers will pay a sum of money in settlement.  For example for a whiplash injury they mi ...

Briefing Paper: Seminar at the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow on Thursday, 10th November 2011 “Access to justice is only possible if both parties have adequate funding.  If neither party has adequate funding, the litigation will not happen.  If only one party has adequate funding, the litigation will be a walk over” (Lord Jack ...

Review of Expenses and Funding of Civil Litigation in Scotland (The Taylor Review): Response by Lawford Kidd Personal Injury Solicitors to the Consultation paper Thursday 15th March 2012 Lawford Kidd is a Specialist Personal Injury Practice. The firm welcomes the Review of Expenses and Funding.Lord Gill’s consultation paper raised serious conc ...

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has announced that it has begun criminal proceedings against Network Rail for a breach of health and safety law which caused a train to derail near Grayrigg in 2007.On 23rd February 2007, the 17.15 Virgin Trains service from London Euston to Glasgow Central derailed on the West Coast Mainline near Grayrigg in Cum ...

The Scottish Government has published terms of reference for an inquiry to be conducted by the Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Authorities. The independent inquiry will report to Ministers by 31st March 2012. The inquiry was announced by the First Minister following the publication of a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) into the death of A ...

Following today’s determination by Lord Brailsford at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Mr Phee said: “I am delighted at the judgment and relieved that the court case is over. “No-one expects to lose an eye when they go to play golf and adjusting to partially losing my sight has been a harrowing experience. I now just want to move on with my life ...

A family from Wrexham have won their medical negligence claim against a health board for a wrong diagnosis that left their daughter suffering severe brain damage, reports the BBC. Kate Pierce was only nine-months-old when she became ill and her parents took her to Wrexham Maelor Hospital. She was suffering  from pneumococcal meningitis, but a ...

New evidence has emerged which shows that around 7,000 more women in the UK may be victims of the PiP scandal caused by a French breast implant manufacturer, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has announced. These women will be eligible for the same NHS care as announced in January.French authorities had previously advised that only PiP breast implant ...

A 21-year-old woman from Fife has been awarded just under £62,000 in compensation for a medical error that led to the loss of her two front teeth as a child, reports STV.The woman had attended the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy when she was six for a routine operation to remove her tonsils. When she woke up after the surgery, she found her two fron ...

The Department of Health has published the terms of reference for two reviews established following the recent concerns about PIP implants.The first review, led by Lord Howe, the Minister for Quality, will establish what happened in the UK when the MHRA and Department of Health learnt about the situation with PiP implants in France. Lord Howe will ...

A 15-year-old boy has been awarded £6.5 million to meet the costs of his care requirements after a hospital error led to him suffering severe brain damage shortly after birth, reports the BBC.Ewan Waker was sent home from hospital by midwives at Harold Wood Hospital in Havering, despite blood tests revealing that he had very low blood sugar levels. ...

Proposed new changes to existing EU legislation, backed by the European Parliament's Public Health Committee, would trigger an automatic EU safety evaluation in the event of a safety alert about a medicinal product in any EU Member State. These changes would ensure that the adverse effects of medicinal products will be better monitored, to prev ...

A consultation has recently been launched by the UK Government on tightening the law on the criminal liability of partnerships. The consultation is also seeking views on reforming the law on unincorporated associations. The need for reform to the Scots law on criminal liability of partnerships was highlighted after 14 elderly residents lost their ...

The Scottish Government has welcomed publication of an inquiry by HM Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Authorities into the unsuccessful attempt to rescue Alison Hume from a disused mineshaft in 2008. The Inquiry, by Steven Torrie, was ordered by Scottish Ministers under Section 44 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, and followed a Fatal Accident In ...

Health and safety experts have called on landowners to take more care and responsibility when looking after trees on their land.In light of recent fatalities and injuries sustained from falling trees and branches, members of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) are reminding landowners and managers of the potential risks that fa ...

A demolition firm has been sentenced after knocking down a building in the Lake District containing hundreds of asbestos ceiling tiles, putting the lives of workers and local residents at risk.IBT Contracting Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after carrying out the work at a former photography factory, despite not having a ...

A farm company in Northern Ireland (NI) has been fined a record £187,500, plus £13,000 costs for health and safety failings that led to the death of 45-year-old employee Robert Wilson. The company is the first in Northern Ireland to be convicted under new Corporate Manslaughter legislation. Under this legislation, companies and organisations can b ...

A private healthcare provider managing a hospital in Ipswich has been fined for safety failings after an employee suffered a fractured kneecap. Mrs Shelagh Allen was working in the clinic room of a ward, which was being wet-mopped by a housekeeper during the ward's busiest period. Mrs Allen went into the room after completing a patient drugs round ...

InjuriesBoard.ie has published a review of workplace accidents in Ireland in 2011 that shows compensation totalling €22.5million (2010: €25.1million) was awarded in respect of 830 (2010: 889 awards) personal injury workplace claims. Accidents in the workplace accounted for 8.4% of all personal injury awards in 2011, compared to 11% of all awards i ...

On Saturday 28th April, unions and safety campaigners around the world will be marking Workers' Memorial Day and remembering the two million men and women who die every year as a result of work-related accidents and diseases. In the UK over 20,000 people die prematurely every year as a result of injuries or accidents caused by their work. As well ...

An Edmonton-based recycling company has been fined for failing to protect employees working with lead. The company had bought and was stripping some lead-sheathed copper cabling from British Telecom after the network began to be changed from copper to fibre optic cable. An investigation carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found t ...

More than half of drivers (53%) are risking deadly pile-ups on motorways by driving too close to the vehicle in front, according to research by Brake and Direct Line. More drivers are taking this deadly risk compared to seven years ago (49%), and men are far more likely to do it than women, with a horrifying three in ten male drivers (30%) doing so ...

Provisional figures released by the Department for Transport confirm that 1,690 motorcyclists were killed or seriously injured in July to September 2011. This means 18 motorcyclists were killed or seriously injured every day between July to September 2011 - an increase of 2% compared to the same period in 2010 when 1,652 were killed or seriously in ...

Members of the public and young people in particular are being urged to take a zero tolerance approach to drink-driving this festive season to help prevent devastating Christmas tragedies. A survey of young drivers, released by Brake and Direct Line, finds a shocking three in ten (29%) are willing to take the deadly gamble of driving after drinkin ...

As the festive party season approaches the road safety charity Brake has welcomed a police crackdown on drink and drug drivers.  Ellen Booth, Brake senior campaigns officer, said: “We fully support this vital crackdown on deadly and selfish drink and drug drivers. Every Christmas, and indeed every week of the year, many families are confront ...

A health and safety body is urging the Government to incorporate work-related road traffic accidents into official statistics. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) made the call on World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. IOSH wants to see work-related RTAs recorded and recognised under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, ...

InjuriesBoard.ie has published its review of 2011, which shows that compensation totalling €210 million was awarded in 2011 in respect of 9,833 personal injury claims. The average award in the period was €21,339. During the year the Board made an award of €829,444, its highest to date.Award values via the Injuries Board remained consistent with awa ...

A young girl who suffered severe injuries after she was involved in a car crash has been awarded a compensation payment worth millions of pounds, reports the Daily Mail.Cerys Edwards, who is now six-years-old, was only a baby when her family's car was hit head-on by a car being driven on the wrong side of the road at 70mph in a 30mph zone. The acci ...

The High Court has awarded a former miner around £70,000 in compensation after he developed mesotheliomia caused by exposure to asbestos at work, reports the BBC.The 92-year-old had worked as a miner in Nottinghamshire for over 20 years, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change has admitted that he was exposed to asbestos during his time the ...

The Government has announced an overhaul of victims’ services that will see up to £50 million generated from offenders to help create a speedier, more supportive system for victims of serious crime.Under the new proposals set out by the Justice Secretary, Kenneth Clarke, criminals will be forced to fund victims' support services and those with unsp ...

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Scottish Parliament acted within the scope of its powers when it passed the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Act 2009.The Supreme Court has ruled that the Scottish Parliament acted within the scope of its powers when it passed the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Act 2009.... ...