Compensation News

A nurse who injured her back whilst treating an overweight patient has won her claim for compensation in the High Court.

The nurse was attending the patient, who weighed more than 20 stone, in his own home in order to change the dressings on ulcers on the soles of his feet. To do so, she had to lift the man’s legs as he was unable to do so himself. As she did this, she experienced a sudden sharp pain in her lower back.

Since that time, the nurse has suffered from chronic back pain and, two and a half years after the accident, was forced to give up her job.… Read more

A disabled man who was injured whilst travelling on a bus that was being driven erratically has won £10,000 in compensation.

The man, who had pre-existing brain injuries, got on the bus in his wheelchair. The wheelchair area was occupied by able-bodied passengers who did not move, so he wedged himself against a partition, applied the brakes of his wheelchair and held onto an upright metal bar.

The driver began driving aggressively, with the result that a man standing to the rear of the bus was knocked to the ground. Despite complaints from the passengers, the driver continued his reckless behaviour.… Read more

A recent case serves as a reminder to occupiers or owners of premises which are visited by the public that they have a duty to take timely action to prevent injuries caused by ice or snow where they know, or ought to have known, that there was a risk of an accident.

A woman fell on the icy entrance path to a pub where she and her husband had gone for lunch. As they approached the main entrance, she slipped on the ice. Although the pub had been open for a while, the main pathway had not been cleared or treated, in spite of the freezing conditions.… Read more

A teenager who was left almost completely paralysed by a road accident has been awarded a settlement estimated to be worth more than £17.5 million.

Chrissie Johnson was 16 when the car in which she was a passenger collided with a lorry in 2006. After the accident, Ms Johnson was in intensive care for 10 days. She had sustained serious brain injuries and has spent the last four years in various hospitals and care homes. She can now move one of her arms and is able to communicate with others.

Ms Johnson will require round-the-clock nursing care for the rest of her life and will always have to use a wheelchair.… Read more

A man who fell onto a concrete floor in the fish and chip shop where he worked has won £55,000 in compensation.

The man was placing some stock in an overhead storage area when the accident happened. He slipped and fell through a ceiling hatch onto the floor below, sustaining serious injuries.

The man had no memory of how long he lay on the floor before help arrived. Eventually, a colleague found him and he was rushed to hospital. He was found to have a ruptured spleen, cracked ribs, a punctured lung and damage to his right shoulder. He had an operation to remove his spleen and will have to remain on antibiotics indefinitely.… Read more