accident

  I can’t help thinking that Labour MP Margaret Hodge must be regretting getting out her car recently without paying attention to what was going on around her. Not only did she open the car door into the path of a cyclist but she was apparentl...

  I have just endorsed the Get Britain Cycling Petition created by Kaya Burgess, the Times Journalist who was spurned into action following the death of a colleague while cycling on London’s roads.   The Petition calls on the Prime M...

  I have watched with interest the online debate regarding the recent proposals by Brenda Mitchell of Cycle Law Scotland to introduce strict liability which would transfer of the burden of proof to drivers as opposed to cyclists in collisions involv...

  Road traffic accidents on Scotland’s rural roads are all too common. One of the worst blackspots in Scotland for road traffic accidents is reported to be on the A9 Perth to Inverness route. Although the overall death toll as a result of road...

  A Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of baby Ainslie Smith, who died in his sleep in July 2009 has concluded that a faulty cot was to blame. Sadly Ainslie was found by his mother wedged between the mattress and side slats of his cot.  H...

  I was pleased to read recently in the Evening News that the City of Edinburgh Council has at last considered an alternative proposal to the status quo in Princes Street in Edinburgh.    There have been in the region of about 150 acc...

  Road traffic accidents are common all over the world so much so the UK Foreign Office has introduced a road safety campaign aimed specifically at British nationals who drive abroad. The campaign is intended to reduce the number of Brits who are in...

  Although road deaths as a result of road traffic accidents appear to be on the rise in parts of Britain, the EU has just reported the lowest ever number of road deaths across Europe as a whole. According to the European Commission, deaths caus...

  When Scottish Olympic cycling hopeful Jason McIntyre died while cycling in Fort William in 2008 the dangers of road cycling were highlighted for the world to see. The Fatal Accident Inquiry into the 33 year old’s death offered little in t...

  It is relatively common knowledge nowadays that if you are injured in a road traffic accident that is not your fault you can claim compensation. The legal basis behind compensation is that the person injured should be restored to the position t...

  I was shocked and saddened to read about the death of a spectator at a recent Highland Rally who sustained fatal injuries while enjoying the event. The circumstances of the road traffic accident, which lead to the spectator’s death, make for...

  Recent Freedom of Information figures confirm that on average, since Princes Street re-opened following the final phase of the tram works, there are still two cyclists a month being injured with two of the most recent accidents being recorded as &...

  In the last few months it seems every time I read the news there is another report of someone, be they a driver, passenger, cyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian, suffering injury as a result of a road traffic accident. I was not surprised therefore...

  Any one who has been involved in a road traffic accident or knows someone who has been in a crash will be all too aware of the impact that this can have on the victims and their families and loved ones. Rather worryingly, a police chief has wa...

  A good Samaritan might be regretting her good deed after attempts to help two car accident victims has left her possibly needing her own car crash lawyer. Janice Dunlop may need legal help to ensure an insurance payout to replace her car after she...

  In a recent late night discussion with friends we found ourselves debating the Parable of the Talents and its parallels with the current political landscape. Probably by most standards a strange parallel to draw but I thought that the disappointme...

  According to a survey carried out by the Times of the things the 14,000 cyclists who support their Fit for Cycling campaign wish for, a separate lane tops the list. I echo those sentiments as someone living in Edinburgh that is ostensibly cycle fr...

  I watched the BBC’s programme ‘War on Britain’s Roads’ the other night with expectations of sensationalised reporting. The BBC certainly didn’t disappoint.  With the burgeoning use of helmet cams these days flash...

  Back in 1998, the Gehl report recommended increasing pedestrianisation of Princes Street. The City of Edinburgh Council revisited that report last year but it appears to have been shelved again.   However, if the Council were to implemen...

  Fiasco is a word which the residents of Edinburgh are all too familiar with in relation to trams. The City of Edinburgh Council proposed a tram project some years ago which has never quite captured the imagination and subsequent to the installatio...

There was some personal injury related scare-mongering in the news this week with warnings that the Council face making personal injury compensation payments of up to £1million to cyclists who become injured when the wheels of their bikes become ...

  In the wake of the high profile cycling accident of Olympic and Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggens and then just hours later another cycling accident this time involving his coach, Shane Sutton cycle safety campaigners are calling for improve...

  Today I added my support to The Times newspaper’s Cities Fit for Cycling campaign. The campaign is a result of a horrific accident involving Times journalist, Mary Bowers a year ago when she was seriously injured by a heavy goods vehicle whi...

  For the best part it can easily be said that Scotland’s judicial system is one to be proud of. It is transparent and adversarial, striving to ensure equality among court users.  While that is generally true, there is one particular aspe...

  Last month in the UK 15 cyclists perished on our roads.  Out of the 15, some 13 of those fatal accidents involved motorised vehicles; Ford Fiesta, Honda Accord, Toyota Aygo, Renault Trafic, Range Rover Sport, Peugeot van, Ford Transit van, BM...

  I was interested to hear that holidaymakers in England and Wales were warned to take extra care when driving on 1st September.  According to AXA, summer car accidents have peaked on that date for three years in a row. Last year, the insura...

  It has been reported that annually there are almost one million road traffic accidents in Britain that are a result of drivers being distracted by attractive pedestrians. Direct line have reported that there are around 2525 road traffic acciden...

  The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is consulting on proposals to simplify and clarify the reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences. The move follows a recent report which recommended the removal of unnecessary health and safety...

  Scotland’s Chief Statistician announced the release of Key Safety Camera Statistics 2011.  The publication reports on statistics relating to road traffic accidents and offences at safety camera sites in Scotland.  These sites inclu...

  The TUC have published a Report which shows that an astonishing 1 in 5 workers are being forced to pay for their own Protective Equipment out of their own pockets.   The PPE Regulations are designed to protect employees from injuring...

  It has been reported that techniques used to prevent workers deaths throughout the Olympic build could be rolled out to improve safety on other construction projects. During the Olympic build health and safety was at the forefront. This result...

Crash barriers should be redesigned to make them more motorcycle-friendly, according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). The road safety organisation warns that while crash barriers have saved the lives of thousands of drivers, hitting a crash b...

  Last week saw the European Commission hold its 4th annual Road Safety Day in Cyprus. This year the conference, aimed at decreasing road traffic accidents within the European Union, focused specifically on youth road safety. Statistically tho...

  Nearly two out of five adults have suffered life-threatening experiences, with the average person cheating death at least once, according to new research from MetLife. The nationwide study found that 39% of adults have nearly died in accidents, wi...

Good news from Transport Scotland - the number of people who were injured on the roads in Scotland fell to a record low in 2011. The new statistics reveal that road casualties are 4% lower than in 2010, and include an 11% drop in fatalities over the same ...

  I’m quite looking forward to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – Mrs Thom has been planning some sort of street party, and I’m sure we will all have a good time. Road safety group the Institute of Advanced Motorists is also ce...

  I was pleased to read recently that the number of people suffering personal injury on Scotland’s roads fell to a record low last year according to official figures published by the Scottish government. There were 13,324 reported road cas...

  As a car accident claim expert I am familiar with most of the medical injuries inflicted on drivers. In minor low velocity road traffic accidents (especially as a result of rear end shunts) the most common form of injury is a ‘whiplash re...

  My friends were aghast recently when they asked me what would happen if I was involved in an road accident that was caused by Mrs Thom.   My wife is an excellent driver with an unblemished record, however, if we were involved in an accid...

  The basis of any claim for compensation is negligence.  The line between negligence, carelessness and bad luck is often blurry when it comes to Road Traffic Accidents (i.e. car crashes). All of us who drive are likely to have a bash at som...

Often when people think of compensation claims they think of car crash claims.  Car accident claims make up almost 30% of the claims that I deal with on a daily basis. I guess this makes me an expert car accident compensation Solicitor.  I ...

  Did anyone see the Youtube video about a Health and Safety Demonstration that went wrong?  Mrs Thom brought it to my attention and we have been having a chuckle about it.  I know that Health and Safety is not a laughing matter but this v...

  I had only just finished reading about how dangerous the farming industry is when I read that a Scottish salmon farming company had been fined £70,000 after a worker drowned at its site at Loch Heather. The worker tragically lost his life...

  A Fife farming company received a fine of £20,000 recently after a worker suffered serious injuries to his right foot after in became trapped in a piece of machinery. Peter Ednie worked for R Todd and Company in Fife. On the day of the a...

  I was horrified to see that a normal day at work ended up with a visit to hospital for 11 people who were involved in an accident at work at a landfill site in Fife.  Nine workers and 2 paramedics were treated for accident related injuries. ...

  I was recently reading a very sad article about a baby boy who was left brain damaged after being born in an Ayrshire hospital.  The baby’s mother has recently spoken about her hope of finally “getting justice” as prosecutor...

  Farming company, GJ Orr, has been fined £112,500 after a worker was crushed to death between the rollers of a potato harvester.  Keth Wannan’s arms and legs were caught in the machine and he was only freed after the harvester was ...

  It has been reported that £15 million in compensation has been paid to some of the relatives of those who tragically lost their lives when the helicopter they were in crashed into the North Sea. When a Super Puma Helicopter crashed in to...

  I was saddened to read about the death of a 26 year old woman following what was thought to be a minor injury while horse riding in Turkey.  Charity fundraiser Louise Carolan fell off a horse in Turkey and hurt her knee.  She was tol...

  I was shocked to read recently about a woman who was involved in a terrifying accident at Kirkcaldy train station. The mother of two was trying to get off the train with her husband and two sons when the accident happened.  She stated that...

  I saw that yet another Scottish firm has been fined over the death of a worker.  Whiteinch Demolition Ltd who are based in Bishopbriggs pled guilty to Health and Safety breaches at Glasgow Sheriff Court after Bernard McCarroll died whilst dis...

  They’ve done it again!  My friends at Thompsons Solicitors won two awards on Thursday night at the Law Awards of Scotland- Employment Firm of the Year and Litigation Firm of the Year!  There must have been a few people feeling a...

  I was shocked to read in the news that companies are still breaching health and safety regulations and causing needless deaths.  I read that Vion Food was fined £100,000 after a worker was run over and killed by a forklift truck in West...

  I was shocked to read that health and safety failings led to an employee at Lowmac Alloys being crushed between two skips.  The company were rightly fined £80,000 by the Health and Safety Executive but this is an accident that, if all t...

  I saw such an inspirational story today in the papers about an Aberdeen woman, Lorna Harper, who said she feels like the Bionic Woman after doctors practically rebuilt her after a road traffic accident.  The series of operations she received ...

  I was sad to hear that 22 people had to be taken to hospital following a bus crash close to Glasgow airport.   Early in the morning on the A726 Barnesford Road close to Glasgow Airport the bus crashed into a perimeter fence and ended up pe...

  I saw recently that a van driver in Edinburgh ploughed into a woman’s parked car after he had a sneezing fit at the wheel.  Luckily the woman escaped the smash as she was in a café nearby but her car was completely written off by the ac...

  I read in the papers this morning that a woman saved her seven year old grandson from a dog attack when they were out on the beach in Essex.  My first thought was just how brave both the child and the grandmother had been to get through such ...

  No one expects to go through what Danielle Ormond went through a few years ago.  She was working in the Drumtochty Arms in Aberdeenshire when there was a gas explosion and she got buried under the rubble.  Luckily she managed to get out ...

My friends at Thompsons have been out and about on their bikes to give a better service to cyclists who end up in accidents.  I love getting around on my bike and Mrs Thom and the kids do too but it can sometimes be really pretty dangerous.   ...

  Speed cameras are something that are loathed by most drivers however many argue that they increase road safety as they force drivers to slow down at road traffic accident black spots.  However many people argue that they are pointless as they...

  I was sad when I heard the tragic news that an oil worker had suffered fatal injuries and died after falling overboard from a North Sea oil platform. It has been reported that the 37 year old oil worker was working on ropes on a platform opera...

  I was pleased to hear that according to official figures the number of people who sustained injuries in road traffic accidents fell last year. The statistics published are however, only based on incidents, which were reported to the police. Lo...

  I was reading in the papers the other day that a woman has won £28,000 compensation after injuring herself falling in a nightclub. Angela Spalding slipped on a wet dance floor and fell breaking her wrist.  The former chef has been un...

  Is it just me or has there been a spate of cyclists and motorcyclists seriously injured in Scotland’s roads of late? It is regrettable that the most vulnerable on the roads are offered no protection from negligent drivers. The latest inciden...

  I was reading with interest that although Scotland’s most heavily used roads have seen an increase in road safety they still remain the most dangerous in the UK. A report by the Road Safety Foundation has found that the chances of having ...

  Some of my friends at Thompsons have signed up for an 8 hour Cycle Commuter Course run by Cycle Scotland.  The course is aimed at providing cyclists, including new and returning bike enthusiasts, with the skills and confidence to tackle every...

  Thank goodness my friends at Thompsons are there to stick up for all the people who have legitimately sustained whiplash injuries and have a right to claim compensation. I feel reassured to know Thompsons are not afraid to take on the big Insuranc...

  I was pleased to read this week that William Prentice, the have-a-go-hero who tried to stop a runaway taxi, recovered £9,000 in compensation.  Mr Prentice was lauded by the Sheriff for acting in a public spirited manner.  He was wa...

  A family have been awarded £270,000 compensation after the death of a loved one in a motorbike accident. Paul Bellingham died in July 2008 after he was knocked off his motorbike while on holiday in Scotland. Paul and his brother Mark were...

  Network Rail has been fined £3 million for the Potters Bar Train crash for Health and Safety Failures.  The accident killed 6 rail passengers and one pedestrian walking near the station when the train was derailed. The company admitt...

  A farmer has been awarded compensation after one of his cows died after choking on a balloon.  Children at a Primary School in south-east London released hundreds of balloons in aid of comic relief.  Little did they know the dangers of d...

  Mr Spalding a plumber was awarded compensation after he was injured when working in the library of the University of East Anglia. Mr Spalding sustained injury to his teeth and face after he slipped whilst trying to get out of a confined space.&nbs...

  Drivers are being urged to be more alert on the roads to avoid a risk of a road traffic accident due to deer on the road. The number of road traffic accidents with deer peak between April and May each year as this is the time when young deer le...

  Sheriff Principal Brian Lockart has now published his findings following a 141 day fatal accident inquiry into the fire at Rosepark care home in Uddingston, Lanarkshire. Sheriff Principal Lockart found that the fire safety plans at the care hom...

  The Guardian has reported that the NHS is facing an ever increasing compensation bill for mistakes made by maternity-unit staff which result in a baby dying or suffering brain damage or a disability. Doctors and safety campaigners are fighting ...

  I read in a newspaper article that last year teachers were awarded £20 million in compensation for accidents and mishaps at work. My thoughts go out to all those teachers who have suffered injuries and losses as a result of accidents and mis...

  I was dismayed to read in the news about the 49 year old diver who died while working on the Acergy Osprey Vessel. It is thought that the diver suffered a heart attack. Emergency services were called, however, by the time the helicopter had made t...

  I was just reading that two Scottish companies have just been fined a total of £400,000 for breaches of health and safety legislation that resulted in the death of a stonemason’s labourer at a Glasgow Construction site. James Kelly ...

  I was saddened to read about two tourists that were killed when a vessel they were sightseeing in flipped over at Iguazu Falls in Argentina.  The driver of the boat and 5 other passengers were seriously injured. The boat, which was owned b...

  Electric Light Orchestra were one of my favourite bands in the 1970s and I was so sad when I heard that Mike Edwards, who played cello with them, had been killed in an accident. The accident happened when a 600kg bale of hay fell from a tractor...

Another Car Accident, Again?!   Life is full of tragic events, whether we want them to take place or not, which result in unintended consequences. I know it’s a bitch isn’t it, get over it. Take for example ‘Car Accidents’. ...

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth Have you been injured at work? This is the question we are asked so many times today. We cannot go through a single television show these days without seeing one advert or another questioning whet...

  According to the Trades Union Congress more people die every year at work than in war. In Great Britain last year 1.3 million working people we suffering from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by their current or previous employmen...

  As a law student working part-time in a major DIY shop, I see firsthand on almost every shift how easy it is to suffer an accident at work. Such accidents can come from practices such as bad forklift operation, climbing the shelving and racking, s...

  The other day I read in the paper that a teenager was quoted almost £33,000 to insure his second-hand car.  His car only cost £3,000 and was a 6 year old Vauxhall Corsa. He used a comparison quotes website and received the quot...

  My friends at Thompsons have dealt with a number of compensation claims for people who have had accidents and sustained loss and injury on a construction site.  Some of the people Thompsons have represented suffered extremely serious injuries...

  We won! ....I have a dream...  Never has so much ..... Ich bin ein berliner ...... The exact words of last night’s victory speech are unknown but what is known is that Thompsons are Firm of the Year 2011.   2 new records h...

  Scottish Borders Council was recently ordered to pay £2,000 compensation plus costs to a schoolgirl who sustained injuries in the playground of Burgh Primary School. Abigail Wardle was swinging from rafters in a playground shelter when s...

  I have been continuing to read the articles about the possibility of scientists developing an uncrashable car and it is really very exciting.  Have you seen any of the ideas?  The latest thing that I was reading about was an intelligent ...

  A paper making company in Fife has been fined £260,000 after a worker fell through a roof and sustained fatal injuries. Thomas Sturrock was cleaning the roof when it collapsed and he fell through landing on the concrete floor. Tragically Tho...

My friends at Thompsons are announcing a new, imaginative and fun way to offer students a No Win No Fee Internship at one of their offices in Scotland.  This takes me back to the days when I was an up and coming law student, every year me and my f...

  I read with interest this week about the Jury award of £320,000 for a father and daughter who made a compensation claim following the devastating death of Caroline Hamilton in a road traffic accident. Mrs Hamilton died after she was involved...

  I was horrified to learn that faulty hospital suction equipment could have contributed to the deaths of seven people and that there was over 100 serious incidents involving suction equipment in the last five years.  A problem with the suc...

  Last year I was following the story about the research into uncrashable cars.  My friends at Thompsons Solicitors  and I are always interested in ways to increase health and safety and ways of reducing road traffic accidents so I was ple...

  No-one gets in the car thinking they will be involved in a car accident. No one plans car accidents or prepares themselves for one, because it seems too unlikely to happen. It is difficult to imagine being in a car accident, however if you are ...

  I read with interest this week about a claim for a factory worker being awarded £300,000 in compensation following an accident at work that left him with a permanent disability.  Wayne Miller from Cumbria was an employee of James Cr...

  I was so sad to read in the newspaper about the six people that were killed after a plane crashed at Cork airport. The accident is due to be investigated by the air accident investigation unit. My friends at Thompsons Solicitors have told me th...

  I was very happy to read recently that work to reduce road casualties has seen accident fatality rates fall to their lowest level since records began.  Recent statistics show that Scotland achieved the lowest road accident fatality rates sinc...

  I was sad to see another story in the press about a sat-nav device causing a road traffic accident.  It has taught me not to rely on just the sat-nav as they sometimes can be wrong.  This time the error proved fatal and a four year old g...

  I was amazed to hear about Adam Potter, a climber from Glasgow, who survived a 1000ft fall down a mountain and suffered only relatively minor injuries.  Mr Potter lost his footing whilst out walking with friends in the highlands. He fell down...

  Over the course of the weekend, two men have lost their lives in separate farming accidents.  The fatal accidents both happened in Aberdeenshire.  One accident involved a 62 year old man who was working on machinery when he was injured b...

  I was shocked to read the results of a recent report prepared by the Rail Safety and Standards Board.  They have found that between 500 and 600 injuries to rail workers might not have been reported between 2005 and 2010.  The main reason...

  I was so sorry to learn of the recent death of the Polish student Milena Gott following a road traffic accident to her severe injury around 18 months ago.  She has been fighting for her life for such a long time, however, finally succumbed to...

  A survey carried out by the AA found that Scotland’s roads were the worst in the UK for potholes, road repairs and blocked drains. Edinburgh was ranked bottom of the league overall in Scotland. This survey was carried out before the recen...

  I was pleased to learn that my friends at Thompsons successfully negotiated a £17,000 settlement for an Aberdeen man who was involved in a hit and run incident. The man was socialising with friends in Aberdeen city centre when he was struck ...

  I was really saddened to hear that a lollipop lady Audrey Williams, 79 from Ayr died after being involved in a road traffic accident involving a single decker bus while she was on duty. The lollipop lady known otherwise as the Forehill Primary...

  Although the snow was very good fun to play in and little Thom had some unexpected time off school; have you noticed that the snow has made a real mess of the roads? Prior to the snow the potholes in the streets around the Thom household were b...

  I have been pleasantly surprised with the weather recently and I thought that the bad weather had left us alone.  We are just starting to get back to normal so I am a bit worried to see that freezing conditions are continuing to cause problem...

  I was very shocked to read that the number of work related deaths in Edinburgh and the Lothians has risen in the past year.  This has led to warnings to employers to take health and safety seriously. The figures that have been released fo...

  I read in the papers that a woman was saved from her car as it filled with water after skidding into a Moray canal.  Christine Rhodes, skidded her car on black ice, hit a verge and crashed down a steep embankment, landing upturned in the free...

  The Health and Safety Executive have issued a safety warning regarding scissor lifts. There have been a number of workplace accidents involving the scissor lifts, which have resulted in employees sustaining injury. Tragically, five people in Europ...

  I was dismayed to read that the pedestrian death toll on Scotland’s roads has reached five by the 6 January 2011. I was even more astonished to read that the deaths occurred within the space of 24 hours. It appears as though three of these d...

  I have just read about a horrendous accident that occurred on a farm in Berwickshire.  A farmer and a farm worker both suffered serious crushing injuries to their legs after being sucked into a slurry-cleaning machine.  Both of the men r...

I read with some alarm that insurance companies are charging motorists higher premiums because they have fitted winter tyres to their vehicles during the current extreme weather conditions. I find it staggering that insurance companies would seek to penal...

  BT were recently fined £300,000 after a worker sustained fatal head injuries during the course of his employment.   David Askew, a power construction engineer, employed by BT fell from a wooden ladder in October 2006 while installing...

  Ever since I was a plasticine toddler I have been hearing stories from my Friend McKenzie about the dangers of working offshore.  McKenzie is an older more hardened piece of plasticine than me and has spent the majority of his life on the rig...

  Repetitive driving injury is a condition that is caused by a poor driving posture which can lead to serious long term muscle, joint and spinal injuries. Repetitive driving injury may include foot cramps, lumbar pain, stiff neck, side ache, and hea...

  A personal injury claim has been won by a man from Essex after he was crushed by a falling Christmas tree in Prague. The man was on holiday with friends in Prague when he was crushed by a 100 foot tree at a Christmas market in the town square. ...

  It may be a challenge for a cyclist to survive on the road when commuting daily, especially if you live in a big city with busy traffic. In order to avoid a hazardous and potentially fatal bicycle accident a few steps can be followed. Firstly, ...

  One of the things that I love about all of this snow that we have been having is that it allows all of the family to take a trip up north to go skiing.  The three of us love to drive up to Glenshee at the weekend and spend a day out on the sl...

  I was interested to read that a company owned by former Rangers Chairman, Sir David Murray, were recently fined £50,000 after an employee suffered a personal injury. Fifty year old Iain Sutherland was left with a broken right forearm and ...

  Although I love the snow and I have been building snowmen all week winter driving is very hazardous and to avoid having an accident, if you must drive in the snow and ice you should ensure that your car is properly prepared.  Before you l...

  Electricity is extremely dangerous and according to the Health and Safety Executive each year there are approximately 1,000 accidents involving electricity and around 25 people die as a result of injuries they sustain. In June 2008  Valen...

  Like many of us I have spent the last few weeks treading gingerly along our nations pavements trying to be one of the few to avoid slipping and falling on the ice. The ‘big freeze’ has inevitably brought with it a huge spike in road traffic accidents and has seen hospital admissions at 10 times the normal quota for this time of year.   Careful drivers, who have never been in an accident before will have succumbed to the conditions and will feel aggrieved to be held ‘at fault’ for accidents that wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the ice and snow.  Unfortunately, in terms of car accidents, insurance companies and the law pay no mind to the fact that adverse conditions may have caused your accident.  Even if you are driving within the speed limit and cause an accident you are deemed to not have driven ‘as conditions dictate’ and will be found liable. The law is not much more forgiving for pedestrians who are injured as a result of falling on ice. There is unlikely to be any liability in a case where someone falls on ice so long as the accident was due only to the ice.  The law does not regard the natural accumulation of snow and ice as an actionable defect.  Simply, there is no liability in cases caused purely by natural conditions. Local Councils have a broad obligation to maintain the roads but there is no particular requirement for them to grit roads or pavements to any particular standard or frequency. The exemption that applies to Councils does not extend to private landowners. Thus, for example, in a private complex, the company could find itself liable for problems arising from a failure to clear ice and snow. In circumstances where the ice may have formed due to man-made defects such as a faulty gutter, or where the snow has been transformed or moved into an unnatural hazard then liability may attach.

  The UK Department for Transport has released a forecast for post 2010 casualties. The purpose of the paper is to reduce casualties that may occur in car accidents. The forecasting models have been updated annually, and the results have shown t...

  Well folks it's getting to that time of year again when little Thom gets excited about building snowmen, me and Mrs Thom pretend to be fictional characters while devouring our son with presents and Granny Thom pulls on her granny-grip shoes. ...

  Thomas Brown sustained horrific injuries in a classroom accident when a paintbrush pierced his eye and went into his brain. Thomas was only 10 years old at the time of the accident and was left with brain damage as a result of the injuries he sust...

  Me and my friends at Thompsons are happy to see any initiatives which help reduce the number of road traffic accidents.  This week is Road Safety Week and it is organised by Brake, the road safety charity, but is a community event open to all...

  I was flicking through my motorbike magazine today when I read about Ruth, a fellow biker, who was involved in a nasty motorbike accident that was not her fault.  She suffered an injury to her knee and had to get bone, hamstring and tendon gr...

  The news has been full of depressing stories this week.  I saw that despite a general decrease in road traffic accidents tragically a 6 year old boy has died after being struck by a car in the east end of Glasgow.  It is believed to be a...

I drive on Scotland’s roads every day and see all types of accidents and reckless driving but what most people are not aware of is that a major risk for serious car accidents is tailgating and this should be avoided at all times. Not sure or ne...

  Passing your driving test and getting a drivers licence serves as a proof that you are competent and knowledgeable to drive a car and participate in the traffic. However, the driving test is fairly basic and does not provide much information when ...

  In theory bull bars are there to make driving safer for us, yet there has been a lot of discussion as to whether it really is the case.  It is argued that quite a high number of pedestrian deaths and injuries are only increased by cars that h...

  You would think that if you had an accident or were involved in a car crash and you dialled 999, an ambulance would come to your assistance as quickly as possible. I was very shocked to see that it has been reported in the news just the other d...

  I was flabbergasted when I read that The Royal Society for The Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) estimates accidents in the home cost the UK around £45 billion pounds a year. That’s a lot of money and means a lot of people must be sustai...

  When we talk of road accidents we normally assume we are talking of car accidents, bus accidents, motorbike accidents or perhaps bicycle accidents. However, there is another group that should be considered, members of which may both be seriously a...