injury

  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...

  A train driver who became wedged between his train and the platform after slipping on black ice while descending from his cab has won £10,000 compensation. Thomas Burns was driving a First Scotrail Aberdeen to Perth train in December 200...

  The Scottish Government launched its much anticipated consultation on the Courts Reform Bill last week, as part of its ‘Making Justice Work’ agenda. One of the overriding principles of that agenda is improving access to justice.  ...

  When someone has sustained brain injury as a result of an accident it is not uncommon for them to struggle with memory problems. This often results in them becoming heavily dependant on family, friends and loved ones.  Dealing with compensati...

  An exciting new research programme lead by Scottish researchers will try to determine whether cooling the bodies of patients who have suffered brain injuries could increase their recovery and decrease long term disability.  Hypothermia is...

  Following the release of the report into the extent of Jimmy Savile’s alleged abuse there is now the important issue of how his victims will be compensated.  As he is no longer with us, Savile cannot be prosecuted, nor can he be libelle...

  As an injury solicitor who deals with people affected by brain injuries and their families, any studies into the causes or symptoms of brain injuries are both interesting and welcomed. A recent American study recently has revealed that multipl...

  A report has recently highlighted that one in five young people with serious spinal injuries are discharged from hospital straight into a residential or nursing home for the elderly. Tragically, a lack of appropriate housing and care options m...

I read an intriguing article recently, which stated that scientists have developed new techniques to treat spinal injuries. Having seen first hand the devastation spinal injuries can cause to individuals and families this can only be a good thing. S...

  We are all guilty to some degree of repeating things we hear without full knowledge of the facts. That is how views and opinions, often entirely flawed transubstantiate into fact. Take for example the quote ‘Hell hath no fury like a women sc...

  I read recently of a possible breakthrough in the treatment of brain-damaged victims with great interest.  A Canadian man who suffered significant brain injuries as a result of a road traffic accident and who was believed to be in a veget...

  With plans in place to bring Britain’s first specialist personal injury court to Edinburgh with it, unsurprisingly, comes the question of whether or not this has been driven by a culture of compensation. The answer, as far as I’m co...

  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...

  Mrs Thom reassures me that when David Cameron vowed to stamp out the Health & Safety monster he wasn’t talking about me. He was however unwittingly threatening to increase the likelihood of people like you and I suffering a personal inju...

  Following the recent disaster off the coast of Italy involving the Costa Concordia I suspect there will be plethora of personal injury claims arising out of that incident. The captain has already admitted deviating off course which is likely to pu...

  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...

  If you have suffered a personal injury as a result of another’s negligence, then you should contact Thompsons Personal Injury Solicitors within three years of the injury.   The Law is outlined in the Prescription and Limitation...

  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...

  If you have been involved in an accident involving personal injury, you need an expert personal injury Solicitor to act on your behalf.  This is where I come in.  We at Thompsons have over 100 years of experience to draw on and consider ...

  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 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 was shocked to read this week that male executives in Scotland’s private sector are paid on average £10,000 more than their female colleagues.  The news reports also claimed that it would take another 75 years for women’s ...

  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...

  A boy who suffered injury and was left with profound disabilities, as a result of the negligence of a NHS Trust, has been awarded £6.6 million in compensation. Tragically, Leo Whiten suffered brain damage as a result of mistakes made by a...

  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 ...

  When you buy cleaning products in the supermarket you don’t expect to be injured by them but I saw recently that that’s exactly what happened to a Malaga housewife and she was recently awarded compensation for the injuries she received...

  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 surprised to read recently that there have been an increase in the number of reported attacks by illegal pit bull terriers over the last year causing in or around a dozen owners to be reported under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Amongst those numb...

  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...

  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...

  A woman who is suing the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde for compensation for injuries caused when her smear tests were incorrectly interpreted has been allowed to continue with her case. Helen McGlone is arguing that if her smear tests has been...

  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...

  A trip to the gym left Robert Gordon University student Anthony McDavitt feeling anything but fit, after a car reversed out of a parking place and directly into his path. Mr McDavitt sustained a broken wrist, broken teeth, cuts and bruises whe...

  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...

  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...

  A 28 year old woman suffered horrific 40% burns to her body when negligent care home staff lowered her in to a bath of scalding water.  Jeanette De Bono, who suffers from Retts Syndrome, was injured by the very people who were employed to car...

  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...

  It has been reported that lawyers who represent a farm at the centre of an E. coli outbreak which occurred during the summer of 2009 have admitted liability and agreed pay to compensation to victims of the outbreak who have suffered injury and los...

  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...

  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...

  I am really disappointed to learn that the Protection of Workers Bill brought by the Labour Party’s Hugh Henry, is in danger of being defeated. The bill is being advanced to protect people at work from being assaulted by members of the p...

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...

  Employers ought to remember that they can not forget about the safety of their staff at the office Christmas party. A court in Australia recently decided that an employee who injured her back while helping out a her employers Christmas party ou...

  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. ...

  I have been following the story about the toxic sofas for sometime now and I felt bad for all the people who were injured but thought they would not get compensation as Land of Leather went bust.  Around 412 customers thought that they would ...

  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 horrified this week to read in the news of an attack on a ten year old girl by a Japanese Akita dog causing her to suffer severe facial wounds requiring over 100 stitches.  The little girl was savagely attacked as she played in the gard...

  I don’t know about you but I am already getting sick and tired of all of this snow.  It is time for our annual family winter holiday to the sun.  Mrs Thom and I have been looking through brochures and are very excited about getting...

  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.

  Aberdeen Solicitor Chris Gordon warns drivers that they are legally liable for the consequences if they crash their cars through skidding on snow or ice. Mr Gordon a partner with Thompsons Personal Injury Solicitors based in King St, Aberdeen ...

  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...

  I was saddened to read in the newspapers about the couple who were attacked by a bull in Nottinghamshire, killing one of them and leaving the other critically ill in hospital. I am not shocked to learn that the farmer, who owns the bull, is equall...

  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...

My good friend Frank Maguire of Thompsons Solicitors, an expert at winning compensation for clients in personal injury cases, kindly agreed write a post for my blog this week. Here Frank looks beyond the euphoria of the Chilean miners’ rescues to...

  I did not think the potholes in the roads in Glasgow could get much worse however, I read today that a road expert has warned Glasgow motorists to expect another winter of misery on the roads. It has been reported that Glasgow City Council are...

  I was shocked to hear that golfer, Colin “Monty” Montgomery was involved in a road traffic accident on A80 this week. It is also a shame to learn that he suffered a personal injury by virtue of which, he will not be able to take part i...

  I am of the opinion adverts like the one on the tv which I am in and my family are in provide a route for injured people to secure access to justice.  It is thought Lord Young in his review of the so called “compensation culture&rdq...

  Anyone who has ever experienced a serious back problem will be able to tell you how excruciating the back pain can be, how it can affect your mobility, work abilities and how considerabily it can reduce the quality of your life. Around 80% of t...

I was astonished this week to read in the news that there was a lorry driver travelling in his lorry, with a laptop and DVD player mounted on his dashboard. Incredible as it may seem, but he appeared to be watching a DVD as he was driving a 30 tonne vehic...

  In the weeks leading up to my yearly family holiday I’m rushing about making sure I’ve got everything, (passport, money, travel insurance, toiletries etc etc) working late clearing my desk for the next couple of weeks….. I just ...

There are more vehicles on our roads than ever these days and as a result there are more and more road traffic accidents occurring every day!  Unfortunately road traffic accidents happen and it has been estimated that 1 in 3 people who die as a resul...

  I was surfing the internet recently and came across statistics which to my astonishment show that crash-for-cash scams in which drivers deliberately cause crashes to claim insurance are on the rise. The Insurance Fraud Bureau reported that 30,000 ...

As someone who is in full time employment, if I was unfortunate enough to suffer a personal injury in a road traffic accident I wouldn’t qualify for Legal Aid because my income, after paying essential expenses such as my mortgage, tax and childcare,...

Everyday I help tradesmen and labourers who have been injured while using power tools and other machinery win compensation. The vast majority of this equipment is owned by their employer   When they are using their own tools and have accidents th...

  Occasionally the media bend the idea of raising personal injury claims into something seedy.  The tag line “compensation culture” is banded about and Solicitors are vilified for the part they play.   One such example is the...

  I was delighted that Labour MSP Bill Butler’s Damages (Scotland) Bill has received wide cross party support.   The support of 34 MSPs has meant that it can go forward and be considered by the Scottish Government.   The Bill, wh...

  Medical negligence cases are always difficult and always require the help of a specialist compensation and injury Solicitor.    It is said, somewhat satirically, in legal circles that the only straightforward Med Neg cases are those w...

One Saturday, whilst enjoying a game of football Mr Smith was subject to what can only be described as an horrific tackle.  This tackle was so bad it broke his leg in 2 places, ended his football season and bought an early end to his football career. He contacted Thompsons to seek help as he’d lost wages, incurred additional expenses in treatment and was terrified at what lay ahead in terms of earning power.  Thompsons assessed his case and negotiated with the insurers of Cambuslang Rangers to secure a  compensation settlement in the sum of £40,000 – enough to offer financial security in the short term and allow him to assess how he takes his life forward.