News Desk January to April 2009

Surgical pin left inside patient

A hospital which left surgical equipment inside a patient has paid an out of court settlement.

The two largest trade union firms in the UK combine to create one firm

On 1 May 2009 Rowley Ashworth will join Thompsons to create a combined firm.

Labourer undergoes amputation after workplace accident

A man who had to have his leg amputated below the knee after breaking his ankle at work has received a substantial sum in compensation with the help of his union Unite.

£650,000 damages for mesothelioma widow

Thompsons Solicitors has helped the widow of a businessman, who died of an asbestos-related disease, to recover £650,000 in damages.

Involving workers saves lives

The catalogue of health and safety failures which led to the horrific death of a young man on a construction site were typical of the disregard many employers show for their workers lives, leading trade union lawyers Thompsons has warned.

Search for Ascania’s crew

The family of a ship’s fireman who was exposed to asbestos while working on one of Cunard Line’s famous passenger ships is searching for his former work colleagues

Thompsons criticise insurers’ judicial review in Scotland

Thompsons Solicitors has criticised a move by some of the UK’s largest insurers to challenge Scottish legislation to provide compensation to people with asbestos pleural plaques.

Asbestos victim’s fight for justice

A Teesside asbestos worker who was diagnosed with pleural plaques just nine years ago has been told he has just months to live after developing the fatal asbestos cancer mesothelioma.

Thompsons helps fund sensory play garden

Children at Percy Hedley Hillcrest Northern Counties Nursery are looking forward to enjoying a new play area after help from staff at Thompsons Solicitors.

Fractured ankle caused by fall

A bank cashier who fractured her ankle when she fell down a step has received almost £9,000 in compensation.

Cruise liner pays £10,000 to holidaymaker

The wife of a Fire Brigade’s Union (FBU) member who broke her wrist on the second day of a family cruise has received more than £10,000 in compensation.

College lecturer receives damages for fall

A college lecturer who damaged his shoulder after slipping on a wheelchair ramp has received a substantial sum in compensation.

New research reinforces asbestos dangers

Thompsons Solicitors has welcomed new research which reconfirmed all commercial asbestos fibres cause lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Broken thumb caused by bad communication

A GMB member who broke his thumb in two places in a workplace accident has received £6,000 in compensation.

Pleural Plaques announcement due after Easter

Thompsons Solicitors welcomed the Prime Minister’s statement that a decision on pleural plaques will be made when Parliament resumes after the Easter recess

Compensation for man who may never work again

A GMB member who has received compensation for a painful industrial injury fears he may never find work again after he was made redundant.

Settlement for asbestos worker’s lung cancer

The widow of an asbestos factory worker who died from lung cancer has received substantial compensation.

Mesothelioma sufferer’s diary highlights care concerns

The family of an asbestos victim have published their dad’s diaries outlining his search for new treatments for the deadly asbestos related disease mesothelioma to help prolong his life.

Union wins injury payout from failed firm

A GMB member who damaged his shoulder in a workplace accident has received compensation despite his employers going into administration.

Payout for footballer injured at work

GMB member Kevin Fullard Junior, 23, from Barrow in Furness was forced to take nine weeks off work following the fall in which he broke his left leg below his knee

Simple operation leads to granddad’s death

The family of a former miner who died after his spleen was ruptured during a routine operation has received £12,000 in compensation.

Firefighter in whiplash accident

A training exercise led to a firefighter suffering from whiplash injuries after his employers ignored important health and safety advice

Family’s search for information on Yorkshire businesses

The family of a seamstress is trying to find out more about her working conditions after she died from an asbestos-related disease

Plumber’s search for former colleagues

Terence O'Dowd was exposed to asbestos when working as a plumber and heating engineer for Northern Heating Company, Chas Thompson and Miller Heating Installations, all based in Leeds.

Press Statement for HMS Tireless Verdict

Thompsons Solicitors represents Alan and Brenda Huntrod whose son Anthony died on HMS Tireless on March 21, 2007 during a training exercise in Alaska.  Coroner Derek Winter returned a narrative verdict today (Tuesday, March 24, 2009)

Teacher attacked by pupil awarded £275,000

A teacher who was attacked by a pupil has received £275,000 in compensation after his school failed to warn him about the dangers.

Failed sterilisation causes heartache for mum

A mother who became pregnant after undergoing a sterilisation operation is suing Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust after she was advised to abort her baby.

Compensation for prison officer injured in attack

A prison officer who was injured while trying to restrain a violent inmate has received £8,000 in compensation

Insurers challenge asbestosis compensation

Rolls Royce settle hearing loss claim

A Rolls Royce employee who believes he was exposed to dangerous levels of noise in the workplace has been compensated following help from his union’s solicitors

GMB rugby player for Salford City Reds is free to continue playing after being cleared of drugs misuse

GMB member, Salford City Reds second-row Ian Sibbit has been found with no case to answer by the Rugby Football league (RFL) after an independent drugs test showed high levels of asthma drug Salbutamol in his system

Family’s search for information on Tower Brewery

Norman Taylor, aged 78, suffered from the debilitating condition asbestosis when he died in November 2005

Pleural plaques postcode lottery

Thompsons Solicitors is supporting calls for an immediate announcement from the Government on the asbestos related condition pleural plaques following a decision to compensate sufferers in Scotland.

Five figure compensation for lagger’s asbestos disease

Michael Avery, 66, from Higher Walton in Preston was diagnosed with disabling asbestos related disease pleural thickening in 2006.

BSN North’s launch

The Black Solicitors Network (BSN) is launching its northern branch at Sheffield Hallam University on Monday, March 30, 2009.

Employers’ liability Bill launched in Parliament

Thompsons Solicitors is calling for asbestos victims and their families across the UK to write to their MPs asking them to support a Private Member’s Bill which, if successful, will make it possible to claim compensation in cases where an employer’s insurer cannot be traced.

Train driver’s slip forces Underground to take notice

A tube train driver who tripped and fell has received almost £4000 in compensation after he badly injured his knee

Campaign given backing by MP

Bolton South East MP Dr Brian Iddon has given his backing to a campaign to help asbestos victims and their families obtain compensation

Shop steward injured despite warnings

A GMB shop steward who has fought for years for safer practices and member rights in the workplace has been compensated after an accident at work

Savoy waiter slips on greasy floor

A GMB member who slipped while working at the five star Savoy Hotel in London has received £9,000 in compensation

Unsuitable work tools leads to surgery

A man who underwent intensive surgery following a fall at work has received £25,000 in compensation.

Confectioner’s search for witnesses

The family of a former confectioner are trying to trace her former colleagues after she died from an asbestos-related disease.

Mesothelioma sufferer receives £200,000

A Granddad-of-two has obtained £200,000 in compensation after he was diagnosed with a fatal asbestos-related disease

Compensation for family of mother exposed to asbestos on work clothes

The family of a woman who died after being exposed to asbestos while washing her husband’s work clothes has received a substantial sum in compensation

Ladder fall forces baker to retire

A bakery worker who was forced to give up his job after falling from a ladder has received a substantial sum in compensation

MPs call for an Employers’ Liability Insurance Bureau

The All-Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health has called for an ELIB to protect claimants unable to trace their employers’ insurer

Finger lost in grinding accident

Unite member Stephen Owen from Pesall has had to adapt to working without his finger after it was amputated following the accident at Bescott Construction Tools in Walsall

Claim for injured nurse put to bed after huge payout

A nurse who will never work again after damaging her back while trying to move a faulty hospital bed has won £45,000 compensation, with the help of her trade union UNISON.

Printer’s work leads to kidney disease

David Owenson, from Scarborough, was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2000 following years of exposure to hazardous substance toluene

Hospital Worker beats the bullies to win claim

An NHS hospital trust has been told to dig deep for damages after a UNISON member suffered a nervous breakdown because of bullying.

David Miliband raises concerns with Government Colleagues

Thompson's Solicitors has welcomed the commitment of the Foreign Secretary and South Shield's MP David Milliband to press the case for urgent government consideration of an Employers Liability Bureau (ELIB).

Ladder slip leads to broken heel

A UNITE member who was off work for more than two years after breaking his heel has received £120,000 compensation

Silent Victims and heroes honoured during Action Mesothelioma Day

Sufferers of an asbestos related cancer are to be remembered by residents in Stoke, Staffordshire and South Cheshire on Action Mesothelioma Day this month.

Faulty stair leads to PCS member’s disability

A woman who was left disabled after she tripped on a faulty step at work has received £20,000 in compensation.

Compensation quadrupled for GMB member

A GMB member who was advised to accept just £800 in damages after a car accident has received more than four times the amount in compensation after help from her trade union

Nurse wins damages after serious injury to wrist at work

UNISON has helped a nurse claim damages after seriously injuring his wrist during an attempt to open an old ward window

Hero sought after Road Sweeper Crash

A road sweeper is on the hunt for the hero who saved his life by pulling him free from his faulty vehicle

Family’s search for information on J W Roberts Factory

The family of a grandmother are trying to find out more about where she grew up after she died from an asbestos-related disease

Unite Ensures Asbestos Victims’ Claims Honoured by Government

The Government today took a decision which will benefit hundreds of sufferers of the fatal asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The people affected were exposed to asbestos by Turner & Newall (T&N) the UK’s largest asbestos company which went into Administration in 2001

South Shields MP visits Thompsons Offices

South Shields MP David Miliband has visited Thompsons Solicitors’ South Shields office to discuss the campaign to restore compensation to the North East’s pleural plaques sufferers

Call for clamp down on Dangerous Noise Levels as Deafened Worker wins Compensation

UNISON is calling for employers to change their tune over noise levels, as a Highways worker who was deafened on the job wins compensation from a local council

Pipefitter’s claim leads to discovery of asbestosis

Arthur Parr, 80, from Liverpool has received a substantial five figure sum in provisional damages after he developed asbestosis caused by exposure to asbestos dust while working as a pipe fitter for five different companies

Royal Opera House compensates employee

A Royal Opera House employee who hurt his back while preparing the stage for a performance has received a substantial sum in compensation.

Runaway train leaves ASLEF member traumatised

An Aslef member who was forced to jump out of the way of a runaway train has received £41,000 in compensation for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Inquest of Anthony Huntrod

This information is provided by the parents of Anthony Huntrod to assist journalists reporting on their son’s inquest beginning on Tuesday, February 10, 2009

UK’s MPs support plaques campaign

MPs from across the UK have put their weight behind a campaign to compensate people diagnosed with pleural plaques.

Driver injured unloading lorry

A delivery driver who was never given training in lifting heavy loads by his employers has received more than £3,000 in compensation following a workplace accident.

means testing

Council worker suffers electric shock by faulty equipment

UNISON has won compensation for a father-of-two who was blinded and badly burnt during a shocking accident

Caretaker tore tendons as he lifted heavy sofa

A GMB member urged employers to introduce safe methods for handling heavy objects after he damaged his shoulder lifting furniture

Attacked firefighter’s successful claim

A firefighter who was attacked by a group of youths while attending a blaze has been awarded compensation following help from his union

Asbestos compensation secured for shipwright’s family

The family of a former teacher has received £112,000 in compensation after he died from asbestos related cancer mesothelioma.

Machine fitter compensated for loss of hearing

The 50-year-old from Worksop has received £5,500 in damages after suffering occupational deafness

London bombings train driver compensated

A tube train driver who helped seriously injured passengers following the London bombings has won a three-year fight for compensation with the backing of his union

Railway worker helped to gain compensation

A railway worker who broke his knee when trying to undertake emergency repairs to a train track has received £20,000 in compensation following help from his union’s lawyers

Fight for pleural plaques compensation continues

The fight to reinstate compensation for pleural plaques is one of many challenges over the last five years following attempts by the insurance industry to erode the rights of asbestos victims.

Asbestos death claim brought one day before deadline

UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector union, helped recover £170,000 for the family of Roger Blackman, from Kent, who died from the lung lining cancer, mesothelioma, five weeks after he was diagnosed

Widower’s search for wife’s work colleagues

Jill Bird, 63, from Luton died in November last year just weeks after she was diagnosed with asbestos related cancer mesothelioma.

What is good enough for the motor insurance market is good enough for the workers

Thompsons Solicitors has stepped up its campaign for an Employer’s Liability Insurance Bureau in employers’ liability personal injury cases.

Postcode lottery over pleural plaques

Pleural Plaques sufferers exposed to asbestos in Scotland will soon be on the road to claim compensation for their condition

Uninsured employers are getting away with murder - Thompsons calls for an insurance fund of last resort

Thompsons is calling on the Government to set up an Employers Liability Insurance Bureau (ELIB) – similar to the Motor Insurance Bureau which compensates the victims of uninsured drivers

Unions back pleural plaques campaign

Three of the UK’s largest trade unions have given their backing to a campaign to restore the right to compensation for thousands of workers.

UNISON wins Constructive Dismissal Case

UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector trade union, has won more than £30,000 compensation for a member forced to resign from her job after suffering months of harassment by a colleague.

Widow’s search for husband’s work colleagues

Samuel Catlow died aged 79 in 2006 of the asbestos related cancer mesothelioma.

Compensation for security guard attacked in the workplace

GMB member James Maher, 56, from East London was attacked while working as a security guard for the London Borough of Waltham Forest at the Low Hall Depot in Walthamstow

Pleural Plaques Campaign is launched

Thompsons Solicitors are supporting a campaign calling on the Government to step in and remedy a House of Lords ruling which ended the decades old right to claim compensation for pleural plaques

Pleural Plaques in Northern Ireland

Read Thompsons's response to the Northern Ireland finance department consultation on compensation for asbestos-related pleural plaques

Group 4 worker receives compensation for slip

A cash machine maintenance worker has received £10,500 in compensation after slipping outside a Tesco supermarket.

Heavy lifting leads to back pain for two Boots Alliance workers

They both suffered back and shoulder strain after working at the Nottingham depot with inadequate equipment and without a risk assessment for more than two years.

Insurer found in Ward Brothers’ mesothelioma claim

The widow of a former labourer has become the first to receive compensation from a Yorkshire employer’s insurer after her husband died from an asbestos related disease

Pub landlord compensated for asbestos cancer

Graham Morris, 63, from Audenshaw in Manchester was diagnosed with mesothelioma in March 2008 after he was exposed to asbestos during the 1980s while working at the Ashton Hotel in Ashton Under Lyne for Whitbread Breweries

Family of Deceased Asbestos Victim win Compensation Claim

The family of a teacher who died from an asbestos-related disease has been awarded £240,000.

Unite member scarred for life

A Unite member has been left with a deep 7cm scar on his forehead after machinery weighing four and a half tonnes fell on him.

Car accident victim wins compensation

Lucy Borez, 58, from Victoria in London was involved in a horrific car accident in 2003 which left her with fractures in her left shoulder, right elbow and left hip.