News Desk May to August 2010

Hospital worker forced into early retirement wins compensation

A hospital porter who was injured at work after his employer refused to address health and safety warnings, has received £13,000 compensation

Rail worker received £9,750 compensation

A rail worker whose leg was badly burned as he cut a rail has received £9,750 compensation from his employer

Working at Baltic Flour Mill killed our dad, say devastated daughters

The daughters of a man who died from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma after being exposed to the deadly dust when he worked at Rank Hovis say they cannot look at the old Baltic Flour Mill – now the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art – without thinking of how working there killed their father.

Widow receives compensation for husband’s asbestos death

The widow of a Somerset man who died, aged only 68, from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma, after being exposed to the deadly dust when he worked for the Central Electrical Generating Board at the former Portishead power stations, has received substantial six figure compensation

Pub chain compensates kitchen assistant for wrist laceration

A pub chain has paid £10,000 compensation to a kitchen assistant who sustained a wrist laceration and ongoing damage to his tendons in a work accident

Process worker compensated for permanent hearing loss

A process worker has won £15,000 compensation for his employer’s failure to protect him from excessive exposure to noise, causing him to develop permanent hearing loss and require the use of hearing aids.

Southern Cross Healthcare admits liability for elderly woman’s bedsore agony

A grieving family whose dying elderly mother spent months in agony because of her care home’s neglect has welcomed Southern Cross Healthcare’s admission of liability.

Former prison officer compensated after fall

A prison officer who suffered serious facial injuries when she tripped and fell during a night patrol has received compensation.

Multiple head injury compensated

The son of a PCS member now aged 23 has received £950,000 for multiple head injuries sustained in a road traffic accident in February 2003.

GMB wins compensation for Grimsby lorry driver who suffered crushed thumb

A man whose thumb was crushed as he tried to unload a trailer at work, has recovered £5,500 in personal injury compensation from his employer with help from Thompsons Solicitors

Army Cadet Major compensated by Erewash Council for asbestos disease

A former Major in the Derbyshire Army Cadet Force has received substantial compensation after developing the incurable asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma through his employment with Erewash Borough Council

Appeal for canal fall witnesses

Thompsons Solicitors is appealing for anyone who may have fallen in to the Wharf Basin Canal in Walsall, or witnessed people fall in, to get in touch

Medway NHS Trust pay compensation after leg amputation

A Rochester man has secured substantial damages from the Medway NHS Foundation Trust after part of his left leg had to be amputated following his admission to hospital with an infection in his little toe

Ground breaking victory for firefighter

The Fire Brigades Union and Thompsons Solicitors have secured a ground breaking victory for a firefighter who was sacked for asking colleagues if the brigade’s “Calcot” reclining chairs were hurting their backs

"Clerical Error" resulted in six years of illness

Our client, in this case was a 27 year old female who had suffered since childhood with abdominal pain. When no diagnosis was made she was given to understand that she had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Prison gardener compensated for assault

A gardener at a young offenders institute who had to give up work after being sexually assaulted by inmates has received compensation for psychological trauma

Prefab demolition led to fatal asbestos cancer

A man who developed the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma after being exposed to the deadly dust while demolishing prefabricated houses has received compensation from his former employer only weeks before his death from the disease.

The Lord Young review of health and safety and the compensation culture

Response from Thompsons Solicitors

Mesothelioma sufferer’s search for information on exposure

A cancer sufferer is calling for his former workmates to come forward with information about his exposure to asbestos after he was diagnosed with a fatal lung disease mesothelioma.

Refrigerated cooling racks at GlaxoSmithKline lead to fractured elbow

Problems over years with water leakage from cooling racks eventually claimed a victim at GlaxoSmithKline when Dorothy Kirby slipped and fractured the elbow of her dominant right arm

Reform of the Coroner System

Thompsons' response to the Ministry of Justice consultation

Significant payout for brain damaged scaffolder

Patrick O’Malley, 35, from near Goole spent four years in hospital after he was seriously brain damaged following the accident while working for Powertherm Access Services.

Cadbury Bournville worker compensated for asbestos exposure

A former publications officer at Cadbury’s Bournville factory has received £100,000 compensation after developing the fatal asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma

East Midlands worker seriously injured at haulage firm receives compensation

A GMB member who was seriously injured when he was flung from a barrow truck while working at haulage company GCT in Thorne has received £245,000 compensation

Electrical fitter left disabled by workplace accident is compensated

A Unite member who was left disabled after a workplace accident has received £125,000 in compensation

Unite shop steward compensated after unfair dismissal

A Unite shop steward who was sacked after swearing at his line manager has received compensation for unfair dismissal

Foundry worker compensated after horrific accident

A foundry worker who suffered 65% burns during a spillage of molten metal has received a substantial sum in compensation

Judge vindicates union over cuts to civil service redundancy pay

A High Court judge has dealt the final blow to the government’s unlawful cuts to civil service redundancy pay

Fitter deafened after having to choose between protecting his eyes or ears is compensated

A fitter who was forced to make a choice over protecting his ears or his eyes in the workplace has received almost £7000 in compensation after developing occupational deafness

Lollipop man wins damages after hit and run

The 74-year-old, who was employed by Kirklees Council, suffered multiple injuries including a fractured wrist, fractured tibia and a back injury in the collision

Injured scaffolder receives compensation after agonising back injury

Thompsons Solicitors has achieved compensation for an employee of Powertherm Access in Goole after a workplace accident forced him to give up his job.

Leeds West MP takes up asbestos victims’ fight for justice

The fight for justice for asbestos victims in Yorkshire has been taken up by newly elected Labour MP for Leeds West, Rachel Reeves

Bakery worker receives compensation after workplace accident

A bakery worker who was pinned against a safety rail by an 80 kilo stack of bread has received almost £4,000 in compensation for his injuries

Castings firm pays damages for 30 years exposure to noise

Terence Haywood, 62, from Doncaster has received £13,000 in damages after suffering occupational deafness

Train driver receives compensation after collision

A train driver who suffered a nervous breakdown after he was involved in a fatal collision on a railway crossing has received a substantial sum in compensation.

UNITE union couple both sacked by same employer get employment tribunal compensation

A Unite member has been successful in his appeal for more compensation after he was unfairly dismissed by his employer of 15 years.

Union calls for more funding to help space shortage in schools

The UK’s largest teaching union is urging greater awareness of health and safety after a teacher suffered a serious accident in a school corridor

Pedestrian knocked down on pavement receives compensation

A woman whose foot was reversed over by a car while she stood on the pavement chatting to a neighbour has received £40,000 in compensation after help from her husband’s trade union.

Stonemason received £56,000 for HAVS

A stonemason who was forced to give up his specialist trade after his hands were left permanently damaged by using vibrating tools at work has received £56,000 in compensation.

Nuclear worker compensated after accident cost her promotion

The 54-year-old has been forced to go on restricted duties and has missed out on a promotion after slipping on liquid while working at Sellafield in Whitehaven.

Driver left with permanent eye damage receives compensation

A driver has received a substantial sum in compensation after he suffered permanent damage to his eye in a workplace accident.

Caterpillar pays damages for faulty work equipment

A Unite member who needed two operations to correct a hernia following a workplace accident has received more than £7,000 in compensation.

Bakery worker forced to give up work after fall at Asda

A Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) member has received £45,000 in damages after a visit to the supermarket forced her to give up work.

Factory worker compensated after crush injury

A GMB member whose hand was crushed during a horrific workplace accident has received £57,000 in compensation.

Derby man receives compensation for mesothelioma

A Major in Derbyshire’s Army Cadet Force has received £220,000 compensation after he was diagnosed with asbestos cancer.

Unite member compensated for shoulder injury

A mechanical fitter who was needed surgery on his shoulder following a workplace accident has received more than £5,000 in compensation.

Thompsons’ South Shields office recovers £2.7m

South Tyneside personal injury lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors, is celebrating after helping to recover more than £2.7m in compensation for local injured people in the last 12 months alone.

RAF Corporal to receive compensation for Victorian working conditions

An RAF Corporal who was left with a devastating degenerative neurological condition after he was exposed to dangerous toxins while working in ‘Victorian conditions’ has won his 17-year battle for compensation.

Damages received by victim of dangerous lift

A PCS member who was in a lift that plunged seven floors to the ground has received a substantial sum in compensation.

Widow’s call for ELIB

Caroline Squires from Wacton in Norfolk, has voiced her support for an Employers’ Liability Insurance Bureau (ELIB) after her husband, Almer, died from asbestos related cancer mesothelioma.

Double tragedy for asbestos cancer victim

An asbestos cancer sufferer whose first wife died from the same disease has received compensation from his former employers.

Major victory for union over plans to cut civil service redundancy pay

The Public and Commercial Services union has won a major legal victory against government plans to drastically cut civil service redundancy payments

Joiner’s family compensated for mesothelioma death

The widow of a joiner has received £250,000 compensation for her husband’s death from asbestos related disease.

Unite member compensated for mesothelioma

David Marren, 63, from Rugby in Warkwickshire was diagnosed with mesothelioma in February 2009

GMB member compensated for broken jaw

A GMB member who suffered a broken jaw and lost seven teeth in a workplace accident has received £47,500 in compensation

Scaffolder awarded damages after crane accident

A scaffolder who needed surgery after a 300 kilo weight fell on his leg has received £30,000 in compensation after help from his trade union