Posts Tagged ‘injury’
According to medical dictionaries, whiplash is a “hyperextenstion-hyperflexion” injury to the cervical spine caused by an abrupt jerking movement of the head, either in a backward or forward direction.”
That’s all very well, but as none of us are doctors, that definition is about as helpful as shouting in sign language.
Most commonly caused by road traffic accidents, whiplash occurs when the soft tissue in the spine is strained and stretched as a result of the body being thrown forwards in a sudden and forceful jerking motion. In a car crash, being hit from behind could send the body forward whilst the head is thrown backwards. The force of the movement is beyond what nature built the body to endure and so the muscles and ligaments around the neck are likely to get abnormally stretched. This is what doctors would call the “hyperextension” part of the injury.
The hyperflexion part occurs when the head is then thrown forwards because the brakes have been instinctively slammed or the car is shunted with force, this causes the neck to bend to such an extent that the head is thrown forwards and the chin hits the chest, compounding the damage already done.
This is only a simple explanation of the most common type of whiplash injury. There are other soft tissue injuries that are caused by the same type of accident circumstance and whiplash itself can lead to a variety of other related problems.
To discuss whether you may be able to make whiplash claim, visit duncangibbins.co.uk or freephone 0800 019 3515 for up to date advice from specialist personal injury solicitors.
A community enforcement officer who received injuries after being issued with ill-fitting, second hand body armour has received personal injury compensation. The officer, Anthony Roach, succeeded with his compensation claim through the help of his trade union, as well as a firm of leading personal injury lawyers. The duties of community enforcement officers involve investigating a wide range of potentially dangerous situations including noisy neighbors, fly tipping and illegal street trading.
Mr. Roach, who comes from Eaglescliffe in Teeside, received the work related injury because he had to wear ill fitting armour while working long shifts for Stockton Borough Council. Mr. Roach was left with serious back strains and shoulder problems after he was issued with faulty second hand armour, which he required to protect him from stabbings. For his compensation claim, Mr. Roach was awarded £2,000 by the Middlesborough County Court, which found Stockton Borough Council liable for failing to provide the victim with appropriate protective equipment.
The ill-fitting armour had been issued to Mr. Roach in April 2006. He complained to his superiors in September that the armour did not fit well, and that he had developed back strains and shoulder pains. It was found that Mr. Roach had been given second hand armour from Northumbria Police and the Kevlar plates that were inserted in the back and front were of different sizes. This weight pulled the officer to the left, and he had to compensate for the imbalance by adjusting his body, which resulted in his injuries.
Mr. Roach said that he had suffered from a lot of back strains, pains, aches and sleepless nights for ten months, because of the ill fitting armour. The community enforcement officer won his compensation claim for the work related injury through the assistance of his trade union Unison, which enlisted the services of specialist accident claim solicitors on behalf of its member.
The thirty one-year old community enforcement officer worked eleven-hour shifts for Stockton Borough Council’s neighborhood services team. His duties involved having to investigate complaints in potentially dangerous situations, for which he had to wear the faulty body armour at all times. Several of Mr. Roach’s colleagues had also complained about their ill fitting equipment, but nothing was done about these complaints until June 2007 when Mr. Roach was put on light duties. His solicitor has since stated that employers have a duty to ensure that protective equipment fits correctly and is adequate for the job the employee is expected to carry out.
A paralyzed man who was involved in a car crash has been awarded a record £11.15 million in a personal injury compensation payout. This award went to Wasim Mohammed, and is thought to be the highest ever personal injury compensation claim settlement in the UK.
Twenty two-year old Wasim Mohammed, who comes from Walsall, near Birmingham, suffered terrible injuries from a 2006 road traffic accident – RTA. He was a passenger in a car which was involved in a collision when its driver attempted overtaking at a junction, but ended up hitting another vehicle that was turning right. Mr. Mohammed suffered a broken neck, as well as damage to his spinal cord. He also has little function in his arms and no movement in his legs. The driver was travelling in excess of the speed limit when the accident occurred.
With the aid of his personal injury lawyers, Mr. Mohammed was able to obtain his compensation claim settlement – the highest ever in the UK, totaling £11.15 million, while the driver was convicted of careless driving. Mr. Mohamed received assistance in his case from Daniel Herman, a specialist in catastrophic injury based in Leeds. This personal injury claim was due to be heard last week by the Birmingham County Court, but an out of court settlement was agreed in advance, as often happens in large compensatory cases.
This huge injury claim settlement will provide Mr. Mohamed with a lump sum of £4.25 million, as well as annual payments of £235,000. These large payouts are aimed at compensating the great cost of care that the victim will have to bear for the rest of his life. Due to the devastating injuries, Mr. Mohammed now requires the aid of two carers to help him manage his day to day activities.
This enormous compensation payout was based on the extreme suffering and impact on Mr. Mohamed’s life, as well as the costs of long term care, loss of earnings and a host of other factors. Part of this settlement is targeted at building a house for Mr. Mohammed opposite his parent’s home, in order to enable him to be near them in old age. Mr. Mohammed comes from a traditional Pakistani family whose culture dictates that the eldest son remains in the family home to look after the parents in old age. Building the home to be nearby them was judged to be the next best thing as Mr. Mohammed can no longer care for his parents.