Archive for October, 2008

In 2005 mechanic Robert Earl died of the asbestos related disease Mesothelioma.  In 1969 he had spent approximately 8 months working at a local garage, where he was exposed to asbestos in the brake linings of the commercial vehicles that he was repairing.  A claim was made against the garage by Mr Earl’s Executors, who were successful in recovering injury compensation for his family.

Although the exposure to asbestos in this case was relatively minor, the success of the Mesothelioma claim could set a precedent for others seeking personal injury compensation as a result of limited exposure to asbestos.

A rambler who suffered injuries when walking on a rickety footbridge has won £3,000 in her accident compensation claim.  Mrs B Green was walking along a public footpath at Combe Haven Valley Nature Reserve, and as she went over a wooden bridge a section of the planking collapsed.

As a result of the accident Mrs Green suffered factures to her 2^nd and 3^rd metatarsals, cuts to her shin and bruising to her groin.

The local council defended the accident claim, stating that she should have seen the defect and stepped over it.  However, they admitted having no formal inspection regime for the bridge as it was in a rural location.

A manufacturer of industrial catering equipment, Lincat Ltd, has been fined £19,400 and ordered to pay substantial legal costs after being found in breach of health and safety regulations following an employee suffering an accident at work.

The employee, Rolf Cinavas, worked as an oven assembler and suffered a groin injury when he was required to move a pizza oven weighing 96kg without the use of any mechanical lifting gear.  He and his supervisor had to move 5 ovens from a waist high assembly bench and put them on pallets that were on the floor.  As a result of the accident he was unable to return to work for 9 weeks.

The company admitted being in breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 as they did not have a clear health and safety policy statement.  They were also in breach of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.