A warehouse worker for the catalogue giants Argos has won an industrial deafness claim for compensation after suffering permanent hearing loss at work.

The Manchester Evening News is reporting that Tony Greatorex worked in the Argos Direct warehouse in Trafford Park, Manchester. His job involved unloading pallets from the back of lorries arriving at the depot, by using a battery operated ‘pump truck’. The combination of noises in the warehouse was extremely loud. As well as the noise of the truck, there was noise as the vehicle travelled over a metal bridge to get to the trucks, and even more noise coming from the rattling of metal carrying cases.

Workers in the warehouse were given no protection against hearing loss until the summer of 2007. Unfortunately, this protection came too late for Mr Greatorex. He noticed a buzzing and ringing in his ears and went to see a doctor about it. His GP diagnosed him with tinnitus, caused by his loud working conditions. The forty six year old will require hearing aids for the rest of his life.

Mr Greatorex made a compensation claim against Argos, and they admitted liability for his hearing loss. They agreed to pay him £12,000 in compensation for his condition, which includes a portion of money to buy the hearing aids which can improve his life.

A woman who suffered a serious brain injury in a car crash, is making a claim for compensation in the region of half a million pounds.

The Salisbury Journal is reporting that Diana Turan was injured in a car accident which occurred on the A303 back in September 2008. She was travelling in her Mazda car when the engine started revving wildly of its own accord. It started to bellow out smoke and make uncomfortable noises. After a struggle, Ms Turan managed to bring the car to a controlled stop and switched the engine off.

Diana got out of the vehicle immediately, fearing that it was about to catch on fire. While she was stood inside the distance of the open door, her car was hit by another vehicle, driven by Carol Ward. The impact left Ms Turan with devastating injuries.

She suffered two broken legs in the collision and a serious brain injury, which has left her with cognitive difficulties. She spent 3 months in hospital recovering, and more time after that in treatment and rehabilitation.

Ms Turan is now making a brain injury claim for compensation from Ms Ward. Her legal team alleges that Ms Ward is responsible for her injuries as she failed to slow down or move into the adjacent lane to avoid an accident. She is claiming at least £500,000 in damages.

The family of a boy who has been left disabled after treatment in an NHS hospital are suing for medical negligence compensation.

The Northampton Chronicle and Echo newspaper is reporting that Thomas Musgrove was just a baby when he suffered devastating injuries. He was born at Northampton General Hospital in the summer of 2001 by Caesarean section and five weeks early. Tests on him as a new born revealed renal impairment, highlighted by brown urine. Medical staff then decided to keep a close eye on Thomas’ blood pressure. However, his parents claim that this failed to take place.

On 26th December 2002 Thomas was admitted to hospital as his muscle tone had decreased. It is alleged that the hospital failed to take his blood pressure again, and it was later revealed he had suffered a stroke. It was then found that his left kidney was half the size of his right and had just 4% function. This caused the high blood pressure and as a result, the stroke.

Thomas has been left with learning difficulties, mobility and speech issues after the stoke and needs extensive care. His family are now suing the hospital, claiming they should have done more to monitor his blood pressure and should have performed an ultrasound to look at his kidneys sooner. These steps could have prevented his stroke they claim. If successful they could be set to receive compensation in the six figure range.

The case has just been issued in a high court writ, and will be decided at a later date.

Campaigners on behalf of ill former slate mine workers have raised fears over the Government’s delay in offering industrial disease compensation.

Plans were being thought out by the previous Labour government to provide a fund for compensation claims and a body tasked with tracing insurance companies who covered the now defunct slate mines. The fact the mines are no longer in business means finding who to claim compensation from can be difficult. However, the new Conservative and Liberal Democrat government seems in no rush to implement these ideas.

The Department of Work and Pensions has said it will consider the ideas but did not set a date as to when this would occur. Now campaigners fear that the proposals will fall victim to the numerous cuts being outlined by the new government in a desperate bid to save money wherever it can.

Many slate workers employed in the mines of north Wales have developed lung and chest problems in later life. This comes from inhaling slate dust prevalent throughout their work area in times before protection for workers was deemed necessary. Many feel they have been poorly treated compared to coal miners.

Ted Oliver, a former union official – who himself suffers from pneumoconiosis – spoke to the BBC about the poor way former miners were treated. He reported it was “a battle” to get compensation money for affected slate workers.

For the people who have been fighting for years to get compensation it is a case of waiting to see if the new government will help them in their fight.

A man who was accidentally shot in the groin with a taser could make a compensation claim against the police.

Peter Cox was driving to his friend’s house in Bridgwater, Somerset to continue with some gardening work he was undertaking. Police – who had been following his BMW – pulled over to speak to him, wrongly believing he was driving without insurance.

The police then report that Mr Cox “became aggressive” and subsequently pointed a taser gun at him. Mr Cox strongly denies any aggression and the policeman in question quickly went to lower and withdraw the weapon. As he was doing so, it accidentally went off and Mr Cox was hit by two taser probes, one in his groin and one in his ankle.

The taser shock left him paralysed for up to half an hour, and he received treatment from paramedics. Luckily, he suffered no lasting damage. The weapons release a high voltage electric current which is designed to incapacitate offenders. Peter describes being in considerable pain from the shock.

Mr Cox is now reportedly considering suing the police and could possibly receive around £1,500 in compensation. A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police has confirmed that they are investigating the incident.

A woman has won her pedestrian accident compensation claim after suffering an accident caused by overgrown bushes.

Pervin Yetkin was crossing a road in Stratford, London in 2004 when she was hit by a taxi. She suffered devastating injuries in the incident including a fractured neck and severe internal injuries. She was rushed to hospital where she was treated for her life threatening injuries.

She originally sued Newham Council claiming that overgrown bushes in the central reservation had obscured her view of oncoming traffic. However, her first case was unsuccessful and ruled that the accident was directly her fault. The traffic lights were against her and in favour of the taxi when she crossed the road.

She appealed this decision at The Court of Appeal in London yesterday, and the Judges ruled in her favour. They decided that Newham Council was 25% responsible for the accident for failing to trim the central reservation bushes. They ruled Ms Yetkin 75 % liable for her accident due to her negligence in crossing when the lights indicated it was unsafe to do so.

As the Council is deemed 25% responsible, they are liable to pay 25% damages for her injuries. The exact amount of compensation this constitutes will be decided at a later date.

The family of a man who was tragically killed in a bus accident has started a fatal accident claim against the driver.

Kevin Mykoliw was a mechanic, and was stood at the front of the vehicle as it was about to carry out a brake test. Before the brake test was performed, the bus driver drove into a parked trailer on the side of the road, and Mr Mykoliw died instantly in the collision.

The driver of the bus – Arthur Botterill – has reported to an inquiry that he did not see the trailer. The accident took place at 7am on October 17th 2008. At that time of year in Inverness, where the accident took place, the sun does not rise till after this time.

Mr Botterill was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving for failing to see the trailers in the street lights. He received a three year driving ban, and a sentence of 210 hours of community service.

Now twelve relatives of Mr Mykoliw are making a fatal accident claim for compensation against the bus firm, D&E Coaches, and the owners of the trailer Tulloch Transport. The owners of the trailer are included in the case as the trailer is alleged to have been parked in an illegal position. The group of twelve claimants includes his wife, children and mother. They are seeking damages for the accident caused by the negligence of the two parties involved.

A prisoner who suffered from kidney stones in jail and did not have them treated correctly has won a compensation claim for his treatment.

The prisoner has an addiction to drugs which is thought to have triggered his medical condition or at the very least to have made the condition seriously worse. He is a former heroin addict who continues to regularly take amphetamine. In fact, the career criminal had been arrested for possession of £70 worth of amphetamine. These drugs that the man had regularly taken into his body have had a serious adverse effect on his health.

The prisoner was diagnosed with the kidney stones during his time inside, but they were not dealt with sufficiently by staff in the prison. He went on to be given £27,000 compensation for this poor standard of treatment.

The incident was reported in Police Review magazine, receiving condemnation from senior police figures. One stated that he thought that the compensation money should be given to the victims of his crimes as compensation, as the former prisoner is already receiving money from the state in terms of benefits. Some people are arguing that cases such as this do harm to the genuine cases brought by the public to claim compensation after receiving unacceptable medical treatment.

A woman has launched an accident claim after her husband was killed in a road traffic accident caused by two racing drivers.

Liam Corr was killed when his vehicle was involved in a multi car collision on a bypass. The pile up was caused by Peter Bowyer and Graham Hooper who were racing each other before the accident. Reports say that they were ‘bumper to bumper’ for at least five miles before the incident occurred, and continually overtaking each other. They were travelling at speeds of approximately 80 miles per hour when the accident happened.

One of the racing drivers – Graham Hooper – died at the scene, while the other – Peter Bowyer – was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving. He was sentenced to six and a half years in prison and banned from driving for five years. He had originally been banned from driving for seven years but this was shortened after an appeal.

Liam Corr left behind a wife and young daughter when he died at the scene of the accident in Warminster. They are now making an accident compensation claim which is reported to be in the region of £300,000 for the pain, suffering and loss of their loved family member.

A former factory worker has won a substantial asbestos claim after becoming seriously ill from exposure to the deadly fibres.

The pensioner from Preston worked for Leyland Motors during the 1950s. Throughout his five years of work there as a teenage engineer, he was repeatedly exposed to asbestos. He was part of a team of workers who made parts for large vehicles including buses. He spent a considerable amount of time on or under large pipes covered in asbestos and can remember dust which carried the deadly asbestos spores filling the air. He left the engineering profession after working at the plant and went on to have a successful career in the public sector.

The Lancashire Evening Post has reported that the 72 year old developed mesothelioma in 2006, some fifty years since working at Leyland Motors. After complaining to doctors of a persistent cough and chest pains he underwent tests and eventually was successfully diagnosed. Mesothelioma is an incurable form of cancer which attacks the lining of the lungs and is only caused by exposure to asbestos fibres.

His claim for compensation was not disputed and the insurance company agreed to pay damages. He was awarded a settlement figure of £162,000.