Asbestos Campaign

comercrawley supports HSE asbestos campaign

comercrawley has voiced its support for an ongoing campaign by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which is aimed at tradesmen who work with asbestos.

In the UK around 500,000 non-domestic buildings contain asbestos. About 20 workers - including plumbers, joiners, and electricians - die every week from asbestos-related diseases in Britain.

The ‘Hidden Killer’ campaign aims to increase awareness of the risks posed by asbestos and how workers can best protect themselves. It is supported by unions, employers’ representatives, health charities, sufferers and victims’ groups.

David Snowball, HSE regional director for Yorkshire and Humber, said: “Asbestos is Britain’s biggest industrial killer. Contrary to what many people believe, the risks are not a thing of the past. Asbestos-related illnesses claim the lives of 4,000 people every year – more than die in road accidents.”

Ian Comer, director of comercrawley, said: “Unfortunately we are still dealing with the results of careless handling of asbestos in the past.

“There is a tendency to believe that, because we now know much more about asbestos, the risk has been much reduced or almost eradicated.

“But there are still a great many buildings and situations in which asbestos remains, and it is still of the greatest importance that those working where asbestos may be found should think of that possibility before they disturb the material.

“Otherwise the dreadful long-term toll of asbestos is likely to continue for decades to come. And that it why comercrawley fully supports the HSE’s Hidden Killer campaign.”

Click here to visit the ‘Hidden Killer’ campaign website.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/hiddenkiller/index.htm

Couple compensated for distress and trauma

A couple received 50 times more than initially offered for the trauma they suffered when a car wrecked their home of more than 45 years.

The accident occurred on 26 February 2007 when the defendant was driving through the village that 'Mr & Mrs Smith' live in. He lost control of his car and collided with their home, causing extensive damage.

The damage to the Smith's cottage was such that they had to move out for nine months while reinstatement works were carried out.

They initially stayed with their family, and then rented a holiday let before moving into a mobile home at their property while the building work went on around them.

Mr. & Mrs Smith's claim for repairs to their home was dealt with through their home insurance policy. They were advised, however, that there was no provision for compensation for the distress and inconvenience that they had experienced.

The couple contacted comercrawley and we advised them that they could pursue a claim against the driver's insurers, both for the distress and inconvenience and any other claim such as compensation for personal injury.

While Mrs Smith was not at home when the accident happened, Mr Smith was trapped in the house for about an hour after the collision, initially not knowing what had happened. While he was fortunate to escape physical injury, it became apparent afterwards that he was suffering quite severely from the psychological effects associated with the trauma.

These effects were noticed more by Mr Smith's family as he found it difficult to acknowledge the symptoms that he was suffering from, which included anxiety, lack of confidence and patience, difficulty in sleeping, becoming very emotional and tearful, and mood swings. He also become over anxious about a similar incident re-occurring and his family members being injured as a result.

Through pursuing a personal injury claim, Mr Smith benefited from expert advice from a consultant psychiatrist who diagnosed that he was suffering from a moderate to severe depressive disorder, and advised a course of treatment that included psychological therapy and medication.

We arranged for the insurance company to pay for the treatment, following which Mr Smith returned more or less back to normal. Following the treatment we negotiated a settlement of Mr Smith's personal injury claim that he was extremely pleased with.

The Smiths' claim for compensation for distress and inconvenience was initially rejected by the insurers, who initially merely offered the sum of £100 by way of a 'goodwill gesture'. The claim was eventually settled for a figure 50 times higher than that initial offer.

Mr & Mrs Smith have been extremely pleased with the outcome of their claims. Not only have they achieved good levels of compensation, but Mr. Smith has also received the treatment he needed to help him recover from the effects of the accident. It has been a pleasure dealing with Mr & Mrs Smith, and extremely satisfying to achieve such a positive outcome and to help them put the event behind them.

What is a claimant injury lawyer?

- Well we act for the injured victim of an act of negligence, breach of duty or deliberate act, and recover compensation for that person’s injury and loss.

- The injured victim who brings the claim is called a Claimant.

- The person or body a claim is brought against is a Defendant.

- A Claimant will always be an individual person whereas a Defendant can be an individual, an incorporated company, or business or partnership, a local authority, a club etc.

- The injury can comprise or involve mental harm as well as physical damage.

- The Claimant if successful in a claim in negligence or breach of duty can recover damages (compensation) for a wide range of losses which may flow from the injury. A non exhaustive list is:-

- general damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity.

- loss of earnings.

- damage to clothing and property.

- care and assistance.

- medical / rehabilitation treatment costs.

- A Claimant can recover damages non only for past losses but also future losses, for example if the Claimant’s earning ability has been affected or if future medical treatment is likely to be required.

Why use comercrawley to deal with your personal injury claim?

- Our lawyers are all specialist in injury claims.

- It is the only work we do.

- Two of our solicitors, Ian Comer and Emma Crawley, are on the Law Society Specialist Personal Injury Panel. Panel membership is only achieved if you can demonstrate a a high level of specialist knowledge and suitable experience in dealing with the most complex and demanding of cases and an ability to run claims in an effective and straightforward manner.

- We give our advice and talk to you in plain language, we do not try and hide behind the jargon.

- We are on both the Headway (acquired brain injury) and Spinal Injuries Association Panel of Solicitors which acknowledged the firm’s ability to deal with the most complex of cases.

- We respond promptly to all communications from our client, we give clear, straightforward advice and will make sure your claim is progressed as swiftly as possible.

- We will make sure you understand what we are doing for you.

- We will come and see you at home, even in hospital if you can’t get to see us.

- Best of all our service is at no cost to you.

- We carry out all our work on a "no win, no fee" basis (see later blog) and give our client three assurances at the outset of their claim:-

(i) The client will pay no cost win or lose.

(ii) We will not take any compensation from a client, they will receive 100% of what we recover for them.

(iii) We will front all expenses of running the claim.

So rest assured it will be a "no cost to you" service.

How can we do this?

The answer is straightforward, in the event of a successful claim we are able to recover our costs and expenses from the Defendant insurers. If we are unsuccessful we do not charge you. Our interest in a claim is the same as yours – we want to succeed otherwise we don’t get paid.

We will only take on a claim with a reasonable (better than 50%) prospect of success – we are not interested in pursuing cases with no realistic prospect of succeeding and would give you clear advice at the outset on how we rate your claim.

If you have a claim to make, if you have a question to ask, if you are not satisfied with your existing legal advisors contact us to discuss matters – you have absolutely nothing to lose.

Contact: www.comercrawley.co.uk

Diss man wins compensation from Adidas after Wayne Rooney-style injury

A Diss man won compensation from a leading sportswear manufacturer after suffering injuries from the same sort of high tech boot which caused Wayne Rooney to break his foot.

Mike Ellis, 46, was playing in a football match in Eye in 2007 when one of the studs snapped. His leg twisted and he ruptured his achilles tendon.

As a result his leg was cast and in a splint for 12 weeks and he subsequently had to undergo intensive physiotherapy.

After the injury, Mr Ellis sent his boots back to Adidas, the manufacturers, and they confirmed that they were faulty. He was offered £50 and a new pair of boots by way of compensation.

But he was unhappy with the offer and instead he consulted personal injury lawyers comercrawley of Diss. They commissioned a report from an independent medical expert and, after lengthy negotiations with the Adidas insurers and the beginning of court action, the case was settled for a four figure sum.

In a statement, Mr Ellis says: 'The original offer from Adidas was derisory, given the inconvenience, pain and suffering i went through for 18 months.

'They must have known that at the time, but fortunately my solicitor was able to achieve a much more equitable outcome.'

Emma Crawley is a director of comercrawley and a specialist in sports injuries. 'The problem with the design of boots arises with the demand for greater and greater performance,' she explains.

'Research into the stresses on an athlete's body show that the improved physique of the player, the increasingly technological design of the boot and the close weave of the pitches all place enormous stress on an athlete's bone structure.

'These days there is no 'give' in either the pitches or the studs, so you could say that the studs actually engage too well with the surface.

'As a result, all of that pressure will be put on the human skeleton, as illustrated by the Wayne Rooney injury and perhaps what happened to Luca Civelli at Portman Road.

'Their boots may not have been made by Adidas but they use the same kind of technology. In the case of Mike Ellis, it was the boot which suddenly gave way and all that pent up stress was released catastrophically.'

There is increasing concern over the futuristic design of sports footwear following injuries to high profile players such as Wayne Rooney and David Beckham, though major sportswear brands defend their products robustly. The boot which failed Mr Ellis was an Adidas Predator Pulse, and its designer is Craig Johnstone, the former Liverpool player.

In an interview with Reuters, the international news agency, he has admitted that: 'It's only a matter of time before a player gets so seriously injured that he sues a major sportswear company'.

The problem does not merely affect footballers. Already, tennis player Martina Hingis has filed a $40 million action against Italian sporstwear company Sergio Tacchini alleging poor design of the shoes she wore on court.

Suffolk pedestrian wins damages for road collision injuries

comercrawley helped a Suffolk man win damages for the significant injuries he sustained when he was knocked down close to his home.

Brian Harding, who is in his 70s, was struck by a car in a narrow lane near his home in Wetherden.

Mr Harding suffered very serious head, leg and internal injuries and was airlifted to West Suffolk Hospital by the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

He spent 10 days in intensive care and a total of seven weeks in hospital followed by two weeks of further rehabilitation. Although he can't walk as far or as fast as he used to, he has otherwise made a good recovery.

comercrawley was recommended to Mr Harding by a friend and he was delighted to learn of our sponsorship of the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

Ian Comer, director of comercrawley, said; "It was the initial treatment from the air ambulance doctor and the vital minutes saved that made the difference. It's thanks to them and the West Suffolk Hospital that Mr Harding has made such a remarkable recovery."

Asbestos Campaign

comercrawley supports HSE asbestos campaign

comercrawley has voiced its support for an ongoing campaign by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which is aimed at tradesmen who work with asbestos.

In the UK around 500,000 non-domestic buildings contain asbestos. About 20 workers - including plumbers, joiners, and electricians - die every week from asbestos-related diseases in Britain.

The ‘Hidden Killer’ campaign aims to increase awareness of the risks posed by asbestos and how workers can best protect themselves. It is supported by unions, employers’ representatives, health charities, sufferers and victims’ groups.

David Snowball, HSE regional director for Yorkshire and Humber, said: “Asbestos is Britain’s biggest industrial killer. Contrary to what many people believe, the risks are not a thing of the past. Asbestos-related illnesses claim the lives of 4,000 people every year – more than die in road accidents.”

Ian Comer, director of comercrawley, said: “Unfortunately we are still dealing with the results of careless handling of asbestos in the past.

“There is a tendency to believe that, because we now know much more about asbestos, the risk has been much reduced or almost eradicated.

“But there are still a great many buildings and situations in which asbestos remains, and it is still of the greatest importance that those working where asbestos may be found should think of that possibility before they disturb the material.

“Otherwise the dreadful long-term toll of asbestos is likely to continue for decades to come. And that it why comercrawley fully supports the HSE’s Hidden Killer campaign.”

Click here to visit the ‘Hidden Killer’ campaign website.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/hiddenkiller/index.htm

What is a Claimant Personal Injury Lawyer?

- Well we act for the injured victim of an act of negligence, breach of duty or deliberate act, and recover compensation for that person’s injury and loss.

- The injured victim who brings the claim is called a Claimant.

- The person or body a claim is brought against is a Defendant.

- A Claimant will always be an individual person whereas a Defendant can be an individual, an incorporated company, or business or partnership, a local authority, a club etc.

- The injury can comprise or involve mental harm as well as physical damage.

- The Claimant if successful in a claim in negligence or breach of duty can recover damages (compensation) for a wide range of losses which may flow from the injury. A non exhaustive list is:-

- general damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity.

- loss of earnings.

- damage to clothing and property.

- care and assistance.

- medical / rehabilitation treatment costs.

- A Claimant can recover damages non only for past losses but also future losses, for example if the Claimant’s earning ability has been affected or if future medical treatment is likely to be required.

Why use comercrawley to deal with your personal injury claim?

- Our lawyers are all specialist in injury claims.

- It is the only work we do.

- Two of our solicitors, Ian Comer and Emma Crawley, are on the Law Society Specialist Personal Injury Panel. Panel membership is only achieved if you can demonstrate a a high level of specialist knowledge and suitable experience in dealing with the most complex and demanding of cases and an ability to run claims in an effective and straightforward manner.

- We give our advice and talk to you in plain language, we do not try and hide behind the jargon.

- We are on both the Headway (acquired brain injury) and Spinal Injuries Association Panel of Solicitors which acknowledged the firm’s ability to deal with the most complex of cases.

- We respond promptly to all communications from our client, we give clear, straightforward advice and will make sure your claim is progressed as swiftly as possible.

- We will make sure you understand what we are doing for you.

- We will come and see you at home, even in hospital if you can’t get to see us.

- Best of all our service is at no cost to you.

- We carry out all our work on a "no win, no fee" basis (see later blog) and give our client three assurances at the outset of their claim:-

(i) The client will pay no cost win or lose.

(ii) We will not take any compensation from a client, they will receive 100% of what we recover for them.

(iii) We will front all expenses of running the claim.

So rest assured it will be a "no cost to you" service.

How can we do this?

The answer is straightforward, in the event of a successful claim we are able to recover our costs and expenses from the Defendant insurers. If we are unsuccessful we do not charge you. Our interest in a claim is the same as yours – we want to succeed otherwise we don’t get paid.

We will only take on a claim with a reasonable (better than 50%) prospect of success – we are not interested in pursuing cases with no realistic prospect of succeeding and would give you clear advice at the outset on how we rate your claim.

If you have a claim to make, if you have a question to ask, if you are not satisfied with your existing legal advisors contact us to discuss matters – you have absolutely nothing to lose.

Contact: www.comercrawley.co.uk