Month: December 2018

ASD Visit The Sheffield Children’s Hospital New Outpatients Wing

The partners and staff at ASD Solicitors visited Sheffield Children’s Hospital on Friday 30^th November to be given a tour of the fantastic new outpatient’s wing. This state of the art facility provides a fantastic light-filled atrium entrance. At the heart of this is the sculptural ‘play tube’, which provides play space in a fun placing children and play at the heart of the hospital. The cost of the new wing opened this year was £28 million, most of which was raised through The Children’s charity. ASD Solicitors, its staff and clients are delighted to have contributed in a small way to this facility, having raised together more than £20,000 since 2012.

ASD are now attempting, with the help of their staff and clients, to raise a further £5000 by October 2019. This money will be used to provide extra facilities in one of the many consultant’s rooms in the new outpatient’s department.

ASD Solicitors are passionate about supporting our local Children’s Hospital, a facility that many of its clients rely upon.

December 4, 2018
Work Related Accidents and Ill Health Statistics 2018
When it comes to work-related ill health and accidents, the UK fares better than other large countries in the EU. However, as we work with the individuals affected by poor workplace health and safety, we know that the impact on one person and their families can be enormous.

New statistics have been released that show the scale of workplace accidents and ill health for 2018. It gives us a perspective on the key areas of concern, high-risk industries and the costs to Britain.

Key Facts. In 2017/18:
- 1.4 million work-related ill health cases new or longstanding. That’s more than the population of Birmingham!
- Half a million cases of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, new or longstanding.
- 0.6 million non-fatal injuries to workers, based on self-reporting. But only 71,062 144 non-fatal injuries were reported by employers.
- 144 people died from a workplace injury.
- 30.7 million working days have been lost due to work-related ill health and non-fatal injuries. This has an effect on businesses but also on employees who may not be getting appropriate sick pay for their time off. This could cause financial hardship for workers and their families.
12,000 lung disease deaths each year estimated to be linked to past exposure to harmful substances at work.

Work-Related Ill Health:
- 541,000 workers suffering from a new case of work related ill health in 2017/18
- 26.8 million working days lost due to work related ill health in 2017/18
Self reported work related ill health has shown a gradual decline over the years, until 2011/12. Since then the rate has been broadly flat. Stress, depression and anxiety are the most common illnesses, and musculoskeletal problems follow, accounting for 35% of cases and 25% of working days lost.

Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders:
- Manual handling, awkward or tiring positions and keyboard work or repetitive action are estimated to be the main causes of work related musculoskeletal disorders based on 2009/10-2011/12 LFS data.
- 469,000 Workers suffering from work-related musculoskeletal disorders (new or longstanding) in 2017/18.
- 156,000 Workers suffering from a new case of work-related musculoskeletal disorder in 2017/18.
- 6.6 million Working days lost due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders in 2017/18.
Affected areas:
- 42% – Upper limbs or neck.
- 40% – Back.
- 18% – Lower limbs.
High Risk Industries:
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing.
- Construction.
- Transportation and storage.
- Public admin and defence.
- Health and social care
Occupational Lung Disease
- 12,000 Lung disease deaths each year estimated to be linked to past exposures at work.
- 2,595 Mesothelioma deaths in 2016, with a similar number of lung cancer deaths linked to past exposures to asbestos.
- 20,000 New cases of breathing or lung problems caused or made worse by work each year on average over the last three years.
Lung diseases contributing to estimated current annual deaths:
- 32% COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
- 22% Non asbestos-related lung cancer.
- 20% Mesothelioma.
- 20% Asbestos-related lung cancer.
- 5% Other diseases
Workplace Injury
- 135,000 Injuries caused over 7 days absence from work.
- There has been a general long-term downward trend over the years in workplace injuries; including fatalities, self-reporting and employer reporting. This shows that health and safety education as well as employer accountability has improved over time.
Common Workplace Injuries:
- 31% Slips, trips and falls on the same level.
- 21% Handling, lifting, carrying.
- 10% Struck by object.
- 8% Falls from a height.
- 7% Acts of violence
Costs to Britain

The total cost to Britain from work-related injury and ill health is £15.0 billion. Total costs include financial and human costs, financial costs cover loss of output, health care costs and other payments. Human costs are the monetary value given to pain, grief, suffering and loss of life. 35% of the costs to Britain are due to workplace injury and 65% is due to ill health.

Whilst much of workplace injury and ill health is caused by negligence on the employer’s behalf to provide appropriate training, protective equipment and health and safety checks, employers only bear £3.0 billion of the cost. The government bears £3.4 billion of the costs. The majority of the cost falls on the injured or ill individual – £8.6 billion.

High-Risk Industries

Work-related ill health
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing.
- Human health and social work.
- Public administration/defence.
- Utility supply.
- Education.
- Construction.
Work-related injuries
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing.
- Construction.
- Mining and quarrying.
- Wholesale/retail trade.
- Manufacturing.
- Public administration/defence.
If you have been affected by a workplace injury or illness, you may be able to make a claim for compensation. We at Accident Solicitors Direct have a wealth of experience in personal injury litigation. To speak to one of our local, qualified solicitors today you can fill in our claims form and someone will get back to you to arrange a free face to face meeting within the same day. Alternatively, you can call us on our freephone line: 0800 163 622.

If you’ve had a workplace accident due to manual handling, a fall from height, poor PPE, or defective equipment, which resulted in burn injury, head injury , a spinal cord injury or a loss of limb call 0114 2678780, email Richard Meggitt at [email protected], or complete our online form today to submit a claim.
December 3, 2018
Making a Personal Injury Claim for a Sports Injury
With most sports, there is a risk of injury. Whether you’re playing a team sport like rugby, or you are alone, perhaps skating, skiing, running or lifting weights at the gym, there is always a chance that you may injure yourself. This is why professional athletes need to keep to strict physiotherapy programmes and are coached intensely on how to avoid injury.

However, some injuries that a professional or hobbyist might endure may have been preventable and be the fault of another person. In these cases, you may be able to make a claim for a personal injury.

Examples of what could cause an accident or injury that was not your fault:
- A dangerous movement performed in the game, which could range from an improper tackle in a football game, to taking a shot at a golf course when someone else is in range.
- The umpire, referee or another person in charge not making every effort to ensure that an accident is not made.
- Violence from another player, or spectator.
- An improperly maintained pitch, court or ground which could cause a slip or trip.
- Instructors, personal trainers or referees not giving proper instruction about health and safety and preventing injury.
- Poorly maintained or faulty hire equipment, such as skiing equipment, canoes or bicycles. As well as poorly maintained or faulty gym equipment.
- Inadequate signage at a venue.
- Unequal matching of opponents in the case of boxing or other fighting sports.
- Improper return to play, you may have been advised to return to the game too quickly after an injury or concussion.
- Lack of proper emergency medical plans and first aid.
- Improper fittings of equipment.
- Lack of credentials and training in venue staff or trainers.
People who are in charge of training, refereeing, or providing sports facilities must ensure that their negligence does not cause injuries. Players should also be careful not to injure others with improper movement or inappropriate aggression.

Common sports injuries include:
- Dislocations.
- Back injuries including fractures and slipped discs.
- Cuts and lacerations.
- Tears to the knee or ankle tendons and ligaments.
- Wrist fractures or sprains.
- Facial injuries such as loss of teeth or a broken nose.
What should I do if I become injured while playing sports or training and it was not my fault?

The first steps are to seek medical advice and to collect evidence of what happened. Please read our full guide to claiming for a sports injury here.

When claiming for personal injury, many things will be taken into account. Such as how severe the damage is, how it has made a difference to your day to day activities and how it will impact you in the future. A sports injury could leave you unable to work for some time, and in the case of a professional athlete, their career could be over indefinitely.

Injury is not always part and parcel of engaging with a sport. If you have been injured due to a sports injury that was caused by someone else’s actions or negligence, we will be able to advise you on how to proceed. We can give free face to face advice about what you can expect from your claim. We may also be able to help you with rehabilitation and support. To speak to a local solicitor, fill in our claims form. If we believe we can assist you, we will arrange a home visit as soon as the same day, so that you can talk about your concerns face to face. You can also call 0114 2678780 or mail Richard Meggitt at [email protected].
December 3, 2018