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It is a well known saying that a dog is a man’s best friend.  This in many cases is true as we spend much of our time tending to their every need – walking them, feeding them and grooming them. To many they are not only a source of friendship but a lifeline – for example to the blind, or even necessary in order to complete our work – for example a sheep farmer or for a Police dog handler.

A dog is one of the most common pets to own in the UK and the number is increasing, it is therefore no surprise that in recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of dog attacks across the UK.  We see more and more news items reporting shocking incidents involving dogs.  One of the most shocking being that of a news item reporting a woman being killed by her neighbour’s dog.  It was new items such as this that encouraged the government to put into place the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

The Dangerous Dogs Act was put into place in order to protect the public.  Of course, any dog can cause an amount of harm to a person if it decides to bite.  However, there are four types of dogs named in the act which there is a ban on owning within the UK – these are the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero. These dogs are classified by type, not breed, which means that an animal can also be included within these banned categories if they display the physical characteristics of the above types.
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It is no secret that roads are getting busier and people are always in a rush to get places, so it is no surprise that the number of road accidents each year is on the increase. 

The start of a new year is always a good time to look back over previous year’s statistics and take note of how safe, or not, our roads have been. According to the Department of Transport back in 2009 there were 163,554 road accidents reported to the police involving personal injury.  Many of these personal injury claims will involve Whiplash injuries.

Whiplash is becoming an increasingly common injury as a result of a road traffic accident so this is why us at The Injury Lawyers feel the need to inform visitors to our site of the essential do’s and don’ts when pursuing a whiplash claim.
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Some of us love them and some of us hate them, whatever our opinion, motorbikes are here to stay on our roads. They are a preferred means of transport for some road users and if other road users look out for bikes on the roads then together we should be able to cut their accident rate. Unfortunately, as it stands motorbikes and their riders are the most likely to become involved in a motorcycle traffic accident.

When out on the roads all road users have a duty of care to show to one another. This means that they should never do anything that puts the health and safety of other people using the road at risk. All motorists on the roads should always look out for road users such as cyclists, bikers and pedestrians. These road users are most vulnerable if they do become involved in a road traffic accident.

Bikers are often not seen by other motorists or motorists say that they simply appeared out of no-where. Before turning off it is important that as a motorist you check all your mirrors to make sure that there are no bikers approaching behind you. As a biker there a number of things you should do to ensure your safety on the roads.
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With the festive season officially over a lot of us will be returning to work today, which can only mean one thing…endless traffic jams on the roads and the stress of January kicking in. Most of us out there will be more than familiar with the morning rush and, will well and truly despise it. However it’s something that isn’t going to go away anytime soon, and therefore we should handle it in the sincerest way possible. That means not letting road rage get the better of you as other drivers irritate you in the early morning rush.  

To make returning to work that little more daunting for those of us doing so, some of us woke to find a thin blanket of snow on the ground. Thankfully on most roads across South Yorkshire the snow had only managed to settle on the footpaths and side roads so the main roads stayed clear. However according to the weather forecast it is just a mild taster of the weather that we are expected to witness over the next month as the big freeze returns. In order to combat that hopefully our councils will be more than prepared and take to the roads early with grit to make sure that we don’t suffer the same effects as we did in early December.

Drivers using the roads over this next month should be prepared for the worst of the weather and take precautions just in case their vehicle breaks down. Drivers should make sure that they travel on a full tank of petrol, in the unlikely event that they become stranded or stuck in a traffic jam they will need the heater on their vehicle to keep warm. They should also carry a winter emergency kit with them at all times,  the kit should include a blanket to keep them warm if they do become stranded, a number of food and water supplies and a small first aid kit. Along with warm clothing and suitable winter boots just in case they have to walk a long distance in the cold. Hopefully the snow won’t have the impact that it did in December but it’s always best to be prepared.
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When we want to cross the road, hopefully most of us will opt for the safer option where possible and use a pedestrian crossing. One of the most well known crossings which are used in a lot of countries is a zebra crossing.

A zebra crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing that allows pedestrians to cross the road safely. Unlike some other crossings they are uncontrolled by traffic lights and can be identified by white staggered lines that run across the road.  Although most pedestrians and road users will be aware of this type of crossing, they may not be aware of who has the right of way.

Yesterday I was driving in my local town and stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross at the zebra crossing where they were waiting. However, as I stopped and he walked onto the crossing, an approaching vehicle on the other side of the road failed to stop for the pedestrian, driving over the crossing, failing to show any care towards to the pedestrian. Luckily, the pedestrian saw the vehicle and realised they weren’t going to stop.
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It’s Christmas Eve – so plenty of us will be gearing up to participate in our annual Christmas celebrations. We might be going round to visit our friends at their home, or visiting the local pubs for a Christmas gathering; or the party goers out there might be heading to a nightclub in their local city centre. Whatever way you choose to celebrate Christmas it is important that you do so safely, because the last thing you or your family want is any injuries to occur this year.

Every year the government launch their anti-drink drive campaign to persuade drivers not to consider getting behind the wheel of a vehicle when drunk. It is advised that you plan ahead this year and make sure you have arranged how you are going to make your way home from your celebrations. Lots of pubs across Britain have teamed up with Coca-Cola and are offering the designated driver of a vehicle two-for-one offers on soft drinks.

Police all over South Yorkshire have set up a number of police bays where they are randomly pulling vehicles in and carrying out checks on them. This includes testing the driver of the vehicle to make sure they are not over the legal drink drive limit. The checks have been put into place to help prevent anyone from drink driving, as the chances of them getting caught when doing so are high.
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With the variety of different job roles out there, some of us are still unsure of the health and safety risks that we are faced with, for example, lifting heavy objects correctly. Others may think that if they work in an office they are not faced with any risks when compared with the job role of a construction worker. The truth is, if you don’t follow minor procedures correctly, then whatever job role you have, you are putting yourself at risk of becoming involved in an accident.

Manual handling is the process and procedure in which we lift and move objects around, no matter how big or small. On construction sites workers are constantly working with heavy equipment – what some of us don’t realise is that receptionists and supermarket workers are also some of the professions that workers are required to work with heavy objects on a daily basis.

When ensuring that equipment and stock at work is moved safely, employers and employees both have a responsibility to ensure this is done properly. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has outlined a number of ways employers and employees can protect themselves.
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When we start a new job, or in our current employment situation, it is likely that we will need to carry out some form of manual handling. This is why it is extremely important that our employer does everything possible to ensure we know how to do this safely, and in a way that we won’t cause ourselves any injury. Manual handling can mean anything from lifting a few boxes to pushing and pulling heavy equipment.

The government created the Manual Handling Operations Regulations Act 1992 (amended in 2002) which are designed to protect employees from injuries at work caused by manual handling. Records kept by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that more than a third of all accidents reported to them that resulted in a person being absent from work for more than three days are related to manual handling at work.

A lot of people think that manual handling is just lifting and carrying objects, so it doesn’t affect them. Manual handling is also the lowering, pushing, and pulling of objects. No matter what job role you have, it is likely you will have to carry out some form of manual handling whilst at work.
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Electrical goods are something we use everyday – we use them both at work and at home, and let’s face it, we would struggle to do everyday things without them. When we use electrical equipment at work, it all needs to have been tested to make sure that it is safe for us to use, and that it follows all UK safety regulations.

When we purchase electrical equipment for our home we usually buy it from retail stores that we trust, and only buy and sell stock that has undergone the necessary checks, and abides by all safety regulations. To ensure our electrical equipment is safe at home, we should maintain it safely, and keep it away from damp conditions. If we think a piece of equipment is faulty, we should restrain from using it, and get it fixed or checked immediately.

A report done by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) confirms that electricity can easily and injure, and sadly kill, people using them. The report says that around 1000 electrical accidents are reported to them in the workplace each year, and that about 25 of those people die from their injuries. If electrical equipment isn’t used and maintained properly, it can have serious implications for those using it.
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All road users should understand that children have little understanding about using the roads safely. That is why as a driver, when we see a child waiting to cross a road, we should slow down in the event that they run out in front of us.

When we talk about children, we mean those who are still at primary school or of a young age. Sometimes parents let their children walk home, especially if the school is local and not a far walk. Even if their parents pick them up they often wander off in front with friends, or lag behind. Whatever the situation, it is important that all drivers take into account the possibility of a child running out in from of them.

Children do not have the same understanding of danger as adults, and so a child may not realise the potential risk when running out in front of motor vehicles. When a child is put in a potentially dangerous road traffic situation, a lower standard of personal care is expected of them. This means that if there was a road traffic accident, children at a young age may not be found to have shown negligence in an accident where an adult may clearly have been at fault. Read More