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Most people would agree that the manufacturing industry is not what it once was – certainly not in the Steel City where I grew up. However, that is not to say that there is no heavy industry anymore and many people still go to work in factories every day. Most modern factories will of course involve certain types of machinery which the law calls “work equipment”.

Work equipment is any machinery, appliance, apparatus or tool that you use at work for your role. This may be something that your employer has provided or something that you have brought to work yourself. If you are using it as part of your employment then it is classified as work equipment. Work equipment is not the same as personal protective equipment (i.e. gloves, boots and safety helmets) and the two are dealt with by separate regulations.

There are specific rules and regulations that your employer must follow to make sure that you are safe when using various types of work equipment. These regulations are the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and these set out all the responsibilities that an employer has toward his employees.
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Everyone looks forward to their summer holidays – sun, relaxation and usually a healthy dose of alcohol! There aren’t many things that sound better to me personally.

However, while holidays abroad are all well and good, if something goes wrong and you are a long way from home, what can you do about it?

If you have booked a package holiday in the UK and have suffered an injury in your accommodation or in a place where the company that you booked with were looking after you then you may have a right to compensation through the Package Tour Regulations 1992.
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Manual Handling and the techniques involved in moving loads from one place to another has become a mainstay in almost all companies’ health and safety folders. These are techniques designed to reduce the risk of employees injuring themselves and make everybody’s lives easier; but who has the responsibility when it comes to employees’ education in these techniques?

The answer can be found in the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. These say that under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 it is an employers’ responsibility to provide employees with the proper information and training on health and safety matters – this can look like quite a complicated statement as it contains a lot of different pieces of legislation but the message is the same – it is your employers responsibility to make sure that you know what you are doing at work when it comes to manual handling, and the best way to do it.

However, putting this into practice requires a two-way flow of information between you and your employer and means that both of you have roles to play in making sure that injuries are not suffered in the workplace.
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The legal duty of an employer is take reasonable care for the health and safety of employees and to reduce the possibility of accidents and injuries at work – including scaffolding accidents if you work with scaffolding.

In respect of scaffolding accidents, some of the main risks are if the scaffolding is on poor foundations, if boards are missing from the platform, or if boards are uneven or of poor quality etc. Of course there are many other risks with scaffolding and it is imperative that scaffolding is erected properly and safely.

The building industry has proven to be a dangerous environment for workers and for the general public. If you are the victim of a scaffolding accident then you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
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As insurance policies become more expensive, more drivers are likely to take to the road without insurance. Although I understand that sometimes the insurance is just too much to pay, what some of these drivers fail to realise is that uninsured drivers are one of the main culprits for pushing up insurance premiums in the first place – aside from the fact that it is illegal!

If more motorists are driving without insurance then surely that means more people will be involved in a Road Traffic Accident with an uninsured driver? The answer is yes – Here at The Injury Lawyers, we have seen an increase in the number of client’s coming to us to request advice about claiming for injuries they have sustained at the hand of an uninsured driver.

Most client’s do not believe you can make a claim for compensation against an uninsured driver –the great news is that you can.
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What will happen if I claim?

Many people considering a claim for personal injury will not have had much contact with the legal profession before they start their claim, and the thought of doing so can be quite daunting. People get worried about the “red-tape”, jargon, and waiting and delays. However, people may not understand is that there are rules in place to help avoid long drawn out claims.

At The Injury Lawyers the first step for most none road accident claims (so accidents at work, in public places, in the street, or with products for example) in this begins when you provide your details about your accident or the way in which you became injured.
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There are many Solicitors firms who deal with claims for compensation following road traffic accidents.

If you have been injured as a result of a road traffic accident and you are considering making a claim for compensation then you have a wide choice of Solicitors firm’s to choose from.

Here at The Injury Lawyers we specialise solely in personal injury claims. Road traffic accidents are a huge market for personal injury lawyers and, although competition is tough, we believe that we offer an excellent service to our clients to overcome the competition.
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There have been some recent reports that a major city’s NHS Walk in Centre has been charging patients £25.00 to treat whiplash injuries.  There is now concern that this trend could follow through the other NHS services.

A local counsellor in the city has slammed the charges quoted as saying they were “disgraceful” and “…flies in the face of the basic NHS values of healthcare being provided free at the point of use”

The city’s cabinet member for health, care and independent living has also stated she is “very concerned” about the charges.
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The vast majority of people have to work to earn a living, pay their bills and support their families. If, in doing so, you are unfortunate enough to sustain an injury at work, then you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

People are often reluctant to make a claim for compensation following an accident at work – which is understandable as the case may be against a current employer with whom the Claimant wants to continue working for. However, as personal injury lawyers with a wealth of experience in dealing with work accident claims, we would like to point out that companies are required to have insurance in place for the sole purpose of paying out compensation to people who sustain injury during their work. So you are covered!

Employers may also not react as you might think. If you have sustained injury at work you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. You could also recover losses such as medical expenses and loss of earnings. Remember, if you have sustained injury at work then it is your right to make a claim for compensation. You have been injured in the line of duty through no fault of your own – why wouldn’t your employer want you to claim from the insurance they have in place for making a claim?
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Pleural plaques are a form of scarring of the lungs. Pleural plaques do not usually cause any symptoms but they are an indication of previous exposure to asbestos. People with pleural plaques often become anxious, understandably so, that they will develop a fatal asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma.

In 2006 the law changed in relation to pleural plaques. The Court of Appeal ruled that people who suffer from the asbestos related condition would no longer be entitled to recover compensation.

If you have pleural plaques you are at an increased risk of developing other asbestos related illnesses such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. While the ruling of the Court of Appeal still stands, people who are suffering from pleural plaques may not be entitled to recover compensation.
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