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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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Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which is more common in men than in women. This is not surprising as mesothelioma can be caused as a result of exposure to asbestos. Although a rare form of cancer, mesothelioma is actually on the increase and is expected to continue rising over the coming years.

If you have been exposed to asbestos in your working life you are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma. You may have worked with asbestos and think that you have been lucky enough not to contract mesothelioma. Unfortunately, people generally find out that they are suffering from mesothelioma a number of years after the exposure to asbestos. If you are unfortunate enough to suffer from mesothelioma you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

So, what is asbestos? How do you know if you have been exposed to asbestos fibres? Asbestos is an insulating material that was often used in the building industry.  Many older buildings may still contain asbestos and therefore people need to be extra vigilant when carrying out any demolition or renovation work.
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A faulty equipment claim can arise in a number of different circumstances. From equipment at work to equipment in your gym, faulty equipment can result in serious injury and consequential loss. If you have been injured whilst using equipment that is found to be faulty, you may be able to claim compensation to cover the cost of medical expenses and recover any loss of earnings.

Faulty equipment at work.

Employers owe a duty of care to employees to ensure any work equipment they are required to use is safe and properly maintained. It is also expected of employers to provide adequate training to employees to ensure equipment is used in the correct way and does not cause unnecessary injury.
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If you work in an office, like me, then you may consider yourself reasonably safe from incurring personal injuries.

However, personal injuries can and do happen in office environments more than most people think. You can do your bit to try and prevent personal injuries occurring in the office, which in reality is actually a very important requirement.

No doubt your employers will have given you a ticking off for leaving your belongings on the floor and causing a tripping hazard, for one example. By keeping the office tidy and employing a common sense approach, most office accidents could be avoided.
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This is anyone’s worst nightmare – being high up when the floor beneath you collapses. The injuries you can sustain from falling from a height, or hitting something as you fall from a low height, can be significant. Our bodies can endure a great deal of punishment, but there only so much twisting, turning, thudding, breaking, and bouncing our body parts can take.

We get a lot of these sorts of claims and they commonly relate to accidents at work. Employees are casually working on scaffolding when the floor decking collapses or breaks, causing you to fall. Equally, the structure of the scaffolding could break apart. It’s normally caused by one of two things: poor construction of the scaffolding, or poor maintenance of the scaffolding.

Whoever is responsible for the scaffolding – whether it’s your employers, or another company you are working with or for on some kind of site or project – must ensure that the scaffolding is erected correctly and is maintained efficiently to prevent such accidents occurring. Health and safety inspections and checking is an easy way to do this. Those responsible for putting up the scaffolding need to be properly trained and provided with the right equipment as well.
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The antics insurers get up to when they want to save themselves some money can be unbelievable; and it’s even worse when people end up getting hurt! Here at The Injury Lawyers, we’ve heard it all:

• My insurers say I can’t claim because I don’t have legal expenses insurance
• My insurers say it’s a grey area for me to make a claim as a passenger in my husband’s car when  he is was at fault
• My insurers told me a No Win, No Fee lawyer will charge me if I instruct them

ALL of the above is completely untrue (with the exception of the last one as I can’t speak for all lawyers out there…)
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Training is important – without it, you wouldn’t really be able to know how to do certain things safely and correctly. In a workplace setting it is invaluable and it’s a requirement when it comes to anything that could cause you harm in the workplace.

Many of our own clients have had accidents at work because they have been poorly trained or not trained at all – you can make a claim for compensation if this has happened to you.

Don’t feel that it was your own fault because it was something you consider daft – if you didn’t know, you didn’t know; and if you’ve ended up injured, you should have known!
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No-one would doubt that a building site is a dangerous place – and unfortunately with danger always comes the high possibility of injury. If you are brave enough to enter this ‘mechanical jungle’ it is imperative that both you and your employer take responsibility to ensure your workplace is as safe as possible. To not do so can easily result in serious injury and even fatalities.

Employees working on building sites are faced with a number of dangers, such as operating and working with heavy machinery, and a lot of manual handling, for example. It is because of these hazards that health and safety measures are extremely strict.

One of the common problems with any building site claim is discovering where the duty lies to prevent accidents. However, the key to this is merely determining who was in control?
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A ladder is undoubtedly a helpful piece of equipment – but with its helpfulness comes potential danger. Although using a ladder is seemingly simple, there are certain things that should be considered prior to mounting that first step.

Defective Ladders

One of the most straightforward matters to deal with is when somebody sustains an injury from using defective ladders. All ladders must be sufficiently strong and suitable for the purposes to which they are being used for. Although it is mandatory for employer’s to carry out a risk assessment prior to any employee using a ladder, it is also a good idea to inspect any ladders before beginning to use them-for example: if the ladder appears worn, consider whether this will realistically support your body weight. Also ask yourself; are these the ladders I’d usually use for this task? If you do have an accident from using defective ladders, we may be able to establish a breach of an absolute duty, and you may have the right to claim.
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As a pillion passenger, or any passenger, it is your driver’s duty to take reasonable care for your safety. Therefore, if you are involved in an accident as a pillion passenger and were injured as a result, it is highly likely that a claim for compensation will be successful.

As a passenger it is extremely improbable that you were at fault for the accident, unless you did something stupid to cause the driver to lose control and cause a collision. You can normally expect to receive 100% of any compensation awarded.

However, there can be circumstances where the compensation is reduced due to contributory negligence even if the accident was caused through no fault of you own, but where you have contributed in some way to your injuries.
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