According to the BBC, the report conducted by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) indicates that the British Airways Boeing 777 lost power due to both engines due to restricted fuel flow.

It said that the crash was probably caused by a build up of ice in the fuel system. The ice is said to have formed within the fuel system from water that occurred naturally in the fuel when a particular temperature range would cause the ice crystals to stick.

The report states that “Certification requirements, with which the aircraft and engine fuel system had to comply, did not take account of this phenomenon as this risk was unrecognised at that time”
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Mrs Anita Claim: What is all this “No Win, No Fee” stuff that I keep hearing about on the telly?

It is exactly what it says. Basically, if your solicitor offers to run your claim under a “No win, no fee” agreement then, if they are unsuccessful with your claim they won’t charge you for the hours that they have spent in handling your claim.

Therefore they will in effect will have worked handled your case for free. Is there a greater motivation for them to win your claim than knowing that they will not be paid if they lose?
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Following the news of a defect with the accelerator in a large number of their models, Toyota will be reeling from the news that their latest model, the Prius, may have to be recalled to fix a potentially dangerous brake problem.

According to the Guardian, the initial recall is expected to be aimed at the US and Japan, where drivers have reported momentary brake failure at slow speeds, particularly on bumpy or slippery roads.

Toyota has stated that it is not a mechanical problem, but a software issue than can be fixed in about 30 minutes. The news of this problem is a massive blow to Toyota, as the Prius model is the world’s most popular petrol-electric hybrid and was the bestselling car in Japan last year.
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According to the BBC, the warnings will be provided to both homes and businesses and will provide more people with “vital time” to get ready for an emergency.

The move follows a recommendation by an independent review panel, which was a by product of the floods experienced in the summer of 2007.

Letters will be sent in March to all homes and businesses to be signed up.

Alan Proctor, the flood risk manager, warned “One in nine homes in Wales are at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea” and stated that “By signing up almost 40,000 extra homes and businesses, we will almost double the number on our system, giving more people vital time to get prepared for flooding, protecting lives and property.”
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According to the BBC, the signs warn drivers to be more aware of motorcyclists and follow a campaign by friends and relatives of motorcyclist David Loudon who died in a crash in February 2008.

Campaigners said that some drivers perform dangerous U-turns, without thinking about motorbikes.

Steve Mears, from Portishead, said “We all know that when the traffic backs up on the road that motorists do U-turns which not only inconveniences other road users but are dangerous.”
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According to the BBC, research by The Trichological Society says that more and more salons are offering hair extensions at a cut price and that some hairdressers don’t have the necessary qualifications to put them in properly.

This is leading to young women suffering hair problems such as bald patches and alopecia.

Dermatologists state that the extensions put such tension on follicles in the scalp that they can become inflamed, causing hair to fall out.
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Well you think you’ve heard it all and then today I read the story of 18 year old Cherelle Dudfield in New Zealand.

After a night out with her friends drinking, Miss Dudfield was dared to flash passing cars on a busy road in the city of Invercargill. She was positioned on a strip in the middle of the road and ‘successfully’ flashed a few cars when her dare suddenly took a scary turn.

Miss Dudfield told reporters that she had seen a car coming toward her and decided to run. Unfortunately she was unable to get away and she was hit by the car. Miss Dudfield found herself in hospital after she had rolled across the bonnet of the car and cracked the windscreen! Luckily she managed to escape with only a few minor bruises and cuts.
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A study carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has revealed that a 20mph speed limit has cut road injuries by 40% in London! They are urging more UK cities to implement 20mph zones in a bid to reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths caused by road traffic incidents in the UK.

It is estimated that the 20mph zones could have the potential to prevent up to 700 casualties in London alone!

At the moment it is estimated that that one in five pedestrians are killed if hit by a motor vehicle at 30mph but at 20mph the chances are reduced to one in forty.
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I was surprised to read an American court ruling involving the multinational household name “Apple” whom had been taken to court by some of their consumers over claims that iPods could cause hearing loss.

The Claimant’s in the case has sought to claim for not only financial damages but also to require Apple to provide ‘better’ headphones, improve safety features and also to test all iPod uses for hearing loss!

The two Claimant’s to the case, named as Joseph Birdsong and Bruce Waggoner, made claims that the iPod earphones were badly designed. They are designed to be placed directly in to the ear canal rather than being placed just inside the ear which they claimed increased the danger of hearing damage.
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So you have paid your fair and are travelling on a bus when the next minute, CRASH, the driver has collided with another vehicle and you sustain injuries as a result.

The ticket says the bus company are not liable for the injuries I have sustained – does this mean I cannot make a claim?

When you buy a ticket for a lift on a bus, you are entering into a contract with them to provide you a lift (carriage). Under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, a company providing the service of a carriage cannot ‘dogde’ liability for your injuries as a passenger.
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