Lawford Kidd's Blog

A national care home provider and one of its employees have been prosecuted after a young woman suffered full thickness burns to more than 40% of her body from a scalding bath.

The incident occurred at a care home in Bathgate, and left 32-year-old Nicola Jones requiring major surgery, including amputation of all her toes. She was also left without any flesh on her ankles. She now has to use a wheelchair and faces more corrective surgery.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard that one of the care support workers failed to check the temperature of the water before Nicola got in the bath.

The summer months are the most dangerous period for public place accidents that result in a personal injury claim, according to new analysis by Ireland’s Injuries Board.

Last year, July was the month that recorded the highest frequency of accidents resulting in compensation awards, while Saturday proved to be the most dangerous day of the week for public place personal injury accidents.

Public liability (PL) awards are made in respect of injuries suffered as a result of an accident in a public place. In 2014, the Injuries Board made 2,151 PL awards with corresponding compensation totalling €53 million, compared to €44 million in 2013 in respect of 1,768 awards.

The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland has been fined £100,000 following the death of a three-year-old boy at the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston in June 2008, reports the BBC.

Ben Craggs had been attending the show with his parents when he apparently grabbed hold of a rope between two bollards in one of the car parks at the showground. One of the bollards, which weighed 148kg, toppled over on top of him, causing severe head injuries. Ben was taken to hospital, but later died of his injuries.

A jury at Edinburgh Sheriff Court found that the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, which had organised the Highland Show, was guilty of failing to ensure that the bollards were “provided and maintained in a condition and connected in a manner which did not present a risk of overturning,” reports the BBC.

Fatal Accident Inquiries (FAI) are taking too long and prolonging pain and upset for bereaved families, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has said, as a Scottish Government consultation on improving the inquiries process comes to a close.

“The real problems lie with the huge delays before the matter gets as far as an inquiry,” explained Gordon Dalyell, Scotland representative of APIL.

“It can sometimes take years for a fatal accident inquiry to get underway because of delays in investigations by the Health and Safety Executive and the Crown Office in deciding whether one is necessary,” he added.

The chartered body for health and safety professionals has welcomed a call by parliamentarians to allow adequate time for consultations on Government policy.

Ministers are looking at slashing the time allowed for organisations to comment on some proposed law changes, from 12 weeks to as little as two. The aim is to make the consultation process more productive.

But the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is among prominent organisations to criticise the plan. It would “counterproductive”, said IOSH, because it could stop stakeholders submitting evidence on important proposals on legislation.