A delivery driver has broken his back in an accident at work.

The incident happened to Mr Colin Ball when he was making a delivery to Recticel Limited of Alfreton, Derbyshire. Mr Ball was dropping off a consignment of insulation board at the company’s Stoke on Trent warehouse. While performing this operation, a separate warehouse stack toppled onto him, causing fractures of the spine. He also suffered a serious head injury.

Recticel were prosecuted for breaking the Health and Safety at Work Act in regards to protecting persons not in their employment from unacceptable safety risks. They pleaded guilty and were fined £6,238.

The multi-national firm, which employs 11,000 people in over a hundred manufacturing locations worldwide, were reminded by a Health and Safety Executive inspector of the need to protect workers visiting their sites. Safe systems of work in warehouses should ensure that there are no risks of stacked materials toppling over and causing injury, as was the case with this accident.

The family of a nine year old girl who was left brain damaged at birth has won a multi million pound medical negligence claim.

Kiera Berry was born at Jessop Hospital, Sheffield in April 2001. She did not breathe for the first seven minutes of her life, which caused her to suffer from oxygen starvation. She has been left with brain damage, cerebral palsy and dystonic quadriplegia. Her injuries mean she cannot sit unaided and will need round-the-clock care all of her life.

According to the Sheffield Star newspaper, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust admitted it mismanaged the labour of Kiera’s mum, and has agreed to pay a multi million pound settlement. The exact amount of compensation awarded has not been reported.

The damages agreement was approved at the High Court in London and will cover the costs of Kiera’s extensive care needs for the rest of her life. While approving the settlement the Judge in the case paid tribute to Kiera and her family and wished them all the best for the future.

The number of accidents suffered by farm workers in the UK has risen despite previous improvements in safety.

The Health and Safety Executive has released figures relating to the period between April 2009 and March 2010. They reveal that 640 serious injuries were suffered by workers on farms during the last year. This has risen from 599 for the equivalent period the year before. A major injury is classed as one which causes such injuries as amputations, head injuries or broken bones. The number of fatal accidents also rose from 25 to 38.

The figures mean that statistically agriculture is the most dangerous industry to work in. Fatal accidents are at the lowest recorded yearly level (152), which makes the rise amongst farm workers the more surprising. A spokesperson for the HSE stated that they will continue to work with the farming community to help reduce the number of accidents occurring on British farms.

It is unclear whether the increase in injuries has resulted in an increase in farm accident compensation claims.

A crash victim has received £1.5 million in pedestrian accident compensation at the High Court in London.

Jenna Maher was severely injured while crossing the road as a teenager. She was struck down by a van in Feltham, west London. After the accident in 2001, she was left in a coma due to her head injuries. She suffered brain injuries which left her frontal lobe damaged and affected her functioning ability and memory.

The Blackpool Gazette is reporting that although she has recovered partially, allowing her to live a semi independent life, she still requires hours of care and support every day.

She has now received £1.5 million in compensation from the insurers of the van. They admitted to two thirds liability for the accident, a compromise both sides agreed to to avoid a costly High Court trial. The settlement was approved by Mrs Justice Sharp.

The money will be used to pay for Miss Maher’s care needs for the rest of her life.

A man has suffered a personal injury to his wrist after his glove became entangled in a drill he was using at work.

Lee Baker was working for Elmatic Ltd of Cardiff when the accident occurred back in March last year. He was asked to drill holes in metal boxes, and while positioning one of the components, his glove became entangled with the drill and broke his wrist in two places. The injury was so severe that he had to have metal plates inserted to ensure strength in the bones.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that Mr Baker did not normally work on the drill and had had no training on how to use it safely. They also found that the drill was not fitted with a suitable safety guard. The HSE had taken action against the company previously in 2002 and 2009 due to unguarded drills, and decided to prosecute the firm.

Elmatic Ltd pleaded guilty to breaking the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and were fined £8,000 at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court.