Miller Samuel Solicitors Blog

As UN Global Road Safety week puts worldwide pedestrian safety under the spotlight, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is asking the UK government and car makers to make pedestrian friendly car fronts a top priority.

The Supreme Court last week ruled that a severely injured man could not obtain compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, largely because he was not a victim of a crime of violence.

The Scottish Government has published details of its plans to modernise the justice system in Scotland through reforming the operation of the courts.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has warned companies not to wait until an employee is injured before taking action to improve safety. The warning comes in the wake of an accident in Bolton, where a worker at a fabric firm was badly injured when he was flipped around a large rotating roller.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has urged healthcare professionals and the public to give their views on new draft European laws for the regulation of medical devices such as breast and hip implants and hospital equipment, such as dialysis machines.

The Partnerships (Prosecution) (Scotland) Bill has had its first reading in the House of Lords.

Transport Scotland has recently published details on the number of reported road accident and casualty statistics in Scotland during 2011.

A last-minute addition to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill has put workplace health and safety back into the Victorian age, according to a not-for-profit campaign group.

According to recently published data, InjuriesBoard.ie has seen a gradual but consistent increase (4.1%) in claims volumes in the first six months of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011.

Employers should consider the experience and training of young drivers at work as early as the recruitment stage, according to the findings of a report from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

A recent consultation launched by the Scottish Government is seeking views from interested parties on proposals to introduce a no-fault compensation scheme for NHS claims in Scotland.

The cosmetic surgery industry is under scrutiny and could find itself operating under tighter restrictions following a major review into cosmetic surgery and procedures launched by the Department of Health.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is calling on the government to redesign crash barriers to make them more motorcycle-friendly. While crash barriers have saved the lives of thousands of drivers, hitting a crash barrier is a factor in 8 – 16% of rider deaths.

The Government and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have announced a new support scheme for newly diagnosed victims of mesothelioma.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in Scotland is disappointed that the number of children killed in accidents on Scotland’s roads increased between 2010 and 2011.

A breast implant register, more stringent safety checks, improved product traceability, and a pre-market authorisation system are among the measures proposed by the European Parliament to prevent a recurrence of the PIP defective breast implants case. The relevant EU legislation is to be revised this year.

Northern Ireland Environment Minister, Alex Attwood, has proposed radical changes in driver training and new driver safety. The new measures which reflect best practice around the world, are a fundamental shift towards safer driving among young people.

A Bradford textile firm has been sentenced for safety failures after a worker was left with a long-term hand injury after only a month in the job.

The Department of Health has recently published the report of the review into the PiP breast implant scandal, which looked at whether the UK regulator – the MHRA – and the Department of Health acted appropriately both before and after information about the problems with these implants came to light.