Thefts from Preston's grit bins reported

Personal injury solicitors Preston are asking anyone with information about gritting bin salt thefts to get in touch with the police as soon as possible, as these crimes are putting the health and safety of the general public at risk.

Preston Borough Council Highway MaintenanceTeam Leader Peter O'Gorman said that the salt is likely being stolen by a rogue trader who is planning to sell it on when the weather worsens, although it may be being removed by members of the public who want to use it on their driveways.

No win no fee solicitors Preston point out that this salt is intended for use on the borough's highways, so not only does the theft of salt have cost implications for the local authority, but it could also see road users and the general public put in danger during icy weather.

The council's gritting teams need to know that the grit bins are properly filled when dealing with changing weather conditions.

Transcontinental Group Preston fined following employee's serious fall from height

Preston City Council Environmental Health Officers recently held an investigation into an employee's accident at work, which saw Transcontinental Group Preston fined in a hearing in Preston Magistrates' Court on November 15^th.

Agency worker Craig Gregory, who had been engaged by Workforce Recruitment, was working at the firm's Olivers Place premises in Fulwood on May 4^th 2011. On the first day at work at the premises, while unloading a shipping container, Mr Gregory fell 1.44m from the unguarded ramp and landed on a concrete floor. Personal injury solicitors Preston are concerned that some employers have not fitted guard rails on elevated working platforms - something the council's Environmental Health Officers noticed Transcontinental had failed to do.

Working practices at the site were found to be well below those legally required, which saw the company issued with an improvement notice. A new health and safety consultant has since been hired to help the firm deal with this issue and arrangements were made to fit guard rails on the ramp.

Transcontinental said they regretted the incident and said they had previously used a consultant to help them complete risk assessments. After admitting four breaches of health and safety regulations, the firm was fined £18,750 with a £15 victim surcharge and costs of £6,500. Mr Gregory may also be able to make a claim with no win no fee solicitors Preston.

Project protects Preston residents from flooding

Personal injury solicitors Preston thank the county council for their work in protecting the city from flooding, as severe floods affected swathes of the country.

Lancashire County Council is to repair drains and pipes on Cliff Street, which is near Preston's city centre. They will replace four drains, installe two additional ones, and replace or repair blocked and damaged pipes.

The county council was designated a Led Local Flood Authority in 2007, following widespread floods. 

Cliff Street and surrounding areas have historically experienced flooding problems, so this location was deemed as a key place for flood mitigation measures. There is a natural dip at the end of the street, and this can collect water in heavy rainfall. 

The new work the council will perform should help the water to drain away from this area safely.

Flooding can occur due to a wide range of factors, including rising groundwater levels, rivers and streams bursting, or sewerage and drainage systems being unable to cope with a rapid influx of water during a storm.

Alcohol warning for teens in Lancashire

Alcohol is a dangerous drug that is all-too-regularly a factor in the compensation claims personal injury solicitors Preston handle. Recent research by Lancashire County Council's Trading Standards department has shown that young people in the district could be putting themselves at unnecessary risk by consuming excessive alcohol.

A poll involving 3,500 youngsters conducted by the council found that among people aged between 14 and 17, 45% said that they drink alcohol in order to get drunk. This is putting youngsters in the district in a lot of danger:

- 12% said they have been in a car that was driven by a drunk-driver

- 25% have had sex that they later regretted because they were drunk

- 38% said that drunkenness made them lose control of themselves

- 25% said they have been in a fight or are violent when they are drunk

However, no win no fee solicitors Preston are pleased to see that the number of under-18s who do not drink in the district is rising. Overall, 38% of 14 to 17s said they do not drink alcohol at all, compared with just 20% of respondents to the poll in 2011.

Personal injury solicitors Preston frequently hear complaints that young people nowadays drink too much and are binge-drinkers, but the statistics revealed by Lancashire County Council indicate this is not the case and that young people should not be negatively labeled in such a way.

Be flood-safe in Lytham St Annes, personal injury solicitors say

With gale-force winds hitting the UK and with many areas likely to see localised flooding in the next few days, especially coastal areas, personal injury solicitors Lytham St Annes advise people to take precautions to reduce the likelihood of injuries or property damage.

Clearwater Solicitors, a team of no win no fee solicitors Lytham St Annes, provide the following advice to homeowners and businesses in flood-prone areas:

-          Move electrical items and valuable items out of harm's way. This might be in a friend's house, in a storage unit, or simply upstairs.

-          Buy sandbags. Sandbags and floor boards can be used to block doorways and keep flood water out of your property.

-          Check that water can escape through outside drains. Unblock any blocked drains and clear guttering of any debris.

-          If your business is prone to flooding, consider flooding in risk assessments and take steps to minimise the potential damage floodwater and slippery flooring could cause to your employees and other people who may be affected by your business.

Greater Manchester Sees Four Electrical Fires in 24 Hours

Personal injury solicitors Manchester are urging people to check their electrical appliances, as Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service revealed it went to four different electrical fires on November 14^th.

One of the fires occurred in Little Hulton at 11.44pm. This fire destroyed a bedroom and caused significant damage to the rest of the property, and is believed to have originated in a radio.

Another fire occurred at 7pm and saw a 64-year-old female and 66-year-old man escorted from their Withington flat. The fire had already been extinguished when the emergency services arrived, but both victims required hospital treatment and oxygen. This fire was thought to have been caused by an electrical surge.

Earlier in the day, a man had to leap three floors to escape a fire in a house in Swindon, with this blaze also caused by electrical problems.

At 10.53pm, the fire service dealt with a fire in Stockport that was believed to have been caused by a malfunctioning electrical blanket. A 15-year-old girl suffered smoke inhalation and required hospital treatment, while three other people were given oxygen at the scene.

Preston Biker Jailed For Horror Crash

A horrific crash in Preston has underlined the dangers of reckless driving.

Martin Winstanley, of Chorley's Kingsley Drive, was jailed for two years in a hearing at Preston Crown Court after being found guilty of dangerous driving and possession of cocaine, the Lancashire Evening Post reports.

Winstanley lost his leg in a motorcycle accident on April 20^th, as he rode his Suzuki GSR600 motorcycle on Chorley Lane. He lost control when overtaking a Volkswagen Golf and ran into a BT cable box.

He then collided with Anne Grand, who was putting her bin out at the time. Ms Grand, 59, was seriously injured in the collision and needed to spend several weeks in hospital.

Personal injury solicitors Preston note that motorcyclists in particular need to take exceptional care when on the road. While Winstanley required an above-knee leg amputation as a result of the road traffic accident, he was fortunate to have not lost his life.

Don't go to GPs unless you need to, Blackburn residents warned

With residents across East Lancashire, Darwen and Blackburn encouraged to take care for their families and themselves over the winter, personal injury solicitors Blackburn are asking the public to stock up on painkillers or cold and flu relief to prevent GPs surgeries and hospitals from becoming clogged up.

People in vulnerable groups, such as very young children, older people, people with certain health problems, and carers, may be able to receive an inoculation against the flu from their GP or from a pharmacy.

Every year, around 57 million visits to the GP involve just minor health problems. These take up around one hour of the average GP's time every working day and cost the NHS around £2 billion. In many cases, these visits could have been prevented had otherwise healthy people allowed flus or colds to wait for the condition to run its course or had bought over-the-counter remedies at the pharmacy.

In Darwen and Blackburn alone, around £600,000 is spent every year on prescribing medicines for minor illnesses. No win no fee solicitors Blackburn advise GPs to take care when dismissing someone's health problems as just minor illnesses if they are convinced it is something more serious, but would ask people to only visit the doctor if they think they have a long-lasting or dangerous illness that they require specialist treatment for.

Stay Safe on Nights Out, Personal Injury Solicitors Warn

Many of the criminal injuries compensation claims that personal injury solicitors Preston see involve alcohol. Although the victims of crime are never to blame for the crime solely because of the fact that they were drunk, it is an unavoidable fact that alcohol makes people vulnerable.

As a result, no win no fee solicitors Preston have offered advice that you can follow to stay safe on a night out.

- Do not accept drinks from anyone you do not trust

- Do not exchange drinks or share drinks

- Keep an eye on your drink at all times, even when going to the toilet

- Drink soft drinks for a while if you begin to get drunk

- Eat a full meal before drinking, as this will prevent you from becoming too drunk too quickly

- Pace your alcohol intake

- Go into town with friends and leave with friends

- Designate a place as a meeting point, so you can find your friends if you become lost

Many criminal injuries claims arise when people are victimised by criminals on the way home from a night out. You should always try to get a taxi home if possible, although you may be able to use late-night public transport services. Be careful when walking home from bus stops.

Attend organised Bonfire Night events, personal injury solicitors Rochdale advise

Personal injury solicitors Rochdale are asking people to visit council-held fireworks displays and Bonfire Night events, rather than holding their own.

The risk of accidental injury is very high over Guy Fawkes' Night, and Clearwater Solicitors - a team of no win no fee solicitors Rochdale - are expecting to see a number of painful and serious injuries caused by reckless and negligent use of fireworks, or careless use of fire.

This year, organised Bonfire Night events in Rochdale include:

-          Cronkeyshaw Common, Syke, October 30^th

-          Cherwell Avenue, October 31^st

-          Mayfield Rugby Club, November 1^st

-          Rochdale Cricket Club, November 9^th

There will also be a number of Bonfire Night events in the towns and cities outside Rochdale. It is always far safer to go to an organised display than for a person to hold their own - organised displays reach strict safety standards, whereas home displays can be considerably more dangerous. People who are injured at organised displays may also have a better chance of success in personal injury claims - no win no fee solicitors Rochdale point out that the organisers of these displays will have public liability insurance policies, which will make it easier for people to claim compensation if they are injured due to negligence.

Many Brits in insecure homes, study shows

Personal injury solicitors Rochdale are reminding people to ensure their household is properly secured, especially as the dark nights draw in and the fear of criminality increases.

Research by MoneySuperMarket revealed many Brits are failing to adhere to even the most basic home protection strategies, with 1.6 million people, or 3% of the nation, actually leaving a spare key to their home under the doormat. This means that criminals - who may be planning worse than a burglary - only need to check 33 doormats before they find a key to enter a property.

Furthermore, a massive 25% of people admitted occasionally leaving their windows and doors unlocked when the house is unoccupied, making the building a target for criminals. No win no fee solicitors Rochdale know that many criminals are opportunistic, and seeing an open window could be all it takes for them to decide to break into a building.

Social media poses new risks to home security, with 17% of people aged 18 to 34 saying they post on social networking sites when they are going to be away from home. Many high-profile burglaries have occurred due to this issue, with footballers and celebrities finding that these Tweets and Facebook posts can see their houses ransacked.

Bonfire Night in Manchester One Of The Safest For Years

Personal injury solicitors Manchester are pleased to hear that November 5th appears to have been one of the safest bonfire nights the city has seen for years, with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service only responding to 306 calls.

This compares with 649 calls in 2012, 651 calls in 2011, 437 calls in 2010 and 564 calls in 2009.

Furthermore, the vast majority of the call-outs the fire service responded to were small rubbish fires that had grown out of control, were too close to other structures such as buildings, or were not properly supervised by adults.

The busiest time of the day was between 8pm and 9om, when fire crews answered 56 different calls. Between 6pm and 11pm, the fire service received a total of 174 calls.

No win no fee solicitors Manchester believe that public safety campaigns may have had an impact, with many revelers choosing to visit safer organised displays, such as that at Heaton Park.

The most serious Bonfire-related incident the fire service responded to was in Bolton, where they were called to Hardmans, in the Bromley Cross area.

Motorcyclist Dies In Bury Road Traffic Accident

Following the tragic death of Gary Bell, personal injury solicitors Bury would like to remind drivers and motorcyclists to look out for each other.

Motorcyclist Mr Bell, 23, was in a road traffic accident on Friday November 1^st at around 10:30, and he died of his injuries the next day in Salford Royal Hospital.

It is believed that he was riding his white Yamaha motorbike on Bond Street when the accident happened. He overtook a vehicle and collided with a Toyota at the Bond Street / Walsh Lane junction, sustaining serious chest and head injuries. Police are appealing for information.

No win no fee solicitors Bury know that the risk of motorcyclist accidents will increase over winter, and would like to provide the following advice.

Motorcyclists:

-          Wear bright clothing

-          Ride defensively

-          Maximise visibility

-          Wear protective equipment, including the right helmet

-          Stay observant and alert

-          Glance over your shoulder before performing any manoeuvres

-          Ensure you can slow down or stop if you have to

Drivers:

-          Look out for bikes

-          Take time to check for motorcyclists at junctions or when merging

-          Don't drive too close to motorcyclists

-          Keep aware of motorcyclists when turning into new roads

-          Remember motorcyclists can pass on either side

-          Park in a safe and considerate fashion and check for motorcyclists when opening your doors

Don't gamble with used cars, National Consumer Week warns

With National Consumer Week beginning on November 4^th, personal injury solicitors Bolton would like to echo the warnings of Trading Standards North West and advise people to take care when buying second-hand cars.

People ought to ask themselves three key questions when purchasing new cars:

-          Is it safe?

-          Is it what I want?

-          Is it legal?

There are a number of checks that must be done to ensure this is the case. These are:

-          MOT checks

-          Service history checks

-          Registration document checks

-          Finance history check

-          Write off check

-          Car recalled checks

-          Price value guide checks

-          Engineers checks

-          Walk around checks

-          Test-drives

Be Prepared For Winter, No Win No Fee Solicitors Blackburn Warn

With winter fast approaching, personal injury solicitors Blackburn would advise people to begin getting ready for the cold weather as soon as possible.

So how can you prepare for winter? The following tips should help:

1.           Prepare vehicles and buildings for the cold weather
2.           Take personal responsibility for your own health and well being
3.       Look out for friends and family, especially those in vulnerable groups such as the elderly or people with chronic health problems
4.           Keep aware of the weather forecast and any Met Office weather warnings
5.           Be ready to change your plans if you have to

No win no fee solicitors Blackburn would strongly advise people to occasionally visit the Met Office's website and to heed its warnings. The Met Office works alongside contingency planners, the government, the voluntary sector and other partner organisations to ensure it has the best possible advice available, helping the general public and businesses deal with the hazards posed by severe weather conditions.

No win no fee solicitors Blackburn warn against drinking Zam Zam water

Personal injury solicitors Blackburn would urge members of the public to avoid drinking Zam Zam water.

Zam Zam water should come from Saudi Arabia, where it is sourced from the Well of Zam Zam in Mecca. Muslims consider Zam Zam water sacred, believing that the water is miraculously sourced by God, and that the well has never gone dry despite producing millions of gallons of water every year.

However, it is illegal to export Zam Zam water from Saudi Arabia for sale, so any such water available in the UK could come from anywhere. Tests have shown that this water may contain dangerously high levels of nitrates or arsenic, which could lead to serious illness or death, and personal injury solicitors Blackburn, would strongly advise people to avoid drinking it.

Chief Trading Standards Officer for Lancashire County Council Paul Noone recently revealed that a large consignment of this water has been imported into Lancashire, with the local authority working with any businesses involved in this consignment to ensure the water is not sold for human consumption.

Clearwater Solicitors, a team of no win no fee solicitors Blackburn; warn that drinking Zam Zam water could lead to a range of serious diseases, including cancer. While the risks posed by drinking a small amount of this water are very low, they become exponentially greater when more water is consumed. There are no safe levels of arsenic in drinking water, but recent tests on Zam Zam water have shown the levels of arsenic within this water could be three times the amount legally permissible.

Doncaster Man Receives Six-Figure Compensation Settlement After Industrial Saw Accident

No win no fee solicitors Bolton see some horrendous injuries that leave people with lasting health and mobility problems, and it is only right that the victims receive compensation if they are not to blame for the injuries. From medical negligence claims to workplace accident claims, personal injury solicitors Bolton deal with them all, helping blameless victims recover the money they need to get their lives back on track.

The Star recently reported that Lenny Andruchiw, a 63-year-old man from Dunscroft, received a six-figure compensation payout after severing his fingers while working for Dixon Timber Products.

Mr Andruchiw severed four fingers and the thumb from his left hand while using an industrial saw at his Balby-based workplace, and while his employers did not admit liability for the injuries, he achieved a healthy out-of-court settlement. Surgeons managed to reattach his little finger but could not save his other digits.

People who have been injured in an accident they were not to blame for have the best possible chance of succeeding in their compensation claim and receiving a settlement that suits them if they speak with no win no fee solicitors Bolton for advice and assistance.

When the Glare of the Sun Leads To Road Traffic Accident Claims

A range of different factors lead to road traffic accident claims in the autumn, with no win no fee solicitors citing rainfall, leaves on the road and darker nights as some of these. However, the dangers posed by the sun are also significant, with Department for Transport (DfT) statistics finding that one in 33 of all reported motor vehicle accidents were caused by this risk in 2012.

This meant that over the year, a total of 2,905 road traffic accident claims were caused by glare from the sun. Of these, 423 were deemed to be serious, while 36 were fatal. In all, 52 of these accidents were on motorways, while 428 were on B roads and 1,203 were on A-roads. The remaining 1,222 were on other minor roads.

The risk of road traffic accident claims caused by glare from the sun depends on geographical factors. The DfT's statistics found that while in the UK, an average of 3% of all motor vehicle accidents are caused by glare from the sunlight, this proportion is just 1% in London but rises to 4% in the North East.

As a result, the AA has warned drivers that until the clocks go back on October 27th, they should be aware that the sunset may dazzle them on their commute home from work. This warning is echoed by personal injury solicitors, who note there are a lot of ways drivers can avoid being dazzled by the sunlight while behind the wheel.

Unguarded Machinery Warning For Agricultural Workers

Personal injury solicitors Preston would like to remind all agricultural workers to ensure that all farm equipment is properly guarded, especially as the darker nights roll in.

The risk of improperly guarded farm equipment is very high, and death or serious injury is a real likelihood if workers come into contact with this equipment. Farmers and their employees must work alongside each other to prevent accidents from occurring in this area - while no win no fee solicitors Preston may be able to help people recover compensation after being injured by unguarded machinery, these incidents are always avoidable and it is essential for employers to prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Some of the ways agricultural workers can prevent these incidents from occurring include:

      -  Never clear blockages from a machine with a Power Take Off (PTO) while it is in operation. Turn off and    disengage the power, stop the engine, put the handbrake on and the controls into neutral, take out the key and wait for any movement to stop.
      

• Check that nobody is at risk when engaging a PTO
•  
• Shield the PTO so that people cannot accidentally contact it
• 
  
• Check guards on a regular basis, remembering that broken and badly fitted guards are as good as useless
• 
  
• Do not wear loose clothing that could become entangled in moving machinery

      -Only buy guards that have a Declaration of Conformity and the CE mark. Ensure they are the right size to       fully enclose the PTO shaft or the moving machinery and that they reach the necessary standards

Tragic, avoidable incidents are particularly common in the agricultural sector, with personal injury solicitors Preston seeing a huge number of completely preventable incidents. Regulation 11 (1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations state that companies must ensure they take measures to prevent access to any dangerous parts of machinery, while Regulation 3 (1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 state that they must take out suitable, sufficient risk assessments to protect the well being of all members of staff.