Polski Dzial Decision to Refuse Sanction for Counsel in Low Value Personal Injury Case Overturned by Sheriff Appeal Court
The Sheriff Appeal Court has overturned a decision to refuse sanction for the employment of counsel in a low value personal injury case. The pursuer raised a claim for damages at Livingston Sheriff Court for whiplash injuries he sustained in a road traffic accident. He was successful but Sheriff Kinloch refused to sanction the employment […]
Figures Reveal Rise in Scottish Road Fatalities
Transport Scotland has published the final road casualty figures for 2016, which confirm that 191 people lost their lives in Scotland during that year, a rise of 14% compared to the previous year. The statistics are based on road casualties reported to the police in Scotland in 2016. In addition to the rise in fatalities, […]
Calls for More Action to Reduce Driver Distraction
A coalition of road safety organisations has called on the mobile phone industry to do more to help reduce the number of people killed or injured on the roads as a result of distracted drivers. Technology Needed to Block Distractions They say that technology to automatically prevent distracting alerts while driving is urgently needed to […]
Improving Motorway Safety for Learner Drivers
The UK Government has announced that learner drivers will soon be able to have lessons on motorways with an approved driving instructor in a dual control car. The change is due to be introduced next year in an attempt to improve road safety. The Government says that allowing learner drivers onto motorways will provide a […]
Mobile phones are a Fatal Distraction
Road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has described using a hand-held mobile phone while in control of a vehicle as a fatal distraction. The Government also sees illegal mobile phone use as a serious risk and announced last November that anyone caught using a hand-held mobile phone while at the wheel of a car would be […]
Road Safety Charity Welcomes Police Crackdown
Road safety charity Brake has welcomed a recent police campaign targeting illegal mobile phone use behind the wheel. The charity says the use of mobiles is a growing menace, especially as devices become more sophisticated. A recent survey revealed around half of drivers aged between 25 and 34 are taking huge risks by texting, using […]
Statistics Reveal Fall in Road Accident Casualties
The latest statistics from Transport Scotland have confirmed that one hundred and sixty-eight people were killed in reported road accidents in Scotland in 2015, which is a reduction of 17% compared to 2014. The statistics are based on the number of road casualties reported to the police in Scotland in 2015. The figures show the […]
Ireland’s Injuries Board Pays Out €268 Million in 2015
Ireland’s Injuries Board recently published its 2015 annual overview, which reveals that 33,561 new personal injury claims were submitted to the Board in 2015. This is a 6% increase over the previous year, which the board says reflects increased economic and social activity and is not unexpected given there are more people at work, higher […]
Calls for More Action to Hit Road Safety Goals
The UK Government is due to release detailed road casualty figures for 2014. According to the RAC Foundation, these are expected to show that last year in Great Britain 1,775 people died on the roads (a 4% increase on the year before). A further 22,807 were seriously injured (a 5% annual increase). While current casualty […]
Too Many Passengers Die in Teen Driver Crashes
Recent analysis by the RAC Foundation has revealed that in 2013, as many as 234 teenage car passengers were killed or seriously injured when the young driver (17-19) they were travelling with was involved in a crash. This is more than four each week. When casualties of all severities are included, the annual figure apparently […]