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Vashti Norman

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World day for Safety and Health at Work

27 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by VXN in Personal Injury Solicitor, Workplace Injury Compensation

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Injury, Workplace

This year, “Workplace Stress: a collective challenge” is the theme for the World Day for Safety and Health at work campaign.

Work related stress affects workers in all professions, in all countries.  Bearing in mind we spend more than 50% of our waking life in the workplace this is quite significant.

What are the main causes of work related stress ?

There are the more well known factors of high work loads and the feeling of not being able to meet deadlines, not being able to deliver targets and generally feeling over worked and out of control.  Other factors  however include the stress caused through work relationships.  Not just the “demanding” boss, but the  poor relationships caused with colleagues.  People who feel isolated at work, feel unsupported and not “part of team” probably suffer just as equally inwardly that the “stressed out” employee running around.

Deeper stress facts tend to focus around job security. The threat of redundancy and the fear or concern  around job changes, management re-structuring and the like.  Pay is often a significant factor.  Not getting paid as much as other employees – who you see yourself as equal to causes resentment, and causes the individual to feel undervalued, unappreciated and unworthy in terms of what they deliver.

So what can we do to reduce stress in the work place ?

As Managers you should aim to spot the signs of stress before they escalate and become something bigger and unhealthier.

As individuals however we need to learn to speak out.  If you feel you are not coping speak to someone and let them know.  Learn to look after yourself.  Have a  better work – life balance.   Take things one step at a time. Focus on exercise and  getting moving.  Sitting at a desk all day long with mere comfort breaks is not good.  Take that lunch break !  Get out and have a walk – even if it is just 20 minutes it will make you feel better.  Eat healthily. Surround yourself with fruit.  Eating small amounts regularly is better for you.  It helps you maintain a level blood sugar level and keeps you focused and your mood up.  Finally, get enough sleep.  If you are tired and fatigued due to insufficient sleep you are more likely to be prone to stress.

How you actually perform at work can also help reduce stress.   Plan your work.  Prioritize tasks.  Have a diary system and actually use it.  If a job is large and complex – break it down into smaller parts. Completing small parts at a time.  Delegate.  If someone around you is willing to help – make use of them !  Do not feel that asking for help shows  weakness or failure.

Finally, learn to laugh.  There is nothing like humour to keep spirits lifted.

This page © Copyright 2016, Vashti Norman Solicitor, Mediator and Notary Public.

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What is Neuropathic Pain ?

20 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by VXN in Compensation, Personal Injury Solicitor

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Brain Injury

What is Neuropathic Pain ?

It is a chronic pain usually associated with tissue damage. It does not start immediately and usually takes a while to resolve.

When nerve fibres are damaged they send messages to the brain and other pain centres to register pain.  Therefore, you could have an injury to your neck and the pain (especially if it occurs for a period of time) could cause nerve endings at other parts of the body other than the injury site to spark off sending messages of pain to the brain. You can have neuropathic pain yet scans and nerve conduction studies can show as normal. You do not need to have nerve damage to have neuropathic pain.  Having said that nerve damage such as through diabetes, chemotherapy, drug or alcohol abuse can result in neuropathic pain.

A common example is where someone has  an arm or leg removed.  The nerves that originally carried messages of pain to the brain misfire and continue to send  incorrect signals to the brain of pain.  This is called phantom limb syndrome.

There is no obvious cause of neuropathic pain.  The symptoms consist of a shooting or burning pain, tingling or numbness.

Treating neuropathic pain can be very hard as neuropathic pain responds very poorly to standard pain treatments (eg: physiotherapy, massage or acupuncture) and may get worse instead of better over time.  Electrical stimulation of nerves  can help to control pain symptoms.  Antidepressant drugs also help as they have the effect of dulling the receipt of pain messages by the brain in response to the nerve sparks. Typical pain relief and control drugs for neuropathic pain are pregabalin, gabapentin, carbamazepine and trapentadol.  More intrusive forms of treatment include spinal cord stimulation where electrical wires are placed under the skin or near to the spinal column and sends electrical impulses which block’s the brains ability to receive pain from the affected area. While spinal cord stimulation  can be used to treat chronic pain from multiple sources, it does not eliminate the source of chronic pain or treats the underlying cause of the pain. Instead, they interfere with the transmission of pain signals to the brain, so the brain does not recognize (or has only limited recognition) of the pain.

Vashti Norman
Solicitor – Serious Personal Injury

This page © Copyright 2016, Vashti Norman Solicitor, Mediator and Notary Public.

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How A Fall From A Ladder Led to a £250,000 Payout

14 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by VXN in Compensation, Personal Injury Solicitor, Workplace Injury Compensation

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Injury, Workplace

How A Fall From A Ladder Led to a £250,000 Payout

Dated: 14/04/2016 By Vashti Norman

If you fall and sustain a life altering injury through no fault of your own, you may feel life has been unfair, and question “why me?” Our team of expert solicitors deal with cases of complex Personal Injury every day: below is the story of one client, whose fall from a bunk bed resulted in a £250,000 compensation settlement.

Spinal injury

We can help even when you might think your case is a lost cause.

Getting On The Ladder

Our client was 52 years old when her injury was sustained at her rented property. The bunk bed which she was supplied with as part of her furnished rental made use of a ladder that was not affixed to the bed or the floor.

This ladder was the only means of getting up and down from the bed; and our client fell on 3rd January 2013, suffering a serious fracture of her spine at T11 level.

Our client was left with fractured spinal injuries and the Landlord admitted liability.

Upon treatment at the hospital, it was decided to go down the non-surgical route in the form of a back brace and physiotherapy.

Continued Back Problems

After a lot of time passed, the fracture did eventually heal – but in a deformed position that left the fracture unstable and allowed it to continue to move.

It was noted that the vertebrae was at risk of coming into contact with the spinal nerve and would lead to paraplegia within 20 – 25 years.

Changing Liabilities

It was immediately after this diagnosis that we helped to devise a schedule that would provide for the Claimant’s special needs in 20 – 25 years’ time as a paraplegic; taking into account the high level of care and special equipment that would be required.

This was the point where the Defendant decided that a separate legal case should be taken against the NHS; whist the defendant had accepted liability for the accident and for the injury she sustained, but anything after, it was considered that there was a novus actus interveniens.

  • Novus Actus Interveniens: This is when negligence of the Defendant is established, but another event breaks the connection between them, and means that the defendant is not solely liable for any further wrongdoing.

The Defendant alleged that if the NHS had operated, the complications of the disc healing in a deformed and unstable position would not have arisen and the Claimant becoming paraplegic would not happen.

Continued Counsel and Compensation Claims

This complex case was then referred to Counsel (Adam Dawson from 9 Gough Square Chambers). Where, he stated that the Claimant would have to show that there had been gross negligence by the NHS to have a successful claim.

Because our client had received an accepted method of medical practice (the non-surgical route), Counsel could not find that there had been gross negligence on the part of the NHS.

It was sufficient on their part that the choice between conservative treatment and surgical treatment had been considered. The decision was reasonable at the time. To add to the decision to go down the none-surgical route, the Claimant agreed that she would not have then, and still would not have the surgery recommended due to the risks involved.

It was concluded that Defendant’s assertion of Novus Actus Interveniens was not credible; and no claim could be made against the NHS. The original case continued, and was ultimately settled in favour of our client to the sum of £250,000.

This page © Copyright 2016, Vashti Norman Solicitor, Mediator and Notary Public.

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World Health Day and Diabetes

07 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by VXN in Personal Injury Solicitor

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diabetes

World Health Day and Diabetes

Dated: 07/04/2016 By Vashti Norman

Today is World Health Day and the emphasis is very much on Diabetes Awareness.

Diabetes awareness is vital its prevention

A recent client of ours broke her back in a nasty fall; when lowering herself from a bunk bed she fell from an unrestrained ladder. Since the accident and her following inability to exercise she has developed Type 2 diabetes.

If you are female and have a waist size of 35 inches or more, if you suffer with high blood pressure, or if you have a BMI of 25 or more, then you are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

1 in 16 People in the UK Will Get or Already Have Type 2 Diabetes

It is not known whether anyone in our clients’ situation would have been at risk before the accident (due to body weight) – but certainly the inability to exercise will lead to weight gain, increased blood pressure and probably contribute to the onset of the diabetes.

Diet is also very important, if you are unable to work for 2 years post-accident, the consequent lack of money may result in you not eating the best diet – which can also contribute.

Type 2 Diabetes in Sport

Diabetes can take a serious toll of on a person’s health, leading to far greater issues including heart disease, stroke, nerve damage and kidney disease if not managed properly. But despite these risks, some people continue to succeed against all odds.

Sir Steve Redgrave was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, yet despite this he went on to win his final gold medal. Gary Blakie, a triathlete, also has Type 1 Diabetes and has managed his condition carefully so that he is still able to train and exercise twice daily.

This page © Copyright 2016, Vashti Norman Solicitor, Mediator and Notary Public.

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  • Mental Health Awareness week 16 – 22 May
  • World day for Safety and Health at Work
  • What is Neuropathic Pain ?
  • How A Fall From A Ladder Led to a £250,000 Payout
  • World Health Day and Diabetes

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