While any trend which promotes healthy living must be applauded, the worry is with rapid expansion of the all night - and often unsupervised - gym chains, health and safety may take a back seat to profit. Typically large in size, these types of gyms are able to offer cheap membership rates while making a profit due to economies of scale.

They also have small overheads with an online registration process and eschew the traditional one-to-one induction process. Very few members of staff are employed, and they are not staffed during late night periods.

As a result, problems with equipment can go unreported and unnoticed, leading to members sustaining injury. This was the case with one of my clients from the midlands, a twenty year old male who suffered an eye injury while working out at his local gym.

Using what is colloquially known as an "E-Z" bar to exercise his arms, one part broke off and destabilised the equipment, causing it to travel upwards and strike him forcefully above his right eye. He suffered a deep gash, and it has left a permanent scar of 1-2 centimetres.

The company that owns the gym has admitted liability, and we bringing an occupier's liability case after their defective equipment caused a serious gym injury.

If you have suffered personal injury in a gym caused by defective equipment, please contact us today to discuss your claim free of charge with a specialist Occupiers' Liability solicitor.

Yet she didn't sustain her whiplash injury in a road traffic accident, as you might expect. Instead, she was the victim of some rough treatment from a heavy-handed store security guard.

Our client had been wrongly accused of shoplifting, and the security guard really did go over the top after getting her facts wrong. Her approach left her with twelve months soft tissue damage to her neck and back, injuries which severely inhibited her ability to work and go about her daily life. Furthermore, the traumatic experience left her with psychological and situational anxiety for around seven months after the incident.

To add insult to injury, the defendant tried to claim that she merely tapped our client on the shoulder, but it was established in court how in fact she swung her round with excessive force to cause the aforementioned injuries. I'm delighted we were able to secure a fair compensation for our client, with the court finding the store vicariously liable for the conduct of its employee.

Our client was awarded a sum of around 3,000 pounds As the case was funded by a conditional fee agreement, she was entitled to keep 100% of her compensation.

If you have suffered an injury in a shop or on the premises of a private business, please contact us today to discuss your claim free of charge with a specialist Occupiers' Liability Solicitor.

The rise in scooter sales, particularly the 20% rise in 125cc models when contrasted with declining sales of expensive powerful sport motorcycles, suggests that economics are driving this trend. Rising fuel costs, insurance premiums, congestion charges in the capital and parking fees could all be driving factors as households attempt to reduce their outgoings.

Scooters are seen by many as fun, sexy and classically cool, and a new scooter owner may feel liberated as they weave between cars jammed up bumper to bumper in rush hour. Yet there are inherent dangers from anyone who swaps the relative safety of a four wheeled vehicle with its airbags, seatbelts, windscreen and metal framework, to a moped on which the human body is vulnerably exposed.

These dangers are reflected in the disproportionate accident statistics: scooter riders, along with their motorcyclist siblings, account for just 1% of all UK road traffic yet represent 20% of all road casualties.  And should they be involved in an accident, the rider's vulnerability means they are forty times more likely to die than if they were to have the same accident in a four-wheeled vehicle.

Pleasingly, there are numerous regional and national safety initiatives aimed at training and educating people who are starting out on their two-wheel odyssey. A cursory Google search brings up local news reporting training schemes - many of which are free - across the nation, and I hope the boom in scooter sales is mirrored by an uptake in these programs.

And while a desire to save money may have prompted this trend, I do hope that some of the savings are invested in good quality safety equipment. A good quality helmet could prove the difference between serious head injuries and a lucky escape.

If you have been involved in a scooter or motorcycle accident, please contact us today to discuss your claim free of charge with a specialist Road traffic Accident solicitor.

Along with many other independent Personal Injury Law firms, Express Solicitors has got behind the campaign opposing the reforms, as the proposals will mean only the privileged few will be able to seek compensation due to the financial risk placed upon the claimant.

The attempt to abolish conditional fee agreements, or 'no win no fee' agreements in many instances is deeply worrying. Individuals who have suffered horrific injuries,  the victims of serious Medical Negligence, for example, will find it very difficult to claim unless they happen to be very, very wealthy. 

Our gut feeling is that the calls for these reforms are based on a misconception that Personal Injury claims are spiralling out of control, a myth pedalled by the insurance industry as they try to justify constantly increasing premium charges. Statistics show that this is simply not true: claims figures have remained pretty constant in recent years.

While we welcome the delay in implementing the reforms, it's crucial that we do all we can to ensure that it is not merely a stay of execution and that these reforms can be blocked indefinitely.

The laudable Access To Justice Action Group (AJAG) have garnered support from politicians, legal professionals and victims charities -anyone cares about justice, really - to help lobby the powers that be. There is an online petition on the AJAG website, as well as a facility to help email your local MP.

I urge you to get behind the campaign and do both, making as much noise as possible thus forcing the government to reconsider. The seriousness of the implications of these reforms simply cannot be overstated.

Shockingly, surgeons have reported a near 50% rate of failure over six years - an alarming statistic which has prompted industry watchdog The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to investigate.

It is believed that the NHS has yet to inform every patient who has this type of joint replacement and who may be at risk. Therefore it is crucial that anyone who has a hip replacement should contact their doctor to see whether or not they have this type of device. A blood test to check for alien particles and also an ultrasound scan to check the joint is in a safe condition might then be necessary.

Should a metal on metal implant deteriorate prematurely and leave the surrounding area full of harmful debris, it can have very serious consequences and leave the patient permanently disabled. 

While the vast majority of joint replacement operations are safe and improve patients' quality of life, as head of Express Solicitors Clinical Negligence department I have represented clients in legal action against the NHS claiming for compensation for a variety of reasons.

To give just a few examples, I have dealt with claims involving mismatched components and where the wrong sized component was used, sometimes as a result of poorly labelled or stored components. Most shockingly of all, on occasion a left artificial hip component has been fitted during a right hip replacement operation. 

This latest scare highlights a risk posed to an unprecedented amount of people, and those affected are encouraged to approach their doctor and ask for a blood test, regardless of whether or not the joint is causing pain. Those affected may be entitled to seek compensation from the NHS or DePuy, the manufacturer.

If you believe you may be affected, please contact us today and discuss your claim free of charge with myself or a member of the Clinical Negligence division at Express Solicitors.

It was an excruciatingly painful injury, and the unlucky lad now has to come to terms with having a disfigured finger for the rest of his life. His parents were rightly aggrieved at the lack of supervision in the woodwork class.

While a hands off, 'leave them to their own devices', approach is fine for maths, English and business studies classes, careful supervision is crucial for a safe environment in the more physical lessons like woodwork.

Furthermore, it transpired that the school was negligent in other regards as they failed to follow regulations regarding guards which were not fitted properly to the power sanders. We expect to secure a fair compensation settlement for the boy and his family.

Lack of supervision can cause accidents in other situations also, with injuries in school playgrounds, during school swimming lessons and during sports lessons unfortunately all too common. Sadly, many of these would be easily preventable were the children intelligently supervised during the activity.

If your child has sustained personal injuries in an accident caused due to poor supervision, please contact us today to discuss your claim free of charge with a specialist Child Injuries Solicitor.

A key component in his pain management is a transdermal patch which contains buprenorphine in a continuous release formulation. My client wears one for seven consecutive days on either arm, his chest or torso (they are to be rotated each week).

One morning, after placing a new patch on his right arm, he awoke to an intense burning sensation on the contact area. The patch had burst open in the night and was leaking a highly concentrated amount of buprenorphine onto the area.

It was inflamed and very painful, leaving marks on his arm. It is still early stages, but we believe the patch was faulty and caused the injury. Sensibly, our client retained the patch as evidence and we are now pursuing a claim for damages against the manufacturer of the BuTrans patch.

Hopefully, my client's case will prove to be an isolated incident - a one off - but my advice for anybody else who has encountered similar problems with the BuTrans patches is to seek medical advice immediately.

Furthermore, it may be sensible to retain the patch and packaging, should they wish to pursue a Product Liability case. Please contact us today to discuss your claim free of charge if you believe you have sustained injury caused by the BuTrans patch.

Police officers are undertaking an extensive investigation into the deaths with more than 650 people interviewed. They believe the insulin played 'more than a minimal part' in the deaths of three of the initial victims, but at this stage believe that it is 'highly likely' that the latest deaths were caused by natural cases in spite of the contamination.

It is a worrying time for those with relatives in Stepping Hill Hospital. Although a leading national Personal Injury Law firm, we do have a large client base in the Greater Manchester area. Stepping Hill Hospital is indeed many of our staff's own local hospital, so it is a particularly sensitive issue.

Ultimately, criminal proceedings are likely to be brought against the perpetrator should they be found, but victims and their families may have a case for a Clinical Negligence claim against the hospital, as they have a duty of care to protect all patients from malicious and criminal injury while they are in their care.

If you or a member of your family has suffered injury or death while in the care of the NHS, please contact us today to discuss your claim free of charge with a specialist Clinical Negligence Solicitor.

Thankfully, there have been no human fatalities as a result of using the spray. But The Sun reported on 14th January how one of my client's dogs had to be put down after she had used the spray in her home. The damage caused to the puppy's small lungs meant the dog was too sick to live, so it doesn't bear thinking about the damage it could have done to a baby were they to come into contact with it.

Then on 17th January, The Sun reported the link between the sofa spray and heart attack-type symptoms, and on 23rd January the paper reported how one client's wedding and honeymoon was ruined due to chest pains and breathing difficulties, having used the spray close to his wedding day.

As head of the Product Liability Team at Express Solicitors, I was quoted in each article. My message is clear: if you have used the spray and have suffered symptoms consistent with those above, contact your doctor immediately. Furthermore, retain the spray can. It may prove to be vital evidence in a claim for compensation against Harveys.

The spray was withdrawn from sale in June 2011 amid safety fears, but if you or someone in your familiar has used the product at all then please contact us today to discuss your claim free of charge with a specialist Product Liability Solicitor.

The gears were noisy and clunky and neither bike offered a smooth ride and the chains on both bikes constantly came off. It was clear that the bikes were not suitable for use. 

Unfortunately, the faulty mechanisms on my female client's bike caused her to fall off and sustain injuries to her lower body. She suffered a deep gash in her knee which has left permanent scarring.

The couple instructed Express Solicitors to bring a Product Liability claim against both the retailer Argos and manufacturer Raleigh. However, I feel my client had a lucky escape as this could have quite easily turned into a road traffic accident with far more serious consequences.

While the Raleigh Mission bikes are competitively priced models, it is still imperative that they are rigorously tested for any issues that could cause the rider to come off and cause injury. As many cyclists will take to the roads and cycle close to fast moving traffic, serious accidents could occur if they cause a distraction or collision on a road.

If you have sustained an injury due to a defective product, please contact us today to discuss your claim free of charge with a specialist Product Liability Solicitor.