Legal news archive

An inquest has heard how a man was crushed to death by the jaws of a mechanical grabber.

Wakefield Coroner’s Court heard how Richard Zajdler died while he was repairing the grabber at LSS Waste Management recycling and skip hire in Leeds. The machine’s operator, Kirk Dakin, had noticed cracks in the machine and arranged for Mr Zajdler to come and repair it by welding metal plates onto the cracks.

Giving evidence, Mr Dakin said that he started the machine’s engine to move it to a different position in order to make it easier for Mr Zajdler to work on it and he moved a handle to isolate the controls which move the grabber. He said that he only knew that something was wrong when the company’s general manager shouted at him to “open the grabber”.

He did but it was too late to save the Mr Zajdler. One of the main arteries to his heart had been severed while he also suffered lacerations to his lung, three broken ribs and heavy bleeding. He was rushed to hospital but died later that day.

New research has found that more people could be forced to work into their 70s in the future because of the pensions’ crisis.

The study, from the Future Foundation on behalf of Friends Life, found that just over half of those who have already retired said that they may have to do part-time work to supplement their pensions but this figure increases to 75% amongst those who are still working.

Experts say that the traditional image of the pensioner with slippers and rocking chair will soon have to change as, due to the economic downturn, many will simply not be able to fully retire and will have to resort to continue bringing in a wage, although perhaps in a different capacity.

Martin Palmer, head of corporate benefits marketing at Friends Life, said that many have not saved adequately for their pension and, by 2020 there will be an increasing number aged 70 plus who will not be able to afford to give up working. He says that “Wearies”, Working, Entrepreneurial and Active Retirees, will increasingly not be able...

A doctor who was sacked from her job at a Yorkshire hospital has been awarded a record £4.5m in compensation.

Dr Michalak, who was born in Poland, was dismissed from her job as an obstetrician at Pontefract General Infirmary in July 2008 and a tribunal earlier this year ruled that she had won her case for unfair dismissal and race and sex discrimination. Now the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and three of its senior staff members have been ordered to pay her £4,452,206.

The tribunal heard evidence that there had been a “plan” by some senior staff members at the trust as far back as 2003 when Dr Michalak was seven months pregnant. She began to receive complaints about her, alleging that she was bullying junior doctors. Staff members were heard to have repeatedly referred to the fact she came from Poland and also that she trained abroad, questioning her...

Proposals for a new child maintenance scheme have been published. This scheme is proposed to replace the current basis of assessment by the Child Support Agency and will be implemented by way of the “Child Support Maintenance Calculation Regulations 2012” which are to complement existing CSA legislation. 

These proposed regulations follow the Governments Green Paper published in January 2011 entitled “Strengthening Families, Promoting Parental Responsibility: The Future of Child Maintenance”. Supporting families to prevent relationship breakdown is central to the Coalition Government’s vision for strengthening families but where relationships do break down, the Government wants to enable parents to take responsibility in making their own choices to reach enduring agreements post separation which place the welfare of their children at heart.

The new Government scheme will be offered as a fall back for those parents who separate and cannot come to an agreement about payment of...