listhttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/The latest news direct from EAD Solicitors.en-GB720http://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/court-issues-first-weee-prosecution.aspx A Birmingham based hairdresser has become the first individual to be prosecuted under recently enforced Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations. Earlier this year, Aston and Fincher Ltd pleaded guilty to 31 charges relating to failure to comply with packaging waste regulations and failing to register as a producer of electrical and electronic waste. According to the Environment Agency (EA), the company avoided paying £445 plus unknown costs of financing the recovery and recycling of equipment for which they would have been responsible in 2008. Aston and Fincher was fined £650 for each offence - totalling £20,150. It was also ordered to pay compensation of £7,135 to the EA for loss of registration fees, costs of £3,605.11 and a victim surcharge of £15. "This is the first prosecution of a business for offences under both the Packaging regulations and the similar producer responsibility legislation for electrical equipment," commenhttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/court-issues-first-weee-prosecution.aspxWed, 08 Sep 2010 08:47:48 GMThttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/couples-secrecy-risking-probate-issues.aspx British couples risk problems in later life by failing to discuss their estates and Wills while keeping personal finance secrets, new research has revealed. A study by Prudential found that 22% of couples said they have never discussed estate planning together while 12% of women and 11% of men said they know nothing about probate plans and were not interested. In addition, 32% of people over the age of 40 but not yet retired do not know the details of their partner's retirement savings or plans. "It is incredible that so many people do not know the details of their partner's retirement savings," commented Prudential spokesperson Amy Brown. "Firstly, couples should strive to have open conversations with one another but they also should aim to be constructive and use these conversations to begin laying the foundations for their retirement and estate planning. "The longer planning goes unresolved the harder it is for couples later in life."http://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/couples-secrecy-risking-probate-issues.aspxWed, 08 Sep 2010 08:46:03 GMThttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/10million-brits-owed-tax-rebate.aspx A string of errors at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) means more than 10million people could be in line for a substantial tax rebate. Earlier this month, HMRC admitted that 4.3million people are set to receive a rebate due to tax overpayments in the past two years. But new evidence regarding historic errors now means an additional 5.8million could be eligible for payments. Almost £1.8billion in overpaid tax has been given to HMRC in the past two years, while approximately £3billion was mistakenly given in the two years prior to 2008. On September 4th, the Treasury said nearly 6million people in the UK are to be told they have paid the wrong amount of tax in the past two years, with some facing bills of up to £5,000. The further errors identified since then could add a further 7.7 million people to the total number affected. Those set for rebates because they have paid too much tax in the past two years are expected to receive an average of http://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/10million-brits-owed-tax-rebate.aspxTue, 07 Sep 2010 08:45:27 GMThttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/first-trader-fined-under-‘pedlars-act.aspx Manchester town hall chiefs have won their first prosecution since bringing in new 'pedlar' legislation to clamp down on rogue street trading. The Manchester City Council Act - widely known as the Pedlars' Act - became law earlier this year following a £100,000 drive by the council. Under the Act, town hall officers are given greater powers to seize goods from people suspected of trading illegally. Earlier this month, Tapha Lo became the first victim of the law and was forced to pay £1,100 after he was caught trading in Market Street, a busy spot in Manchester city centre. The rules of a pedlars' certificate allow holders to sell anywhere in the country as long as they move on regularly. But, under the new act, Manchester council won powers to seize goods from anyone caught selling from one spot for more than five minutes and therefore abusing the terms of the certificate. Magistrates fined Mr Lo £525 for his offence and awarded £606 costs to the cohttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/first-trader-fined-under-‘pedlars-act.aspxTue, 07 Sep 2010 08:43:39 GMThttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/flexible-working-equals-improved-relations.aspx Employers who offer their staff the chance to adapt working hours are more likely to enjoy a positive working relationship, new research has found. According to studies by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) and Management Today magazine, organisations that have reacted to the global economic downturn by opting for flexible working and similar schemes are more likely to succeed thanks to higher Chief Executive Officer (CEO) trust levels. Organisations hit hard by the recession have "extremely low" levels of trust amongst staff while job losses and office closures are blamed on poor management, ILM found. Despite the dip in trust, female bosses appear to have emerged particularly well from the recession, the report states. Confidence in female CEOs has increased by four points since the 2009 Index, with women achieving an index score of 66 on a 100-point scale, compared to 63 for their male counterparts. In total, more than 5,000 emplohttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/flexible-working-equals-improved-relations.aspxMon, 06 Sep 2010 15:34:15 GMThttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/firm-fined-after-series-of-serious-injuries.aspx A Troon sawmilling firm has been fined a total of £28,000 after two of its employees were severely injured in separate incidents just months apart. In May 2007, 55-year-old John Wilson was working for Adam Wilson and Sons in Troon, Ayrshire, when he fell through a gap in a raised walkway, left open after work had been done on a conveyor belt below. He suffered serious injuries to his arm and permanent loss of movement in his shoulder as a result of the fall. Less than three months later, 59-year-old Robert Cumming was working for the same firm at the same plant when his head was trapped between the metal parts of a hoist after it was accidentally switched on. He suffered serious crush injuries to his head and neck and required emergency surgery and attends ongoing physiotherapy for his injuries. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigations found that Adam Wilson and Sons did not have safe systems of work in place for maintaining the conveyor belt, or thhttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/firm-fined-after-series-of-serious-injuries.aspxMon, 06 Sep 2010 15:31:01 GMThttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/business-urged-to-adapt-equal-pay-policies.aspx The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have called on small and medium size businesses to examine their pay systems and ensure they comply with equal pay laws. On average, full-time female workers are paid 16.4% per hour less than men on average, rising to 21.6% in private firms, according to the EHRC. To tackle the issue, the Commission and BBC have published a new guide for employers to solve equality pay issues, which should take no more than four hours to implement. "Businesses want to pay people fairly for the job that they do. This guidance should help smaller businesses analyse any pay gap and make any changes required by law," said BCC Director General David Frost. "Taking action now to make pay systems transparent and fair should help businesses recruit the best talent to enable the private sector to drive economic recovery." Jean Irvine, an EHRC commissioner, added: "Employers need pahttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/business-urged-to-adapt-equal-pay-policies.aspxMon, 06 Sep 2010 15:28:00 GMThttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/teaching-assistant-attacked-by-child-wins-case-through-ead-solicitors.aspx Our client was a teaching assistant at a school in England, where she taught reception class.  A 3 year old child escaped from the nursery building into the playground, where he then tried to escape from the playground and ran towards a wall.  Our client put her arm out to stop the child who then grabbed and bit her arm causing a nasty wound, which consequently left a scar. The CICA rejected the case initially and at review stage because they stated that although the child was behaving badly, given the age of the child, there was no criminal intent. There had been a previous similar case in Liverpool in November 2009 (Kirwans Solicitors) where the CICA granted compensation to a 3 year old boy who was hit 11 times with a car jack by a child of the same age - Jay Jones v CICA. Our client attended for a CICA Appeal Hearing in August 2010 at Liverpool.  She was represented by Ben Handy, Counsel from Harrington Street Chambers.  He had also rhttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/teaching-assistant-attacked-by-child-wins-case-through-ead-solicitors.aspxFri, 03 Sep 2010 10:56:11 GMThttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/ead-solicitors-win-low-speed-impact-claims-for-two-clients.aspx EAD Solicitors LLP has again settled two Road Traffic Accident claims for drivers in which the insurers alleged that a low speed impact caused no injury. Both Defendants did eventually accept responsibility for the accident, however in the first instance, both Defendant's lawyers alleged that the impact was not sufficient to cause an injury and both produced an engineer's report which appeared to support this. The Defendants lawyers also alleged that our clients only suffered minor injuries and produced their own orthopaedic evidence, which EAD Solicitors LLP successfully countered with our own medical reports. The significant outcome of EAD's success is that many solicitors are not prepared to pursue these types of cases because of the cost implications. EAD Solicitors LLP can and will successfully act on behalf of Claimants with these types of low speed impact claims. The Claimants were 100% successful and the both Defendants arguments of low speed, no injury washttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/ead-solicitors-win-low-speed-impact-claims-for-two-clients.aspxFri, 03 Sep 2010 10:38:36 GMThttp://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/several-conditions-excluded-from-equality-act-protection.aspx Further details of the upcoming Equality Act have surfaced listing a number of physical and mental traits excluded from employment protections. Government published Equality Act 2010 (Disability) Regulations guidelines outline conditions which have been excluded from disability recognition, including:  Addiction to alcohol, nicotine or any other substance (unless the addiction was originally the result of administration of medically prescribed drugs or other medical treatment). The following conditions: a tendency to set fires, a tendency to steal, a tendency for physical or sexual abuse of other persons, exhibitionism, and voyeurism. Allergic Rhinitis (hay fever) unless it aggravates another condition. In addition, tattoos and body piercings are excluded from being seen as a "severe disfigurement" or have a "substantial adverse effects" on the ability of the person concerned to carry out normal day-to-day activities.http://www.eadsolicitors.co.uk/news/several-conditions-excluded-from-equality-act-protection.aspxFri, 03 Sep 2010 10:32:28 GMT