Alison Herbert & Co news

Ripon Rugby Club's lucky 13
OCT 2009

Ripon Rugby Club Under 13s now sponsored by Alison Herbert & Co. We have long been sponsors of the Junior Section of Ripon Rugby Club, but that sponsorship has now been extended to include the U13s.

“I believe very strongly that those of us who are fortunate enough to be successful in business should put something back into the community.” said Alison (pictured, below, with the team). “One of the ways for us to do that is to provide sponsorship of local sports teams.” And this year Alison has a particular interest in following the U13s, as her twin sons, Charlie and Harry, play for the team.

Dan Watson, Chair of Ripon Junior Rugby, added: “We’re delighted to have a sponsor for the U13s and the boys are wearing their new shirts with pride.”

Gary Warriner warns farmers to expect litigation after walkers' injuries from cattle
SEPT 2009

After three recent lethal tramplings of walkers by cattle, Gary Warriner has warned farmers to expect litigation proceedings to be launched by those injured in this way from up to three years ago.

Gary has previously litigated successfully for walkers who have been trampled by cattle. After the recent reported fatalities, he has received enquiries from people who have sustained injuries in the past three years who now realise that they have legal redress against the owners of the cows. And Gary’s personal injury expertise on the subject has also been sought by BBC Radio York. He has now appeared twice on the station, providing advice, taking phone calls from concerned listeners and answering any queries.

read the full story...

He said:

“Cattle are large animals and if they do get aggressive, then it is likely any injury caused will be serious and in some cases can result in death. Farmers are in the firing line because they are the ones with the requisite knowledge of the animals concerned and the ability to manage the animals on their land.”

Provisions in the Animals Act 1971 render farmers who keep livestock strictly liable for injuries caused to persons by the animals. This means that an injured person is not required to have to prove that the farmer’s negligence had led to the injuries.

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW) gave the public the right to walk on mapped access land (mountain, moor, heath, down and registered common land) in addition to pre-existing rights to use public rights of way. Between April 1996 and March 2006, 46 incidents involving people and cattle were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) across Britain; seven of those resulted in death and almost all these incidents were in fields or enclosed areas.

The incidents often occur when members of the public are walking their dogs on rights of way in fields in which cattle with calves are kept. The cattle perceive the dog as a threat to their young.

“When these animals are under stress, particularly if their maternal instincts are aroused as they have their calves with them, these normally placid animals can become aggressive. The advice I am giving to farmers to avoid the liability reflected in here is simple: assess the risk of injury and if possible avoid your risk by moving livestock to fields without rights of way across them. If you cannot avoid the risk then minimise it by fencing around livestock, fencing around rights of way, keep rights of way marked and clear of obstruction and use signs at access points to warn of the dangers. Even signs may be insufficient to avoid liability.”

However, some farmers may find themselves facing litigation from those who have been injured up to three years ago, as any claimant has that amount of time to lodge their claim. Dai Davies, president of the National Farmers Union of Wales, has advised that walkers should never enter a field of cows with a dog, because cows perceive them as a threat and tend to attack.

“If you do enter a field of cows with your dog, and those cows start to charge, your best hope is to let go of the dog.” said Mr Warriner. “Nine times out of ten the cows will go after the dog but dog will quickly escape. If you hang onto your dog, the consequences could be grave.”

He added: “People have a right to redress if they suffer injuries at the hands of others. They may sustain injuries which render them unable to work or there may be long-running health issues as a result of their trauma. Farmers need to be aware of the difficulty they are in avoiding liability where injury occurs particularly if precautions have not been taken. Remember also that people have the right to make a claim up to three years after their accident. I doubt we’ve heard the last of this issue.”

Alison Herbert & Co Sponsor Ripon City Panthers Junior Football Club
Alison Herbert & Co are the proud sponsors of Ripon City Panthers Junior Football Club u17 boys team. The 2007 league cup finalists will be wearing our logo during the 2008/09 campaign.

For more details see: www.riponcitypanthers.co.uk and www.harrogateanddistrictjfl.co.uk

Stray FM ads
A new series of radio advertisements for Alison Herbert & Co was launched in May 2008 on local radio station 97.2 Stray FM. The advertisements feature Alison Herbert & Co clients talking about their experience of dealing with the firm.

For further details see: www.strayfm.com

Harrogate in Bloom
Alison Herbert & Co were given Silver Awards in both the Spring and Summer Garden 2008 Harrogate In Bloom competitions. This is an improvement on the Bronze Award achieved in 2007. Next year - Gold!

For further details see: www.harrogateinbloom.org.uk

Ripon Rugby Club
Alison Herbert & Co’s continued investment in youth sport continues when they sponsor Ripon Rugby Club’s Junior Section for the 2007/08 season.

For further details see: http://www.riponrugby.co.uk

10 Year Celebration and Open Day
Phil Willis MP opened Alison Herbert & Co’s new offices at 14 Victoria Avenue, Harrogate on 1st July 2007. This occasion coincided with the firm’s 10 year celebrations.