Ake - I actually work as an injury claims negotiator for an insurance company so I see that side of the compensation game every day. As far as I'm concerned, if someone has a righteous cause for compensation, such as being run down by one of our insureds, then it is only just that they get remuneration for the injuries and other losses. Of course the solicitors will try to maximise the claim but that is where I earn my money - making sure that any claim is justified and that we don't lose too much on inflated claims. In your situation I would be suing the NHS. I don't think that there will be any real improvement there until the bean counters actually realise that poor standards of hygene cost them more than they save.

It's the likes of this prisoner or the guy in the Tony Martin affair who really get my goat. They manipulate the system to their own ends, costing the taxpayer thousands of pounds in the process, and get away with it! I'm not generally a great fan of the press but they did a good job with that guy - whose name I can't remember - was it Brendon Fearon?, who wanted to sue Tony Martin for damages as a result of the gunshot wound he sustained. The press managed to get pictures of him showing that he was not as incapacitated as he made out and the suit got dropped, but not before he had started racking up legal aid bills that will be paid by the taxpayer - me and you!