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If you’ve been in accident that wasn’t your fault, it’s always best to get advice and representation from a specialist injury lawyer. But the first problem is – who should you choose? And many are often a little afraid and concerned about instructing a lawyer because they fear being hit with massive legal fees they cannot afford.

Well fear not! Because the whole no win no fee and 100% compensation is actually true in the majority of instances! There are a few things you need to make sure of first; so here’s a little guide as to how it works and what to look for in a lawyer!
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Road traffic accidents are the most common cases when it comes to claims for personal injury. The reason is that they do happen all of the time. Britain’s roads are busy; and it’s so easy for a crash to happen. Thankfully, most collisions are minor in nature; however, there are occasions when a big crash leaves the victims with severe injuries, and sadly there are the occasions where fatalities occur.

I recently authored an article related to claims for children. So in a story I came across today which combines both a serious road traffic accident and young children, the potential for devastation can be understood.
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OK, so I’ve talked about this subject a lot – not just recently, but spanning over all my previous articles. But I still can’t stress the point enough when there are so many companies out there who may not be looking to keep your best interests at heart, but are rather more interested in making a quick buck from your claim!

So what do I mean? Well, generally when you are involved in a road traffic accident, you get inundated with offers from every angle from people and companies wanting to take your claim on. The biggest example is your own insurers, who will do anything to get you to “claim with them”. So why is this, and why do so many people fall for it; and what are the consequences… ?
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We have all heard the horror stories of incidents that have gone wrong in hospitals – patients who have been left in appalling circumstances due to the negligence of NHS staff members, for example.  Even what would appear to be simple procedures have sometimes gone very wrong indeed. But why are these horrible circumstances so common? We would expect in this day an age that this kind of thing is not as common as it once was. However, it seems that most people know of someone who has been a victim of negligence from the NHS.

In 2006 the BBC covered a story on Baby with a Broken Wrist (source). Mr Hulme, 32, took his young daughter to the A&E unit at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, following a fall. The Senior Doctor who examined Mr. Hulme’s little girl concluded that she was fine to return home with no further treatment following the clinical examination.
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A report prepared by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has revealed an alarming number of medical errors occurring in the treatment of children and babies in our hospitals.

In a one year period, the researchers found that over 60,000 children were exposed to clinical mistakes, the majority of which were cases where the patient was administrated with an incorrect dose of medication or where no medication was provided at all. Medication errors are particularly worrying as they can have very grave effects for the patient. The research by the NPSA found that 33 children and 39 babies under one year died following provision of an incorrect dose of medication.

The NPSA have urged drug companies to begin to manufacture medications in child doses as well as adult doses in the hope that fewer administrational errors can be made. When dealing with such a small body mass, a slight increase in medication can cause disastrous consequences. It is therefore extremely important that prescribed doses are checked and checked again.
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So you have been to the hairdressers expecting to come out with brilliant results, and you expect to be fully satisfied. However, something went wrong and you really don’t know what to do about it and you’re a little confused as to why it’s happened. You went into the hairdressers expecting it to be a simple and straightforward process. After all, everyone goes to the hairdressers; surely it’s an easy enough process to have something like your hair dyed when you are in the hands of a “professional”.

Anyone who has happened to suffer in the hands of a hairdresser is far from alone. Hair dressing problems are much more common than people realise and the majority of the time the issues occur as a result of poor techniques or incompetence on the hair dressers part. Hairdressing is a profession that is actually by far under regulated in this country.

The chemicals used for bleaching, straightening, colouring and perming hair all consist of very strong substances, which if used incorrectly can go very wrong indeed – often leading to burns, hair loss and in very severe cases, permanent damage. There are also risks with hair extensions if they are misused leading to semi permanent and even permanent damage. Also, dermatitis through contact is fifteen times higher than the national average.
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On 28th April 2010 people all over the country gathered at events, rallies and services to mark the UK’s first officially recognized Workers Memorial Day which is held in memory and recognition of all the people who have been killed or suffered injuries in accidents at work.

Every year hundreds of thousands of people all over the world are killed or injured in accidents at work due to poor health and safety standards in the work place and the negligence of employers. Support for Workers Memorial Day has grown in recent years and is already recognized and supported by many other countries throughout the world. This year is the first in which the UK will officially recognize Workers Memorial Day and it is hoped that official recognition will increase awareness further and lead to greater improvements in health and safety standards in the workplace. A member of safety group Hazards Campaign stated that “every year more people are killed at work than in war. Most do not die of mystery ailments or in tragic accidents. They die because an employer decided their safety just wasn’t a priority”.
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Football legend and current Argentina world cup coach Diego Maradona has undergone surgery after being attacked by a dog. The dog, believed to be Maradona’s own pet, bit him on the face leaving him requiring 10 stitches.

The number of dog bites in the UK is increasing every year with NHS figures showing that there were over 3,500 attacks by dogs in 2008 ranging from minor bites and scratches to serious wounds and in some cases even death. Many attacks are now being attributed to non-illegal breeds and family pets and the RSPCA has stated that the Dangerous Dogs Act now needs to be changed to try and curb the increase in attacks which has actually tripled since the act came into force in 1991.
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In today’s society it is encouraged that we exercise more and avoid using our cars where possible to reduce our carbon foot print. Many people make good use of bicycles, using them as an alternative means of transport to and from work and also simply for recreational purposes. It’s a brilliant method of getting out and about in the open. Whilst there are many plus sides to using bikes, they come with their disadvantages especially; for pedestrians it seems.

The statistics for injuries to pedestrians is higher than you may think. In 2009 the government released figures showing the cases of people injured due to bicycles (source). Pedestrians are 263 times more likely to be injured by a motor vehicle than they are with a bike. Over the past ten years figures show that 29 people were killed by bicycles and 7,600 were killed by motor vehicles.  364,000 people were injured by motor vehicles, 76,000 of those people being seriously injured and just over 2,600 people were harmed by bicycles.
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And the answer is… It’s completely up to you!

It’s a big question! And it’s one you might ask as part of your decision making process when it comes to who you want to represent you for your claim for compensation. But to be honest, it doesn’t really matter if you choose a solicitor miles and miles away from you! And here’s why:

The claims process involves us specialist lawyers dealing with a lot of third parties; and they really are dotted all over the country! Firstly, are the defendants’ insurers. They may be anywhere in the country – it’s usually completely dependent on who they are insured with! A lot of the larger companies have main offices dotted all over the place, so  in dealing with them – us solicitors will be corresponding with them by phone, email, fax and post.

And if the claim needs to be fought a little harder, then it’s likely the insurers will nominate solicitors to act on their behalf. And again, their solicitors could be anywhere around the country; again it’s completely dependent on who their solicitors are.
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