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With the festive season now in full swing, it is expected that thousands of us will be kicking off our festive celebrations this Christmas in style. Whether it’s a work night out in the city centre or drinks with friends at the local pub, the government are advising us to plan our journey home in advance.

Prior to your night out it is advised that you and your fellow Christmas party-goers decide how you are going to get home in advance. This may mean one of you becoming the designated driver, and sticking to non-alcoholic drinks for the evening. You might want to nominate one of your partners to take you to and from the Christmas party; not only does this save you from spending hours in a taxi queue, it also saves you money, as a lot of taxi’s up their fee around this time of year.

If you do choose to brave the taxi queues you need to make sure that the taxi you are travelling home in is actually a fully licensed and registered taxi. If the taxi is both of the above it will have the drivers I.D clearly displayed in the cab. This is extremely important – if you travel in an un-licensed taxi you are putting yourself in danger, and  you may not even be covered by their insurance (if they even have any!)
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If you have been injured in a supermarket accident in the past three years that wasn’t your fault, then you may be entitled to make an injury compensation claim. The supermarket can be found liable for the accident if they are found to have shown negligence that contributed towards your injuries.

Whichever supermarket your accident occurred in, you have a right to make an injury compensation claim. All supermarkets have a duty of care to ensure shoppers are safe whilst visiting their premises. Whether the supermarket you shop at is Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsburys, Marks & Spencer, or a local independent supermarket, they are all responsible for ensuring their customers are safe whilst visiting their store.

Most supermarkets, especially the larger ones, have a system in place to ensure regular safety checks are carried out. These records usually include cleaning check sheets, which should regularly be signed off by the staff responsible for ensuring the checks have been done.
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Taking part in regular fitness activities such as sport is highly encouraged by the government and our peers. Not only is it a good way to meet new friends and is a form of social activity, it also helps tackle common problems such as obesity, heart disease and depression. When we take part in any sporting activity it releases endorphins – a happy hormone in our body.

There are a variety of sports in the sporting world that we can choose to take part in, some which involve more physical activity than others. Due to the physical nature of some sports those taking part are aware that they are putting themselves at the risk of a sporting injury. Some sporting accidents can cause serious injuries; some so severe that those injured may not be able to take part in their favourite sport for a long time. A lot of sporting accidents are not the fault of the player themselves, but may be due to other circumstances; if this is the case they may be able to make an injury compensation claim.
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When we become injured in an accident that wasn’t our fault and choose to make an injury compensation claim a solicitor will look at all aspects of the accident when gathering evidence to find out who was negligent in causing the injuries. Some injury compensation claims may result in a verdict of contributory negligence.

Contributory negligence is when it is agreed, or a court decides, that the injured party in some way contributed towards the injuries they sustained. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are saying that person helped cause the accident, it may mean that their actions prior to the accident made the injuries worse than they could have been.

For example, if you become involved in a car accident that wasn’t your fault and then suffer injuries due to this, the speed of your vehicle may be assessed, and whether you have been drinking may be assessed, for example. If they find that you were not wearing a seatbelt at the time the accident took place, they may hold you negligent towards your injuries for failing to do so. Stating that the seriousness of any injuries sustained could have been prevented if you had abided by the law and wore a seatbelt.

In a lot of injury compensation claims contributory negligence is used as a defence by the opposing party. In cases like this the defendant may need to prove the negligence of the claimant.

If you are looking to make an injury compensation claim and think that the other party may try and show you were negligent and contributed to your injuries, you can still make an injury compensation claim. It simply means that the amount of compensation you are rewarded could be reduced; for example, a claim that would have resulted in £10,000 compensation may be reduced to £7,500. For more information on injury claims or if you are looking to make a claim contact the Injury Lawyers.

Most motorists in the U.K have the appropriate vehicle insurance to protect them and the other party involved, in the unfortunate event that they become involved in a car accident. When you take out insurance, depending on the type of cover you choose, it covers a range of things. The most basic and cheapest kinds of insurance you can take out is third party fire and theft; however a lot of us prefer to pay out that little bit extra and have fully comprehensive insurance.

Unfortunately there are some drivers out there that disregard the need for them to have motor insurance. They may do this for a number of reasons; whatever reason they choose, they do it because they think that they won’t get caught. When we think of uninsured drivers we may think that it is extremely unlikely they we could become involved in an accident with one. However, the latest figures released show that one in ten motorists has been involved in a car accident with an uninsured driver.
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When we become injured in an accident that wasn’t our fault, making an injury compensation claim is likely to be one of the last things on our mind. Mostly, we’ll be focusing all of our attention and energy on recovering from any injuries we have sustained. However, when we do recover, we may then decide that making an injury compensation claim is a possibility.

With most accidents, the injured party has a three-year limit in which they are able to make an injury compensation claim. However, in cases such as GBH where somebody has been charged for the offence, those involved normally have two years to make a claim. Depending on the age of those involved and the type of accident, this limit may vary.
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Going to work for most of us is part of life, whether we love it or hate it, it’s something we have to do. We need money to pay the bills, and working is the way to earn that much needed money. Whatever job role you have you expect to be safe whilst at work. Whether you work as a receptionist or a contractor it should be in your employer’s interest to ensure your safety whilst at work.

Upon starting a new job role there are numerous amounts of training that you should go through with your employer. They should go through fire training with you, this means showing you what to do in the unfortunate event of a fire drill. They should also show you the basic health and safety training. Part of this training includes manual handling; this is where employees are shown the safest way to lift objects. This is essential no matter what your job role, as a receptionist you may need to lift heavy delivery boxers, or in a job role such as a builder where you are working with heavy equipment on a day-to-day basis.
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A whiplash injury is caused when there is a sudden movement of the head / neck, causing it to jerk or jolt violently away from your body. Anything that causes your neck to jolt sideways, backwards or forwards may cause the injury. It often results in the ligaments, tendons and muscles in the neck being overstretched.

The most common cause of a whiplash injury is a car or a motorcycle accident; this is because when they become involved in a collision there is a sudden stopping force, which is the cause of your head moving violently away from your body. Even collisions that occur at a low speed can cause a whiplash injury.
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For some motorists, motorcyclists are their worst nightmare! Motorcyclists are seen by some drivers as hazards on the road. They often appear as if from nowhere, and speed past drivers on some of the most dangerous roads. However, the latest government campaign called Think! Bike aims to change those views. They don’t want drivers to judge motorcyclists as rebels on the road; they want us to see them as people – i.e. a mother or a father, or as someone’s daughter.

Motorcyclists are 57 more times likely to be injured in a serious or fatal crash than car drivers. That is why it is important that motorists keep an eye out for bikes when on the road. They should check their blind spots before turning to make sure that no bikes are behind or to the side of  them.

If you are a motorcyclist, you must also show a duty of care to other road users. A lot of motorbikes are seen as speed machines – this doesn’t mean they are. Just like any other vehicle, as a motorcyclist, you should still stick to the speed limit. Failure to do so could result in a road traffic accident, and puts the lives of you and other road users at risk.
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If you work, you’re probably at least vaguely aware of the importance of health and safety at work; particularly if you work in the manufacturing industry, or in a factory, or in another similar role. All employers have an important duty of care to ensure that their employees are not harmed during the course of their employment, which is why there are so many rules and regulations employers must follow.

But still, rules are broken and regulations are not followed correctly, and employees become injured through the negligence of their employers. If your employer has failed to maintain the important duty of care they have for you, and they are found to be negligent, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation for the injuries and suffering you have had to endure. So, how’s it work then?

Well, it is a legal requirement for your employers to have an employer’s liability insurance policy in place to cover all of their employees for any injuries they sustain during the course of their employment. You are completely free, and legally entitled, to claim for compensation from it. In fact, the insurance is there for that very purpose!
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