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When clients first approach us at The Injury Lawyers, we tend to get asked questions like – ‘well , what do you think my claim is worth?’.  This can be difficult to answer, as to value a claim we would require a medical report, and further detail of how the accident and subsequent injuries have affected their life. The potential claimant may also not have recovered fully from their injuries, and so the full length of suffering is not known. We may, however, be able to give a ball park figure in the event the case is successful.

When a client asks these questions, we would also enquire about their financial losses which were accrued as a result of the accident. This is a subject clients tend to be unaware of, and so it can require much explanation. This is why I am writing this blog today – in order to aid understanding and awareness of these losses.

Financial losses can come in many shapes and forms; I have listed three of the most common types below:
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Motorcycles are one of the most vulnerable vehicles on the road. One of the main reasons for this is that they can be very difficult to see. There are many great campaigns such as Think Bike!  aimed at reducing the number of road accidents involving motorcycles. Although these campaigns can be very effective, there are still many accidents involving motorcycles, and this is what I will addressing in the following blog.

At The Injury Lawyers, we are aware that for many motorcycle users it is not only a way of getting around, but it is a much loved hobby. That’s we why we offer services such as arranging vehicle repairs and hire replacements at the earliest opportunity for our clients.  We are also able to arrange private treatment for our clients at the early stages of their claim. This treatment can include physiotherapy, osteopathic treatment, or the assistance of a chiropractor – and it’s all at no cost to you. So – you can skip the, what can be, lengthy NHS waiting lists, and be seen somewhere convenient for you. This may enable you to recover faster and be back to getting on with normal life at a much quicker pace.

Statistically, motorcycle users are between the ages of 30-39. This is a group of people that are most likely to be heading towards the peak of their career, and may have young families to support. This makes it all the more important to begin your claim for personal injury as soon as possible. This means that liability can be admitted sooner, and interim payments can be applied for at an earlier stage. Interim payments are payments which can be made to a claimant before the conclusion of their claim. It is a sad fact that motorcycle accidents can mean the victim is left with serious injuries – this can mean that a claim for personal injury can take that little bit longer to conclude. If you are absent from work as a result of your accident, and being unpaid, or receiving reduced pay, interim payments can be vital to you financially.
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You may think that you know all that there is to know about no win, no fee already. However, I do urge you to read on as I have included answers to many frequently asked questions we get here at The Injury Lawyers, and I also offer some words of caution before agreeing to instruct a solicitor on a no win, no fee basis.

What happens if you lose your claim?

Well, yes, no win no fee should do what it says on the tin: i.e. you lose your claim; you do not have to pay any costs to your solicitor for the running of your claim whatsoever. To this I can hear you saying – ‘well, how do you get paid?’ If you lose your claim, a law firm should have an insurance policy in place to cover their outgoing costs. It should be of note however, that this policy may not cover the cost of the time your solicitor has spent on your case, and therefore running a claim does come at some risk to the law firm as we will not charge you for this time spent.
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It’s a common fact that the victims of motorcycle accidents are often left with severe injuries that can be potentially life threatening, or even, tragically, fatal. An obvious point – a motorcycle doesn’t offer the protection of welded metal and multiple crumple zones and other defensive features a car normally has. This factor, coupled with the fact that motorcyclists can be difficult to spot, and people just don’t think about the possibility of a motorcyclists presence on the road, is a recipe for disaster.

If you’re an injured motorcycle accident victim, and you’re reading this blog, please do read on. There is some important information I need to get across to you as part of your decision process for selecting your injury lawyer to start your claim. If the accident wasn’t your fault, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation.

Firstly, I hope you’re not too seriously injured, and I hope you are on your way to recovery. Secondly, take care when choosing your lawyer.
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BBC News reported on the 9^th May 2011 that a six year old boy had received nearly £5m in compensation after being left disabled at birth. 

It is said that Shane Barrett sustained severe brain injuries and now suffers cerebral palsy after his heart stopped beating whilst he was being born back in 2004.  The Defendant, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Trust, did not admit liability, but lawyers for Mr Barrett said that there had been ‘wholly avoidable delays’ at his birth when the midwives considered his mother’s heartbeat to be his, therefore not realising his heartbeat was abnormal, and horrific brain injuries were suffered as a result.

If you have suffered a particularly serious injury whilst you have been in hospital, it is important that from the offset you get quality personal injury lawyers on your side with years and years experience in dealing with medical negligence cases.  Such matters are often complex and require an experienced professional with knowledge in the area to deal with the claim in the right way.  At The Injury Lawyers, we have been dealing with medical negligence cases of varying severity for many years, and we are happy to discuss any potential claim you may have.  Our advice is confidential, and totally free – and does not impose any obligations upon you.  We really are a quick, free, and just an easy telephone call away.
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Over the weekend I read about the tragic story of Mr Andrew Chin who was left with severe brain injuries after a horrendous road traffic accident in June 2008.  The Daily Post reports that Mr Chin was sat in his car which was parked in a lay-by when another car collided into his rear.  As a result, Mr Chin’s head went straight into his steering wheel and his brain suffered a bleed. 

Incredibly, despite Mr Chin having only a one in ten chance of survival and spending two weeks on a life support machine, he survived.  That said, Mr Chin has since suffered severe memory loss, and requires round the clock assistance in his everyday life.  In a recent judgment at the Liverpool Crown Court, Mr Chin was awarded £3.6million in compensation.  The negligent third party driver has also since been found guilty of driving without due care and attention.

It is not for every road traffic accident that the innocent and injured party will receive such a vast sum in compensation.  In fact, in many straightforward Road Traffic Accident cases with relatively minor injuries, you are likely to receive less than £10,000 in compensation.  The reason Mr Chin was awarded such a large sum was to take in to account his need for future care.  As Mr Chin’s wife says, the accident has ‘turned our lives upside down as its robbed Andrew of his independence…He still has to have rehabilitation for his head injury and physical injuries…every day…To know we will always be looked after is a huge relief for us all.’  The compensation also took into account Mr Chin’s loss of earning.  Prior to the accident Mr Chin had been in the Territorial Army as a driver; something he will never be able to resume.
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If you have been involved in a road traffic accident, and it was not your fault, or even if you consider that you are only a small part to blame, it is likely that you may be able to make a claim for compensation if you have suffered an injury.As all drivers in the United Kingdom are required to have motor insurance by law, in almost every case where you are entitled to compensation, this compensation will be provided by the negligent party’s insurers. 

So – What happens if the other side does not have insurance? Does this mean that you are left uncompensated? You are aware that if they had insurance then you would receive compensation; but it would seem because they have no insurance, that you have no where to get your compensation from.  Do not worry – It would be entirely unjust if you were to be denied compensation because the other side did not have insurance. It would be like letting them off the hook, which is something that cannot be encouraged in any instance.  This is why the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) was set up – to help compensation the victims of uninsured and untraced drivers.

The MIB was set up back in 1949, and through funding received from people’s insurance premiums (roughly £15-30 of your insurance premium goes to the MIB each year), they have been able to settle over 50,000 claims each year.  So, if you have been injured at the hands of a negligent third party driver, how do you go about making your claim for compensation?  Well, your first step should be to get in touch with a quality injury lawyer with years of experience specifically in dealing with road traffic accident claims.  They will be able to take you through the whole process – no problem at all.
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If you’ve seen any of my recent articles about whiplash, you may already know what I’m about to say.

I’ve been advising people about whiplash claims for a long time now, and signing them up to our unique Genuine No Win No Fee agreement that guarantees in black and white there are no costs for losing, and 100% compensation for winning –we cannot charge you for a successful claim!

But now, thanks to my local bus service, I can truly sympathise with all you whiplash victims out there – almost three weeks on from my bus incident, my whiplash is continuing on. The pain now is mainly in my back – it seems to ache and hurt in different places depending on whether I’m walking around, sat at my desk, or driving my car. I saw my doctor yesterday, whom checked me out, confirmed the injury, and gave me some exercises to do, and advised me to take anti-inflammatory / rheumatic pain killers on a regular basis.
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If you are reading this blog, then you may be in the later stages of your whiplash claim. This means that you have had liability admitted on your claim, and you have completed your medical examination and have to hand your medical report. So, you may now be thinking about instructing your solicitor to settle your claim and considering when you will receive your compensation.

Firstly, consider the below options:

Should I settle my claim before I have made a full recovery?
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It is a sad fact that due to the increase of traffic on the roads and the increased awareness of personal injury claiming, road traffic accident claims are on the increase.  This is one of the reasons that the Ministry of Justice has brought in a new system for road accidents after 31^st April 2010 that are between a value of £1000 and £10,000.

This new system is based around a specially designed portal on the internet which allows all correspondence between both sides of a claim to be sent electronically. This means that everything is received instantaneously, cutting out the time waiting for post to drop onto a desk. 

The old system allowed defendants nearly 4 months before requiring them to give a response as to liability (fault on a case). This is in stark contrast to that of the new system which allows 15 working days for a liability response. Liability is the crucial first hurdle to a claim; having this answered early means that your claim can progress much more quickly, and it can also relieve a lot of stress from you, the claimant. I have set out a brief outline below of the processes your claim is likely to go through with this new system.
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