Archives

We all love supermarket shopping as the prices are cheaper, there are discounts galore, and everything is all under one roof.  We can see how supermarkets are becoming the fast answer to a busier lifestyle with less and less money to spend.

So we may go to the supermarket with all this in mind, but the farthest thing from our mind is that we will have an accident within our supermarket which was not our fault, and end up injured.

Now there are many potential hazards in supermarkets – for example spillages causing slip hazards, items left in the aisle causing trip hazards, or poorly stacked items falling from the shelves on to us.
Read More

Road traffic accidents are unfortunately almost an inevitable part of everyday life. Whether it is a minor collision on our roads causing a little dent in their car, or whether it is far more serious and someone is horrendously injured, road traffic accidents occur all too often. 

If you have been involved in a road traffic accident and you have sustained an injury as a result you may be entitled to claim for road traffic accident compensation. 
Read More

Personal injury claims are on the increase.  This is partly due to the no win, no fee system making it financially easier for claimants to proceed with their claims.  One of the most frequently asked questions at The Injury Lawyers hear is – Can I claim for x or y? If the answer is yes, it can normally follow – Well, I don’t know where the receipt is for that!

In view of the above, and to resolve any confusion, we at The Injury Lawyers feel the need to explain the possible items of loss, which you may not have even considered, that can be claimed from the other side if they admit fault.

The first and probably one of the most important items of loss a claimant may be able to claim back is loss of earnings.  Now, if you have been off work due to your accident, this time off work may be able to be claimed back. To support this claim normally around 13 weeks of pay slips are needed in proof of this loss.  Even if you have not taken time off work unpaid, but taken them as holidays, these, depending on your employer, may be able to be claimed back. The money to buy them back can be claimed as part of your losses.
Read More

Some of you reading this blog may have heard of the term ‘Third Party Capture’.  For those of you who have not, or are unsure what this term means exactly, here is a brief explanation.

Third Party Capture is when the Insurer of the person with whom you have had an accident investigates and tries to settle your claim for compensation directly with you.  That is, the Insurer settles your claim solely with you and does not afford you the opportunity to obtain independent legal advice.  So, for example, the Insurer will provide you with compensation direct.  Right, so what’s the problem with that?  Well, quite simply, the likelihood is that you will end up undercompensated.  You will not receive the full compensation that you deserve.  You have not had legal advice and may therefore not be aware of what your claim for compensation will be worth.  It may be that your claim is worth £10,000 but the Insurer has attempted to settle your claim for £5,000 – because you have not had legal advice, you think £5,000 sounds like a lot of money and agree to settle your claim.  However, the reality is that in effect you have lost out on £5,000.00.

The only positive thing that I can possibly think of that comes from Third Party Capture is that your claim will be settled faster than it would be with legal intervention.  But is this few weeks or few months really worth £5,000 in lost compensation?  I think many would agree that this is not the case.  At The Injury Lawyers we offer free legal advice and take your claim on a genuine no win no fee agreement.  That means that you never pay us for our services; we recover our fees from the other side.  It is therefore a far better idea to get in touch with a quality injury lawyer like us at The Injury Lawyers to fight your corner and ensure that you receive the maximum compensation you deserve.  It’s a free, fast, and reliable way to ensure that you get what you deserve.  Please remember that the other side’s insurers really only have one thing in mind, and that is to make sure they lose the least amount of money possible.
Read More

School complaints can often be a bit of a touchy subject – it’s not nice to think that we would ever have to claim from a public institution serving the generations of tomorrow. But, as I would like to think many of you would agree, health and safety is of even more importance in schools; particularly at infant and primary level.

As specialist personal injury lawyers, we rarely hear of an accident we haven’t already got experience in – so a great deal of our new claims come as no surprise. But when you hear of a child being injured through the schools negligence, it always feels different. I often ask myself: “how has an institution catering for the education of such young people allowed something like this to happen?” Naturally, the parents and guardians of the child claims we take on normally express their frustration and concerns to us quite honestly and openly; it’s a parent’s natural instinct to safeguard their children.

In infant and primary schools, health and safety should be at the forefront of every staff member’s minds. So, if your child has been injured at school, when can you make a claim for compensation?
Read More

Everyone enjoys going on a night out.  It may be for a meal with your loved one, for a good dance with your friends, or for a few after work drinks down the pub.  Whatever your night out, you would hope that you have a good time, relax, socialise and let your hair down. The furthest thought from your mind is that you may have an accident causing an injury.

There are many possible injuries which can be caused on a night out.  If we take the example of a night club – there may be spillages on the floor causing a slip hazard, or even items such as broken glass on the floor which could compound a fall injury making it worse, or could cause a laceration to the foot.  Even if someone else slips on a spillage which has negligently been left untreated, and pulls you down with them, you may still have a claim for compensation.

Like anywhere else, pubs, bars, nightclubs and restaurants have to abide by strict Health and Safety Regulations in order to keep their customers safe from harm.  You may think that the accident was your fault as you had consumed too much alcohol – but before you come to this conclusion you have nothing to lose by calling a solicitor who can advise you, free of charge, whether you have a claim.
Read More

How can a child bring a claim on their own? Can someone deal with my claim for me?  These are just a couple of the questions we face at The injury Lawyers on a daily basis.  So what are the answers? Well, as you might expect in the case of a child, they are unable to undertake legal proceedings of their own accord.  After all, the child may be three, four or five years old, and could not possibly be expected to do so.  The law recognises this and understands that those under the age of 18 do not have the ‘legal capacity’ to bring claims on their own.  It is therefore necessary where the person who has sustained an injury is under the age of 18 that they have what is called a ‘Litigation Friend’.  In other words a responsible adult who can act on their behalf.  In the case of children, this will usually be the child’s parent or guardian.  Equally, this could be a social worker or another adult.  Importantly, this is also applicable to those who, by way of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, are deemed to be a ‘protected party’ and would similarly require a Litigation Friend.

Okay, but what if I am an adult myself, but I am frequently in and out of hospital as a result of my injuries and therefore cannot frequently deal with my claim?  It is not that you do not wish to deal with your claim yourself; it is simply that it is not practicable to do so.  Or maybe you are elderly or feel too distressed by your accident and do not wish to deal with your claim yourself. This is not a problem either.  Like a child, you can nominate a Litigation Friend, or simply have another person with the written authority to act on your behalf.

At The Injury Lawyers, we always advise that those nominated to be a Claimant’s Litigation Friend should have the very best interests of the Claimant at heart.  The Litigation Friend must be someone who the Claimant can put their wholehearted trust in.  They must be reliable and able to address all issues raised, just as you would.  Naturally, the Litigation Friend must not have a conflict of interest with the Claimant.
Read More

Today’s roads are busier than ever.  We may sit in traffic jams in rush hour going to work, in rush hour coming home from work, and even going to the shops on a lazy Saturday afternoon.  It seems we are always going the wrong way against the traffic!

It is the state of the roads being so busy which means road traffic accidents are simply becoming more common.  It may be a case of someone rushing and speeding which causes a collision, or it may be a matter of someone just not paying the necessary care and attention to the road, causing them to run into the back of your car.  Whatever the reason or type of accident, it may cause you to have an injury known as whiplash.

Whiplash can occur as a result of a car accident, or even from falling from a height.  It is an extremely common injury.  It can be mild in nature with symptoms being less acute for a short period of time, or it can be more serious with extreme pain for the sufferer, maybe lasting years.
Read More

Many careers involve regular working at height situations.  I am talking about careers such as tree surgeons, scaffolders, or TV aerial installers.  However, it is in many other careers, careers that you may not expect, that accidents from working at a height could occur. These could be a receptionist changing a light bulb, or a warehouse assistant attempting to obtain an item from elevated shelving so it’s no surprise that working at a height accidents are extremely common.

There is legislation in place aimed at decreasing the amount of accidents occurring from working at a height – these are quite aptly called the Working At Height Regulations 2005.  This is a lengthy piece of legislation, and the whole detail does not need to be the subject of this blog; however, there are a few important details which should be noted.  These being that any working at height situation should be properly planned and supervised using safety equipment that has been checked prior to use.

If this piece of legislation is not properly known and enforced by employers, there is a high chance that a working at height accident could occur.  Some of the most common accidents being falls from scaffolding, roofs, and ladders.
Read More

At The Injury Lawyers we work on a no win no fee basis.  You may hear this term a lot adverts whilst watching television, marketing people stopping you on the street, or whilst completing your research on which solicitor to instruct for your claim.

Well, it may sound simple and straight forward, but in today’s day and age, knowledge is power.  This is why we at The Injury Lawyers want to inform you of all the in’s and out’s of the ‘no win, no fee’ agreement.

It is our belief and commitment to ensure that our clients receive 100% of their compensation.  This compensation a claimant receives is meant to put them back in the position they would have been in before the accident, plus an amount for the pain, suffering, and inconvenience of the injury. If we took a proportion of this compensation for our own costs, then this would not be putting you, the claimant, back in that position.  Therefore, if you win your claim, you get 100% of your compensation and do not pay us a penny; and if you lose, you still do not pay us a penny for our time on your case.
Read More