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With the lovely weather we have here in the United Kingdom, it is not surprising the amount of potholes that have appeared on the roads and pavements.  As someone who commutes to and from work on a daily basis, I have experienced the far from smooth ride which often involves my car dipping down unexpectedly and rattling my very bones. However, potholes, although annoying, can be dealt with rather easily when in a car and usually do not pose an immediate risk of injury.

This is definitely not the case when you are not in the car, but on foot or a bicycle. Here at The Injury Lawyers we deal with a high volume of personal injury claims that have been caused by someone either tripping over a pothole, or alternatively, riding a bike when the front wheel gets caught and consequently results in the cyclist being thrown from the bike.

It is important to stress that these are not straightforward cases and therefore should not be approached lightly. One of the first things we require to assess is whether we are able to pursue your claim, are photographs are extremely important for this.
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Slowing down, stopping and emergency braking can be hazardous to road users, simply because of the fact that the driver behind could be following too closely or not paying enough attention to what is in front of their vehicle.

The gap between vehicles travelling in average conditions should be at least 2 seconds according to guidelines. This should be enough time for the driver behind to see the brake lights and begin to slow and stop themselves.

The amount of road accident claims that we receive here at The Injury Lawyers involving vehicles being hit from behind, tells us that a very significant number of drivers do NOT follow the two-second rule!
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To begin with, it may be best to consider what a whiplash injury actually is. Whiplash is an injury to the soft tissue in the neck, back and shoulders area where the tissue is stretched and strained after the body is thrown or jerked in a sudden, forceful movement. This is most common in car accidents.

The symptoms of whiplash commonly include pain in the neck, back, shoulders and arms. Other effects include dizziness, nausea and more often headaches. Although whiplash can be quite minor and resolve after a few weeks, more serious circumstances mean that you could be suffering for up to a year.
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In this blog I will attempt to explain the claims process for general personal injury claims. By general personal injury claims I mean tripping/slipping accidents (whether in a public place or in the supermarket for example), work accidents, injuries involving animals etc.

These are all accidents that come under the scope of the Pre-Action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims. Road traffic accidents do not initially come under this protocol and are processed in a different way and are subject to different time limits. Road traffic accidents come under the scope of the Road Traffic Accident Protocol.

However a case can “fall out” of the road traffic accident protocol (such as if the insurers fail to respond to the claim in time). If a road traffic accident claim falls out of the Road Traffic Accident Protocol then that claim continues under the Pre-Action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims by default.
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IMPORTANT: the advice in this blog is for general information only. Do not use this guide for confirming exactly when your limitation date is. You should speak to a qualified expert injury lawyer to confirm when the limitation to claim will expire.

When thinking about bringing a claim for personal injury the first thing on your mind may not be, “how long ago did this happen?”

However, personal injury claims in the UK are subject to strict time frames as outlined by the Limitation Act 1980. Failure to bring a claim within the time limits set out by this Act may mean that the only way around the rules is to get special permission from the courts – easier said than done!
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When your job includes driving, you can be driving anything from a car, a van, a lorry, or some form or machinery or equipment – like a forklift truck for example. If the vehicle is owned by your employer then your employer should take out insurance on the vehicle which will also cover you as the driver in the event of an accident. It’s also their responsibility to maintain the vehicle as well.

As the vehicle will be used for work and business, the insurance policy is normally different to that of everyday motorists. Vehicles owned and used by companies are normally insured under what is called a ‘fleet policy’ which will usually cover all the vehicles owned and used by the company.

Now, normally Road Traffic Accidents usually involve the collision of vehicles and therefore a claim for personal injury will be made against the at fault party’s insurer. However, not all Road Traffic Accidents do involve other vehicles and an accident can often be caused by the employer’s failure to maintain a vehicle.
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Personally I love theme parks! It brings back fond memories of when I was a youngster, and I still enjoy the thrill of the fast roller coasters and thrill rides. Health and safety in a theme park is naturally a significantly important issue. Rides are tested and tried several times, and regularly inspected to make sure no harm can come to those using them.

There have been accidents in the past where harnesses have released riders, or where rides have become stuck for several hours in upside down position’s this sort of thing should (in theory) never happen; but when it does, you may have a claim for compensation.

Other than the rides breaking down or being faulty themselves, there could be other causes of injuries. You could trip over a hazard on the grounds of the ride, or get caught by a protrusion. Similar rules that apply to shops and supermarkets can apply to what is classed as the “premises” of the ride. As with safety inspections that should be constantly carried out by the ride owner to make sure the ride itself is safe, cleaning and maintenance needs to be carried out tom make sure there are no hazards that could harm people, or substances that could cause people to slip.
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The UK is undoubtedly a country passionate about Horses. From the Queen celebrating her horses’ recent victory at royal ascot, to a little girl’s dream coming true when she’s told she’s on her way to her first horse riding lesson, horses clearly hold a place in many people’s hearts. In the past horses were relied on as the main form of transport; today this has undoubtedly shifted to cars and accidents unfortunately occur when these two meet.

Horse road accidents are becoming more and more frequent as both cars and horses need to use the road. But who is at fault if a collision does occur?

This mainly depends on the circumstances surrounding the accident. Most of the time it is down to the negligence of the driver who may be driving too fast and therefore is unable to slow down in time when a horse appears before them. This is one of the main reasons that many of these collisions happen on narrow, windy country roads – of course to many this is common sense as horse riders are more likely to be riding around these than using the fast lane of the M1!
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If you have been involved in a road traffic accident as a motorcyclist then you could be suffering from some serious injuries.

Although motorcycle riders have helmets and thick leather clothing to wear to aid protection, frankly, this is no substitution for the protection other drivers have in cars and vans etc. This is why motorcyclists are so vulnerable if involved in an accident.

Injuries caused by being involved in an accident as a motorcycle user can range from minor scuffs and scrapes to broken bones and even sometimes fatal injuries.
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I’d like to think that most of us get through life without any major incidents or bust ups. The problem is every town or city you go in can end up with you inadvertently being involved in trouble. You could be having a quiet drink with your mates on a Friday night and for some reason some societal scum decide they don’t like the cut of your jib – before you know it, you’ve been hit in the face, or seriously assaulted.

I’m lucky that I’ve never been involved in any serious trouble like this, but there are thousands of innocent victims out there who end up being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and suffer injuries because of someone else’s neanderthalic behaviour. But the main question is, how do victims of assaults get any compensation for what’s happened?

Pursuing a claim against an individual is not really the easy way forward. They will probably not have any insurance to claim from, and probably won’t have the funds to compensate you – nor will they know how to deal with a claim against them. Ultimately, it’s not the most viable option; thankfully, there is an alternative.
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