We deal with all types of work accidents, including accidents due to machinery such as a cherry picker. A cherry picker is an elevated work platform. It is also often referred to as a boom lift, man lift or basket crane. To put it simply it is a vehicle with a rising platform, to allow work from height.  A small or mini cherry picker may be used in a warehouse, for example to get to stock from a top shelf. A larger cherry picker could be the type we see on the road (a truck like vehicle with a rising platform like a crane). The larger cherry pickers could be used to get on top of buildings for example.

It is said that cherry pickers were originally designed for use in orchards such as to assist in picking cherries or other fruits from trees. This is where the name “cherry picker” comes from. Nowadays a form of cherry picker is used to help engineers service telephone lines; you also often see them on fire engines. Other workers such as window cleaners often use a cherry picker when cleaning windows on a large multi-storey building.
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I could of course be bias and say that we are! But to be fair, I could back up exactly why we may well be the best injury lawyer for you.

In the good old days (which was before the massive legal reforms that took place in April 2013) it was all about the benefits of the service that we could offer for people – i.e. how we go the extra mile. But due to the legal reforms, most lawyers can no longer afford to offer people 100% compensation agreements. So for many, it’s about chasing the best offer, which is usually the lowest deduction.

Why won’t lawyers offer you 100%?
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If you have been involved in a general road accident at speeds of less than 30mph or so, you can probably answer this question yourself; because you’re probably suffering from a case of minor whiplash.

Most people involved in general road accidents will fall within the minor whiplash category from a legal perspective. What we define as a minor whiplash injury and what your doctor defines as a minor whiplash injury can be two very, very different things. A lot of people are told by their GP or by a medical professional that they are “suffering from a severe case of whiplash.” That does not mean that the legal definition of severe will apply, as this is reserved for the really severe cases.

So what is classed as a minor whiplash injury? What sort of symptoms will you suffer from?
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Roundabouts can be a dangerous place for those either using the road or crossing it. This is probably due to the amount of information and actions which have to be carried out by different people simultaneously. While keeping a look out for other drivers it is essential that you are in the correct lane, have read the relevant road signs, adjusted your speed and as always, Mirrored – Signalled – Manoeuvred.

Priority should always be given to your right and this must be checked, looking forward before moving is important to ensure traffic has started to move and take notice of pedestrians, motorcyclists and other vehicles.

Who is at fault if an accident happens?

Although precautions are often taken at roundabouts in particular, accidents can still happen. Those at fault can be those who have not followed the guidelines for driving above.
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Most of us will have heard of a whiplash injury. It is a real injury which is compensatable, despite the bad stigma surrounding it. If you have ever sustained a whiplash type injury, whether it is to your neck, back or shoulders, you will be aware that it can be very painful. The real difficulty surrounding whiplash is that there is no clear medical diagnosis. If you go and see your GP following a road accident, perhaps due to experiencing back pain or neck pain, your GP will most probably say that you have whiplash. There is no clear or technical diagnosis of the condition and the result is that insurers often think injured victims are faking or exaggerating injury.

There are some symptoms associated with whiplash, such as pain and stiffness, a burning sensation, reduced range of movement etc. However it is not the same as a broken bone for example. If a broken bone is suspected an x-ray will be taken and this will inform the doctor whether or not there is a broken bone. So there is a clear way to identify some injuries but there is no clear way to identify or diagnose whiplash.
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When making a claim for compensation, you can claim for the care and assistance given to you by your friends and family. Care and assistance can be claimed for as long as it is above the standard care which is usually expected; meaning it would have to be more than the usually household chores.

Examples of care and assistance:

• Feeding and Cooking you because you cannot do it yourself.
• Personal hygiene and assisting when getting washed or dressed  because you cannot do it yourself.
• Taking the individual to and from medical appointments or for treatment etc.
• Carrying out general household tasks such as cleaning, shopping and childcare duties

A claim can also be made for the expenses experienced by those caring for you. Those caring for you may incur petrol and parking costs when taking you to and from your appointments, or may incur costs for shopping when helping with your household chores.
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I will explain what I mean by the term “pre-medical compensation” and why we think it can be bad. Pre-medical compensation is basically when you receive an offer of compensation to settle your claim before you have been medically examined by a medic-legal expert (so it’s nothing to do with your GP or a doctor etc). We could never advise acceptance of a pre-medical offer, even it did appear a generous offer. The fact is that without medical evidence covering all aspects of your injury, we are unable to value properly your claim. It could appear at face value that you have sustained a minor whiplash type injury – however we are not medical experts and nothing can be assumed.
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We are a firm of Lawyers dealing solely with personal injury claims. If you have been involved in a road accident with a motorcyclist or if you are a motorcyclist and you have been involved in an accident with another vehicle, you may be eligible to make a claim for compensation. Accidents involving motorbikes are quite common unfortunately. Such accidents can be caused in a variety of ways including when unsuspecting drivers change lanes when a motorbike is approaching, opening a car door onto an oncoming motorbike, etc…

An overtake manoeuvre should only be done when it is safe. Some roads do not permit overtaking at all. Motorbikes often overtake motor cars especially when there is traffic but even when there is no traffic. If a motorbike attempts an overtaking manoeuvre when it is not safe to do so, causing an accident, then a right to claim may arise.

Say for example a motorbike overtook your vehicle and in doing so collided into the side. In this scenario it does at face value appear that the motorcyclist is at fault. On country roads overtaking is more of a problem. I often see dangerous overtaking manoeuvres performed on country roads. These roads are often problematic due to blind bends and narrow lanes. Equally drivers become frustrated if they are in slow traffic, such as when they are behind slow moving lorries or tractors. On country roads vehicles are constantly looking to overtake. On these type of roads, dangerous overtaking manoeuvres are performed more frequently.
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Whiplash injuries normally occur when a sudden movement occurs in your neck which causes it to move sharply. This movement can be forward, backwards, left or right. It is common for the injuries to occur as a result of an accident involving a car; however they can occur in other accidents such as sporting injuries or slips and trips.

What happens to my neck if I have whiplash?

When your neck has moved sharply, the tendons and ligaments in the neck can be damaged. Remember, your neck connects your head to your body so the tissue needs to be strong and flexible – but it has a limit.

It can take a long time for you to notice the symptoms of whiplash, in some cases it may take as long as 12 hours to develop. This means that the pain may not be noticed until a long time or in some cases the day after the accident.
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There are commonly two types of compensation available to Claimants of personal injury. These are compensation for (1) General Damages and (2) Special Damages.

How does General Damages differ from Special Damages?

General damages compensates the Claimant with any loss which occurred as a result of the injury. This is straightforward and includes things such as pain and suffering, disadvantage in the labour market and where daily tasks can no longer be carried out. In a settlement the general and special damages are settled by the Claimant (or more likely their solicitor) and the Defendant’s representative to recover the costs. If a settlement is not reached, a court can award general damages by looking at all of the consequences of the case.
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