The issue of road traffic accident claims has hit the news again this week with reports that there has been a fall of 11% in road traffic accident Claims but yet an 18% increase in personal injury claims arising from a road traffic accident.

It has been suggested that the reason for the decrease in road traffic accidents in the reduction in people using their vehicles as transport due to the high increase in petrol.  However the reason for the increase of claims has resulted in blame on the Solicitors who deal with ‘no win no fee’ claims.

The suggestion that Solicitors are to blame has gone so far that Mr Ken Clarke, Justice Secretary, is proposing that success fees for solicitors are abolished. A success fee is a simple as its name – if a Solicitor is successful in the claim the Defendant has to pay a fee to the Solicitors for their success of the claim. This is designed to take the weight of losses from claims that do not win and have to be ceased on a No Win, No Fee basis for the client.
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So, you are a cyclist, you are doing your bit for the environment whilst keeping fit at the same time, so why oh why did that car have to smack into you!?

Road traffic accidents between cyclists and motor vehicles are unfortunately very common, and guess who comes off worse? It’s a bit of a daft rhetorical question to be honest…

As a cyclist you are one of the most vulnerable road users and can be seriously injured if involved in a road traffic accident with a motor vehicle. After all, the only real protection you have is a helmet or some shin and elbow guards.
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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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The duty of a bus driver to its passengers is the same as any other driver to their passengers – they have a responsibility to ensure that passengers are not injured due to any negligence on their behalf.

One common form of accident on buses are caused by the driver performing an emergency stop or braking too harshly. Passengers are generally thrown around on the bus as a result of this and this can cause personal injury, particularly when the passengers are stood on the bus waiting to get off at the next bus stop.

Another common circumstance is that of buses pulling away from the bus stop before passengers have had chance to sit down. Although there is no specific duty on a bus driver to ensure that all passengers are seated prior to pulling away, they must take reasonable care to ensure that injury is not caused by pulling away too quickly or abruptly. Also, due consideration must be given if the passengers are identified as being specifically at risk of injury by pulling away before they are seated. For example, elderly people may be less likely to be able to keep their balance whilst the bus was pulling away than a younger person would be.
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The antics insurers get up to when they want to save themselves some money can be unbelievable; and it’s even worse when people end up getting hurt! Here at The Injury Lawyers, we’ve heard it all:

• My insurers say I can’t claim because I don’t have legal expenses insurance
• My insurers say it’s a grey area for me to make a claim as a passenger in my husband’s car when  he is was at fault
• My insurers told me a No Win, No Fee lawyer will charge me if I instruct them

ALL of the above is completely untrue (with the exception of the last one as I can’t speak for all lawyers out there…)
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Dog bites are common in the UK. We actually get a lot of enquires from people who have been bitten or attached by dogs, but it can be somewhat of a grey area in law as to whether you can make a claim or not.

In principle you are entitled to make a claim if the owner has been negligent in failing to restrain the dog, or failing to adequately warn a person going on to their premises that a dog is present and may attack.  

The issue is more to do with the viability to claim – i.e. is there any way you can actually get any compensation from the owner. If they have insurance, then it makes the whole problem far simpler. Most pet insurance covers liability for negligence, so making a claim through the pet insurance is usually no problem. If the attack happened on the premises of the owner and you can prove that the owner should have done more to protect you from being bitten or attacked, there’s the potential to go through the house insurers.
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Training is important – without it, you wouldn’t really be able to know how to do certain things safely and correctly. In a workplace setting it is invaluable and it’s a requirement when it comes to anything that could cause you harm in the workplace.

Many of our own clients have had accidents at work because they have been poorly trained or not trained at all – you can make a claim for compensation if this has happened to you.

Don’t feel that it was your own fault because it was something you consider daft – if you didn’t know, you didn’t know; and if you’ve ended up injured, you should have known!
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No-one would doubt that a building site is a dangerous place – and unfortunately with danger always comes the high possibility of injury. If you are brave enough to enter this ‘mechanical jungle’ it is imperative that both you and your employer take responsibility to ensure your workplace is as safe as possible. To not do so can easily result in serious injury and even fatalities.

Employees working on building sites are faced with a number of dangers, such as operating and working with heavy machinery, and a lot of manual handling, for example. It is because of these hazards that health and safety measures are extremely strict.

One of the common problems with any building site claim is discovering where the duty lies to prevent accidents. However, the key to this is merely determining who was in control?
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A ladder is undoubtedly a helpful piece of equipment – but with its helpfulness comes potential danger. Although using a ladder is seemingly simple, there are certain things that should be considered prior to mounting that first step.

Defective Ladders

One of the most straightforward matters to deal with is when somebody sustains an injury from using defective ladders. All ladders must be sufficiently strong and suitable for the purposes to which they are being used for. Although it is mandatory for employer’s to carry out a risk assessment prior to any employee using a ladder, it is also a good idea to inspect any ladders before beginning to use them-for example: if the ladder appears worn, consider whether this will realistically support your body weight. Also ask yourself; are these the ladders I’d usually use for this task? If you do have an accident from using defective ladders, we may be able to establish a breach of an absolute duty, and you may have the right to claim.
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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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