With the festive season now in full swing, it is expected that thousands of us will be kicking off our festive celebrations this Christmas in style. Whether it’s a work night out in the city centre or drinks with friends at the local pub, the government are advising us to plan our journey home in advance.

Prior to your night out it is advised that you and your fellow Christmas party-goers decide how you are going to get home in advance. This may mean one of you becoming the designated driver, and sticking to non-alcoholic drinks for the evening. You might want to nominate one of your partners to take you to and from the Christmas party; not only does this save you from spending hours in a taxi queue, it also saves you money, as a lot of taxi’s up their fee around this time of year.

If you do choose to brave the taxi queues you need to make sure that the taxi you are travelling home in is actually a fully licensed and registered taxi. If the taxi is both of the above it will have the drivers I.D clearly displayed in the cab. This is extremely important – if you travel in an un-licensed taxi you are putting yourself in danger, and  you may not even be covered by their insurance (if they even have any!)
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Road traffic accidents are unfortunately more popular than we’d like to think on UK roads. However, each time an accident takes place, especially in the most tragic of crashes, an investigation is put into place to find out why it happened. On Saturday night, a coach overturned on the M40 in Oxfordshire, injuring 17 people.

There were a total of 33 passengers on board the Oxford Tube vehicle when it crashed. Seventeen of those passengers were taken to hospital for treatment and five of those admitted needed surgery, mainly for broken bones. The double-decker coach had been travelling from London to Oxford when it crashed through a barrier and rolled on to its side down an embankment.

A police spokesman said that officers were investigating whether the coach took a different exit than normal, as it usually leaves the M40 at junction 8, but the accident occurred on the slip road around junction 7. One person was thrown clear of the vehicle, and another had to be freed from the wreckage. Some people with minor injuries were treated at the scene and others were taken to hospital.
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For many of us, a motorbike is a man’s favourite toy. However, there are women out there who also have a love for the machines. Riding a motorbike is the chosen alternative for some road users out there. It creates a sense of freedom that no motor vehicle could give. Motorbikes are able to cut through traffic jams due to their slim-line shape, meaning those riding them aren’t subjected to hours of traffic misery.Although riding a motorbike can bring joy to the rider, it can also cause terrible accidents, leaving a motorcyclist seriously injured. In the most tragic of cases, it can easily cost lives. Those who choose to ride a motorbike should carry out a number of procedures to ensure their bike is safe for them to ride.

They should ensure their bike has an up to date MOT, and that it is in full working order. The slightest mechanical fault can cause the bike to become involved in a road traffic accident.
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If you have been injured in an accident whilst visiting a supermarket and it wasn’t your fault then you may be able to make a claim for compensation. Accidents such as slips, trips and falls at supermarkets can have serious implications on the lives of the victims involved.

Although a whiplash injury is usually associated with car accidents, slips and falls can also cause it. In fact anything that can cause the neck to jolt sideways, backwards or forwards can cause the injury. There is no set time limit on how long it takes a person to recover from a whiplash injury. It may take a few weeks, months, and in some cases they may never fully recover.

Slips and falls in supermarkets can also cause injuries such as broken bones, or damage to joints; especially those around the knee. Whatever accident you become involved in it is important that you report it to a member of staff.
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With the festive season approaching more and more of us will be looking to celebrate, which in most cases means a few nights out in our local city centre. Everyone enjoys a good night out, it allows us to let our hair down and just focus on having a good time.

For those of us who are usually more reserved, a few glasses of wine allow us to let our hair down like every body else. We become more daring and chatty, wanting to talk to any body who will listen. There’s something about Christmas that makes everyone that little bit more friendly.

When we are on a night out there is always going to be the possibility that we become involved in an accident that wasn’t our fault. When this happens some of us choose not to make an injury compensation claim because we think that we won’t be able to, due to the circumstances. Pubs and clubs have the same safety regulations to follow like any other facility.
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When we start a new job, or in our current employment situation, it is likely that we will need to carry out some form of manual handling. This is why it is extremely important that our employer does everything possible to ensure we know how to do this safely, and in a way that we won’t cause ourselves any injury. Manual handling can mean anything from lifting a few boxes to pushing and pulling heavy equipment.

The government created the Manual Handling Operations Regulations Act 1992 (amended in 2002) which are designed to protect employees from injuries at work caused by manual handling. Records kept by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that more than a third of all accidents reported to them that resulted in a person being absent from work for more than three days are related to manual handling at work.

A lot of people think that manual handling is just lifting and carrying objects, so it doesn’t affect them. Manual handling is also the lowering, pushing, and pulling of objects. No matter what job role you have, it is likely you will have to carry out some form of manual handling whilst at work.
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When we are out on the roads, we need to constantly be on the lookout for what actions other road users are going to make next. If the driver in front of us puts their indicator on, we need to be prepared to stop or slow down for when they turn off. If there is a pedestrian waiting to cross the road, we need to be prepared to stop in case they run out in front of us.

As a driver, we have a duty of care to other road users – not only do we need to be aware of what their next move is going to be, but we need to make them aware of what we intend to do next. A lot of us assume that if we stop suddenly, it is the driver behind us who will be at fault if they crash into the back of us. In most cases, this is generally true.

However, if someone is driving in front of you and they suddenly stop without warning, causing you to crash into the back of them, there is still a responsibility for the lead driver to explain why they stopped so suddenly. The reason for them stopping needs to be an adequate reason for doing so. For example, if a child ran out in front of their vehicle, this would be seen as a valid reason for stopping.
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Sight is one of the most precious gifts we have as humans… It allows us to take in the beautiful scenery of the world we live in, and is how we see and interact with those around us. If we were to lose our sight through an accident, it would be a life changing injury.

The loss of sight we could suffer may either be permanent or temporary. For those who suffer a permanent loss of sight, whether partial, or total loss of sight, it is a devastating injury for the victim and their loved ones.
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A lot of us often become confused when it comes to making a successful injury compensation claim. There are a lot of different injury law firms out there, so knowing which one to choose to handle your claim can be confusing. Some of us are also unsure how and when it is the best time to make a claim.

Here at the Injury Lawyers, we don’t think anyone should suffer from any kind of injury in an accident that wasn’t their fault and not be compensated. That is why we will do everything in our power to get you the compensation you deserve. We don’t look at injury compensation as just a sum of money; we see it as an investment for your future. It is there to help you recover from your injuries by compensating you financially, and covering any losses you may have suffered, and getting you medical treatment.

Unfortunately, lots of people are injured in all kinds of accidents every day. These may be accidents at home, in the work place, road traffic accidents, medical negligence related incidents, or accidents suffered when people are going about their everyday business. Whatever accident caused you to suffer your injuries, if it wasn’t your fault, you should be compensated for it.
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Thankfully, Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) is very rare; however, in cases when it does happen, it should be treated as an emergency. CES has a number of “red flag” symptoms that medics should look out for; if these symptoms go unnoticed the syndrome can lead to paralysis of the lower body. In the worst cases it can significantly impair or even cause the loss of all sensation of the bowel and bladder.

The cauda equina is the nerve bundles that are formed beneath the structure of the nerve roots at the end of the spine. When this collection of nerves becomes compressed, which can happen for a number of reasons, it can have serious interferences with nerve impulses and transmissions.

The cauda equine may become compressed due to a traumatic event that has lead to a fracture or dislocation of the spinal column. It may be caused by a herniated disc which can cause pressure to the nerves, decreasing sensation, and causing inflammation. One of the rarest causes is a spinal tumour; these may develop in the small space around the location of the cauda equina.
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