The government are constantly warning us about binge drinking, and the council are constantly trying to prevent the sale of cheap alcohol to restrain those who do binge drink from buying alcohol. When we are over the legal drink drive limit, we often do things we wouldn’t normally do.

If we become injured after consuming alcohol in an accident that wasn’t our fault, a claim for compensation may be affected.

A story in the Daily Mail says that the binge drinking culture has created a generation of aggressive and out of control women. A study conducted by expert’s shows that the number of teenage girls who are physically aggressive and lash out at school and at home has risen at an alarming rate.
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The Met Office and Local Authorities have issued weather warnings across the UK. Yesterday police warned those who didn’t need to travel should stay indoors and wear warm clothing as temperatures drop to -20C in some places as we experience the coldest November in 25 years.

This morning, most of us would have woken to see a white covering on the ground, and only the bravest would have attempted to go to work. Driving in the snow makes for some of the worst driving conditions, especially when it has had chance to settle through the night.

Latest news stories show that those who fail to get to work due to weather conditions cost the economy millions of pounds each year. With Britains current financial situation, it will be essential to employers that all employees make their best attempts to get to work.
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None of us expect to become involved in any kind of accident when going about our everyday business. However, we also know that if those responsible for ensuring we are safe fail to carry out the necessary safety checks and adhere to regulations, then our health and safety is put at risk.

Surprisingly, supermarket accidents are actually quite common; in fact, they are one of the most popular kinds of injury compensation claims we deal with. It is a huge possibility that we will all visit our local supermarket on a regular basis. Not only do they have everything we need under one roof, they also offer products at a much cheaper price than anywhere else.

Unfortunately, supermarkets aren’t just packed with goods but hazards as well; they have shelves stacked high with glass bottles, tins and other objects. Any spillage on an aisle could cause someone to slip or fall if it goes unnoticed. They also have large displays at the end of aisles; if they are not secured, they could fall over and injure a shopper.
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Electrical goods are something we use everyday – we use them both at work and at home, and let’s face it, we would struggle to do everyday things without them. When we use electrical equipment at work, it all needs to have been tested to make sure that it is safe for us to use, and that it follows all UK safety regulations.

When we purchase electrical equipment for our home we usually buy it from retail stores that we trust, and only buy and sell stock that has undergone the necessary checks, and abides by all safety regulations. To ensure our electrical equipment is safe at home, we should maintain it safely, and keep it away from damp conditions. If we think a piece of equipment is faulty, we should restrain from using it, and get it fixed or checked immediately.

A report done by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) confirms that electricity can easily and injure, and sadly kill, people using them. The report says that around 1000 electrical accidents are reported to them in the workplace each year, and that about 25 of those people die from their injuries. If electrical equipment isn’t used and maintained properly, it can have serious implications for those using it.
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All road users should understand that children have little understanding about using the roads safely. That is why as a driver, when we see a child waiting to cross a road, we should slow down in the event that they run out in front of us.

When we talk about children, we mean those who are still at primary school or of a young age. Sometimes parents let their children walk home, especially if the school is local and not a far walk. Even if their parents pick them up they often wander off in front with friends, or lag behind. Whatever the situation, it is important that all drivers take into account the possibility of a child running out in from of them.

Children do not have the same understanding of danger as adults, and so a child may not realise the potential risk when running out in front of motor vehicles. When a child is put in a potentially dangerous road traffic situation, a lower standard of personal care is expected of them. This means that if there was a road traffic accident, children at a young age may not be found to have shown negligence in an accident where an adult may clearly have been at fault. Read More

Sport is something a lot of us have been brought up with from such a young age. It may be that our dad followed the local football team, or that our older sister regularly took part in athletics. Whatever the reason, sport has grown to play a huge part in British culture.

Sport  not only leads to a healthy lifestyle, but it is a hobby many of us enjoy. There are a variety of sports that we can take part in throughout the UK, some indoors, some outdoors. For those of us who can’t bare the cold, I’d say it’s best to stick to the indoor sports.

For those of us who watch sport we will be aware that sporting accidents are actually quite common. When we watch a football game, it is extremely likely that at some point during that game we will see a player get injured and taken off the pitch. Some sporting accidents can be minor and simply require those taking part to rest for a while. Others can have extreme effects on those injured, and may prevent them from taking part in any sport for a long time.
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When using public transport, we all have a right to feel safe and free from any harm. On a bus, it is the driver and the bus company who owe us as their passengers a duty of care. In order to maintain this duty of care, they should drive safely, stick to the speed limit, stop at designated bus stops, and allow us time when boarding to sit down before they depart.

There have been many accidents on buses resulting from the driver failing to allow passengers time to sit down before they depart from the bus stop. This has caused unnecessary accidents, especially amongst the elderly who aren’t as strong on their feet.

A bus driver should give all people boarding the bus time to sit safely in their seats before departing from the bus stop. If a bus driver speeds off from a bus stop without giving passengers time to sit down, it is possible to make an injury compensation claim in some circumstances. Read More

The Highway Code is something all road users must abide by; if they fail to do so, some of the penalties can be a criminal offence, leading to prosecution. Knowing the rules in the Highway Code is essential.

The Highway Code is a series of rules created for all road uses in England, Scotland, and Wales. The reading and understanding of it is essential for everyone. It affects:

• Pedestrians, especially children, older or disabled people
• Cyclists
• Motorcyclists
• Horse riders
• Drivers

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When we go to work, our employer has a duty to ensure that the conditions we are working in abide with safety regulations, and that all possibilities of staff becoming involved in an accident are kept to a minimum. They do this by carrying out a number of safety checks, and by sticking to health and safety regulations.

If an employer fails to abide by the health and safety regulations that are outlined and revised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), then they could be found negligent if an employee becomes involved in an accident whilst at work.

Whatever career you have, whether you work as a receptionist, a fitness instructor, or as a contractor on a building site, you are still at risk of becoming involved in an accident if your employer fails to carry out the necessary safety checks.
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Some motorists on the roads see the motorcyclists out there as road demons. They have no understanding of them and see them as speed machines with no care for others on the roads. The Think! Bike campaign has been created by the government in order to give some understanding to motorists about motorcyclists.

The government have picked up on the public’s disregard to motorcyclists, and want their campaign to encourage motorists to see motorcyclists as people. The reason people choose to ride a motorbike is not necessarily because of the speed it can reach – it may be for a number of other reasons. Some people just love the feeling of riding a motorcycle; it creates a sense of freedom that no other motorist may feel.

Motorbikes are slim and can therefore squeeze though traffic, meaning those riding them aren’t forced to sit in traffic jams every day. The Think! campaign ‘Named Riders’ aims to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries amongst motorcyclists by humanising them in the eyes of car drivers. The message given out by the campaign is that motorcyclists are a wide range of people with names, personalities, and families – just like car drivers.
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