A whiplash injury is caused when there is a sudden movement of the head / neck, causing it to jerk or jolt violently away from your body. Anything that causes your neck to jolt sideways, backwards or forwards may cause the injury. It often results in the ligaments, tendons and muscles in the neck being overstretched.

The most common cause of a whiplash injury is a car or a motorcycle accident; this is because when they become involved in a collision there is a sudden stopping force, which is the cause of your head moving violently away from your body. Even collisions that occur at a low speed can cause a whiplash injury.
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Road accidents are common – it’s the reason we all have a legal responsibility to have insurance which covers us all for any accidents we cause. But the sad story is that the insurance companies are somewhat displeased that their heavily lined pockets are being ever so slightly dented with claims against their policy holders; which in itself is a bit of a conundrum, given that the insurance product they sell is designed to insure people!

So, the insurance companies have for many years now being finding ways to save themselves some money – which unfortunately can end up having a serious negative effect on a claim for personal injury.

But how?

Well, the insurance companies’ involvement is normally known as Legal Expense Insurance – so here’s the real explanation as to what exactly Legal Expense Insurance is:
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With the AA’s call for young drivers to have further training before they are allowed on the roads, it makes us think whether they have any faith in young drivers what so ever. The AA said that in their latest poll at least two thirds of teenagers admit that they know someone who has either been killed or seriously injured in a road traffic accident. They are calling for road awareness lessons to be taken in school to make teenagers more aware of the dangers of driving.

For any young driver passing their driving test, especially young male drivers, they will be aware that insurance rates are going through the roof. For some male drivers insuring their first car quotes are between £2000-£2500. For anyone with a teenage son, they know that this is probably twice the amount they paid for their car. This is because statistics show that young male drivers are most likely to be involved in a car accident.
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Anyone who becomes involved in a road traffic accident is at risk of suffering from serious injury. The Highway Code states that it is pedestrians who are most vulnerable and at risk if they become involved in an accident. Unlike motorists or cyclists, pedestrians have nothing to protect them if the do become involved in an accident – they have no air bag or helmet to protect them from injuries.

As a pedestrian, there are a number of guides you can follow to ensure your safety on the road. The main guide is the Green Cross Code. It has been in use since the early 1970’s and is still seen as a useful guide for pedestrians to follow when crossing roads, and is still taught to children throughout school. It gives a number of steps to ensure your safety on the road:
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A hotel acts as a temporary home for anyone going on holiday, having a short break, or working away from home. They are like a home from home with sleeping, bath, & shower facilities, and hopefully have at the least a kettle to make a cup of tea, and a television in the room. There are hundreds of different hotels in the UK – some franchised ones such as the Premier Inns, and some independently run. Either way the hotel must provide us with somewhere safe to stay.

A lot of hotels, especially the franchised ones, are regularly inspected. This means that someone comes in each room and checks that there are no hazards in the rooms and that they stick to health and safety regulations. Unfortunately, some hazards may not become apparent at an initial inspection.

In a hotel there are a number of different workers, with each having a responsibility for keeping the hotel safe, and preventing any possible hazards. Cleaners are responsible for keeping the hotel clean and cleaning up any spillages, whilst maintenance workers are responsible for making sure that all electrical appliances are safe, and have been tested.
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According to sources from the Daily Mail, Kenneth Clarke is aiming to hit hard on the “greedy solicitors” who operate under No Win No Fee deals that end up costing parties at fault thousands of pounds in legal fees. It’s quite a bold statement, and quite a bold article. We at The Injury Lawyers of course believe it’s important to analyse the real situation; so let’s take a look at the report and see what our government are planning to do:

Described as a “radical shake-up”, the report advises that Clarke aims to stop the “ambulance-chasing lawyers” from “cashing in on frivolous cases.” Although it appears that No Win No Fee isn’t actually going to be scrapped; what is being reviewed are the success fees that solicitors are entitled to for winning a case; which operates on a sliding scale basis relevant to the risk of the case. The article is of course is more than happy to point out the obvious one that often hits the news; seemingly increasing NHS bills from negligence claims against them.
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For some motorists, motorcyclists are their worst nightmare! Motorcyclists are seen by some drivers as hazards on the road. They often appear as if from nowhere, and speed past drivers on some of the most dangerous roads. However, the latest government campaign called Think! Bike aims to change those views. They don’t want drivers to judge motorcyclists as rebels on the road; they want us to see them as people – i.e. a mother or a father, or as someone’s daughter.

Motorcyclists are 57 more times likely to be injured in a serious or fatal crash than car drivers. That is why it is important that motorists keep an eye out for bikes when on the road. They should check their blind spots before turning to make sure that no bikes are behind or to the side of  them.

If you are a motorcyclist, you must also show a duty of care to other road users. A lot of motorbikes are seen as speed machines – this doesn’t mean they are. Just like any other vehicle, as a motorcyclist, you should still stick to the speed limit. Failure to do so could result in a road traffic accident, and puts the lives of you and other road users at risk.
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The majority of motorists in the UK have a clear understanding of road safety; otherwise they would have instantly failed their driving test and shouldn’t be on the roads today. We are all aware that wearing a seat belt is not only part of UK law, but it also saves lives in the unfortunate event that your vehicle does become involved in a road traffic accident. With this in mind, you can imagine the shock on a police officers face when he opens the door of a 10ft caravan and ten people pile out…

The Daily Mail reports of a father who drove 100 miles towing a small caravan that shocked fellow motorists enough to result in them calling the police. Motorists alerted the police when they spotted children peering through the curtains of Sameer Mirza’s 10ft caravan on the A55 in north Wales.

Police finally caught up with him on the A4244 and pulled him over at a petrol station near Deiniolen, North Wales. Police officers noticed that the tyres on the caravan looked weighed down, and asked to look inside. The last thing they were expecting was for 10 people to emerge from the tiny caravan. The caravan had been carrying seven children aged five to 14 and their mothers, including Mirza’s wife.
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Any accident we become involved in can become a stressful time in our lives, especially if we become injured due to that accident. None of us expect to become involved in any accident as we go about our business, however if we do, it’s best to know what we should do. Injuries from an accident can be either minor or severe, whatever the reason why should we suffer alone?

A lot of people that become injured due to the negligence of another often don’t bother to make a claim. They may think it’s a waste of time or that they won’t get much for their claim. Some people don’t feel comfortable making a compensation claim, and just blame the reason for their injuries on been in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

No matter what kind of accident you become involved in; if the accident wasn’t your fault and you suffer injuries due to that accident then you have a right to make a compensation claim. Getting compensation for an accident isn’t just about the amount of money you’re rewarded, it’s about justice been done on your behalf.
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We all know that trespassing on someone else’s property without their permission is against the law and if caught can face prosecution. However, with that in mind, some of us still proceed to do so. Maybe we’re doing it for a laugh and don’t think we’ll get caught or maybe we’re not aware that we are trespassing at the time.

Usually when someone wants people to stay off their land they will fence it off or display signs, warning that anyone caught trespassing will be prosecuted. However this isn’t always the case and it may not be until after gaining access to the land that we realise we are actually trespassing.

If the police or owner of the land catch anyone on there, that shouldn’t be, they will be escorted off the land, and may even face a fine or imprisonment, if this is a regular occurrence. What happens if you become injured whilst on private property? When talking about private property in this instance we mean land owned by an individual.
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