Given how common road accidents are, it’s never surprising to see them in the news. Whether it’s a horrific and unfortunate crash with fatalities involved, the M1 at a standstill, celebrity road antics, or just peculiar stories, they always manage to find their way on to the press headlines. We at The Injury Lawyers, as road accident specialists, are used to seeing a wide variety of claims through the door on a daily basis.

A story from BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11599203) tells of an unfortunate crash involving a man driving his car with the use of mind controlled prosthetic limb. Sounds like something out of a sci-fi film, doesn’t it? But it’s a true story:  22 year old Austrian Christian Kandlbauer is thought to be the world’s first person to pass their driving test with the use of prosthetic limbs. He tragically lost both of his arms four years ago after he was shocked by 20,000 volts, and his life was turned back around when he was provided with artificial limbs he can control with his mind.

His Subaru has been specially adapted, and he is legally qualified to drive – he was unfortunately found by a trucker in his car which had caught fire after smashing in to a tree. His condition is reportedly serious, and a police officer was reported to have said “Looking at the state of the wreck, it’s a miracle he got out at all”. A passing lorry driver was able to assist in putting the flames out and saving Mr Kandlbauer from the wreck.
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Driving whilst intoxicated, whether it is with alcohol or drugs, is extremely dangerous and illegal around the world. In English law if a person is caught drink driving they risk losing their license, paying a fine and might even have to serve a prison sentence. The government is responsible for a number of campaigns to help encourage drivers not to drink drive.

One of their campaigns is called Think! and targets drivers by showing a number of adverts either on TV, radio and billboards. It aims to prevent drivers from driving if over the limit by showing what could happen if you choose to do so.

The government say that anyone who risks driving whilst twice the legal alcohol limit is at least 30 times more likely to cause a road crash than a driver who hasn’t been drinking. They also warn the public that there is no fool-proof way of knowing whether you are over the drink drive limit; they say that it depends on a number of factors:
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Some of us love going to work, some of us hate it, and some of us just plod along having the occasional off day. Work’s not something we’re guaranteed to enjoy, but it’s better if we do, as it’s a part of our everyday life. The amount of students who choose to expand their skills to degree level is increasing, which means more and more competition in the working world.

Whatever career you choose to follow you’ll have initial skills in that area of work – whether you choose to be a contractor or a receptionist. With the recession fully underway and the amount of job cuts taking place throughout all sectors, it is essential we make the most of the skills we have.

Becoming involved in an accident at work can take those skills away from you; whether it is a temporary or permanent deprivation. When at work it is our employer’s responsibility to make sure the work we’re carrying out holds the smallest possibility of any hazards, and they should do everything to prevent this.
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When you become injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, the first thing on your mind will be making a full recovery from that accident and getting your life back on track. Nobody likes being injured; it prevents us from doing many things and makes us more dependent than we’d like.

Whether you sustained your injuries in a car accident, an accident at work, or a result of medical negligence, you will be going through the same as a lot of other victims of accidents that weren’t their fault. It can be an extremely lonely and confusing time. You may feel like everyone is getting on with their lives and you’re stuck at home recovering.

A lot of people may consider making an injury compensation claim, but not all of them follow through with the idea. Some may think it will take too long, or that their claim won’t be worth much. Neither of those are generally true.
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Dog attacks on children are making more and more of an impact in the news. Yesterday, the Daily Mail reported on a story in Wales, where a 16-month-old girl was viciously attacked by a family dog. Medics said that the girl was lucky not to have lost as eye as the dog ripped into her face missing her eye socket by half an inch.

The family pet is believed to have attacked the child when she accidentally stepped onto its tail. The toddler needed 50 stitches to her face and had to under-go her first bout of facial surgery. Doctors said they think the scars on her face will heal because she is so young, but she will need to make regular visits to the hospital for checkups.

The dog that attacked her was a Cairn Terrier and the club that breeds the animal dubs it as ‘the best little pal in the world’. After the attack, the family pet was put down to prevent it attacking anyone else in the future.
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Been involved in a collision on the road is a worrying time for any driver. They may be in shock due to the impact of the accident, or just generally shaken up from it. Whatever the reason, they may not be thinking too clearly after the incident. Road traffic accidents have become a common occurrence on the roads of today. We constantly hear about them in the news, and we have all probably witnessed a few on the roads before.

If you do become involved in a collision involving another vehicle there are a few things you should do:
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The Highway Code was created to give all road users, whether they are pedestrians or drivers, a full understanding of their responsibility when using the road. It was created to help keep accidents to a minimum and make sure drivers and pedestrians know what to do when using the road.

When courts are reviewing compensation claims, or deciding who is liable for an accident, they often refer to the Highway Code when justifying their decision to those involved. Throughout the years it has grown to be a part of road traffic accidents in English law.
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It’s official winter is finally here, with snow forecast to fall on the high grounds and temperatures to reach lows of freezing. In just over one weeks time the clocks will go back an hour, which means an extra hour in bed for those who see their glass as half full. For those who see it half empty, unfortunately it means that it gets dark an hour earlier.

Personally I love summer, and the cold dark nights are not my favourite. Winter can create some of the worst driving conditions. I love seeing snow fall on the ground, or to wake up to white covered grounds. What I don’t love is the thought of driving home in it. Last year snow caused madness on the roads. Not only did it create some of the worst traffic jams, but when it melted it uncovered hundreds of new potholes.

I’ve been driving for three years, so in my eyes I am a fairly experienced driver. However, on my drive home from work on one Sunday afternoon, after snow had settled on the ground, forcing us to shut early, made me realise that maybe I’m not as clued up as I may have once thought. Driving down a hill at less than 10mph and I still managed to skid into the curb, missing a near-by lamp post by centimetres.
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If you work, you’re probably at least vaguely aware of the importance of health and safety at work; particularly if you work in the manufacturing industry, or in a factory, or in another similar role. All employers have an important duty of care to ensure that their employees are not harmed during the course of their employment, which is why there are so many rules and regulations employers must follow.

But still, rules are broken and regulations are not followed correctly, and employees become injured through the negligence of their employers. If your employer has failed to maintain the important duty of care they have for you, and they are found to be negligent, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation for the injuries and suffering you have had to endure. So, how’s it work then?

Well, it is a legal requirement for your employers to have an employer’s liability insurance policy in place to cover all of their employees for any injuries they sustain during the course of their employment. You are completely free, and legally entitled, to claim for compensation from it. In fact, the insurance is there for that very purpose!
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Parks are usually small play areas provided by the local Parish council for children to use at the supervision of their parents. The Parish council is part of a city or metropolitan council that carries out tasks on their behalf. It is their responsibility to make sure that the parks are well maintained and that the equipment is safe.

Going to the park for a child is an exciting day out, and for any a parent a chance for them to watch their children play with or alongside other children and generally enjoy themselves . A lot of parks throughout the UK have been modernised and have new equipment put in for children to play with.

This was after stories appeared in the news about parents reporting some parks unsafe for their children to play in; some even found serious hazards, such as needles in the parks! One child wrote to the Queen asking her not to close the park he locally played in because he really liked it there – this just shows the importance of parks to young children.
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