If you have ever been bitten by a dog, you will understand how traumatic it can be. Not only is it an awful experience but it can leave you scarred for life – both mentally and physically.  You may never be able to go near a dog again as the experience has left you too scared.

Is there anything I can do?

It is horrible to have been bitten by a dog especially if the attack was unprovoked. Many people don’t always think about placing a dog bite claim; but you could have a potential claim for compensation. If your child has been bitten, you are quite within your rights to place a claim on behalf of your child.
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Have you had problems with your Landlord that have been difficult to resolve?

Sometimes the Tennant can find themselves in a very difficult position when it comes to renting from an unfair landlord. Often the situation is that if the tenant doesn’t comply with the landlord’s regulations, they can find themselves homeless. This shouldn’t be the case if the landlord’s requests are unjustified and unfair.

Sometimes the issues arise during the transition process; perhaps you have given your notice to move out and your land lord is being particularly unfair? Or perhaps you have moved out and you have received a number of unjustified bills for which you did not incur? Sometimes, the land lord may not comply with the maintenance of the property even after you have notified your land lord of the problems.  Your land lord may have stopped the initial bond from being returned to you and you don’t understand why.
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OK, so I’ve talked about this subject a lot – not just recently, but spanning over all my previous articles. But I still can’t stress the point enough when there are so many companies out there who may not be looking to keep your best interests at heart, but are rather more interested in making a quick buck from your claim!

So what do I mean? Well, generally when you are involved in a road traffic accident, you get inundated with offers from every angle from people and companies wanting to take your claim on. The biggest example is your own insurers, who will do anything to get you to “claim with them”. So why is this, and why do so many people fall for it; and what are the consequences… ?
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There are many ways to claim for compensation – and there is a right way and a wrong way to doing it! So here’s a little advice on the best way of claiming; and the things you need to avoid:

Dealing with the Third Party Directly

This should be avoided! The third party is the person, company, or representative of the person/company responsible for the accident. It’s advisable to get independent representation – you can never be sure that the third party has your best interests at heart. With independent representation, you know you have an expert on your side; dedicating themselves to you and your claim!

So what you need is an independent expert lawyer representing you for the case, which brings nicely to my next point:
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We have all heard the horror stories of incidents that have gone wrong in hospitals – patients who have been left in appalling circumstances due to the negligence of NHS staff members, for example.  Even what would appear to be simple procedures have sometimes gone very wrong indeed. But why are these horrible circumstances so common? We would expect in this day an age that this kind of thing is not as common as it once was. However, it seems that most people know of someone who has been a victim of negligence from the NHS.

In 2006 the BBC covered a story on Baby with a Broken Wrist (source). Mr Hulme, 32, took his young daughter to the A&E unit at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, following a fall. The Senior Doctor who examined Mr. Hulme’s little girl concluded that she was fine to return home with no further treatment following the clinical examination.
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It is believed that there are now over 2 million people driving on Britain’s roads without any insurance cover and Police figures have revealed that the number is increasing at an alarming rate every year. Figures show that in the whole of 2007 14,520 cars were seized in London, however the most recent figures show that last year 14,133 were seized between April and September alone.

Driving without insurance is a particular problem with young drivers aged between 17 and 21, with 1 in 5 driving without insurance. It is believed that this is mainly due to the cost of insurance for young people being too high and many believe that it should be made cheaper to try and encourage more people into getting insurance. This is the view of one driver, Mr. Gary Street, who was hit by a young uninsured driver on his way to work. Mr. Street suffered neck and back injuries in the accident which kept him off work for a month and the accident also affected him financially as he had to claim on his own insurance costing him £900 for his policy excess and his premiums have also increased as a result of losing his no claims bonus.
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This week, it has come to light that more than 200 patients treated at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital are suing one of the consultants there for negligent treatment.

The BBC states (source) that all the women went to the hospital for treatment for incontinence and have come out with symptoms significantly worse that they had before the operation. Some had minor urinary incontinence and left the hospital suffering with double incontinence affecting both their bladder and their bowels.

Incontinence is a common problem in the UK, particularly found in women following childbirth, but the fact that it is common does not lessen the serious effects that it can have on people’s lives. This is a humiliating condition which, when severe, can dictate what the sufferer is able to do. Many patients must forward-think their day to ensure that they are never too far from a toilet and some people can almost feel housebound by the condition.
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Who are the CICA?

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is a government run body that provides a free service to people who have been the victim of a violent crime. They are responsible for administering the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme in England, Wales and Scotland.  They are also a part of the Ministry of Justice and provide a service on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Do you qualify to make a claim through the CICA?

Before you consider making a claim, you will need to find out if you are eligible; this means that you will need to know if your circumstances fit the necessary criteria.  You will find specific information and advice which we as expert lawyers are more than happy to provide you!
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A recent case heard at the end of 2009 has ruled that by accepting ownership of land you owe a duty of care to the visitor of the land under the Occupiers Liability Act 1957.

The case of Jonathan Harvey v Plymouth City Council (2009) concerned the Claimant (Harvey) whom sustained serious injuries after falling on the Defendant’s property and falling some 5 1/2 metres. The Claimant had been out drinking with his friends when they ran on to the Defendant’s land. The Claimant fell over some broken fencing causing him to fall down in to the car park of a Tesco’s supermarket. The Claimant was left with serious brain injuries.

The local authority argued that they did not know that the property was owned by them at the time of the accident and therefore could not have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the land was reasonably safe. It is understood that some 8 years before Mr Harveys accident the Tesco’s supermarket had licensed the land from the local authority for a period of 2 years. After the expiry of this 2 years period the local authority (the Defendant’s to this claim) did not take any steps to inspect or maintain the land (although they did mow the nearby grass verge).
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Injuring ourselves can be quite an easy thing to do – there is a lot out there we can cut and bruise ourselves on! And of course when the injury is through no fault of our own, then a claim for compensation can be brought against the person or company deemed responsible for the incident.

But what exactly does this cover? Well, to be honest, it can cover absolutely anything we injure ourselves on! I would never have thought a simple zip could be the cause of an injury to a young child’s face, but according to sources from the Daily Mail (source), it certainly can…
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