Personal Injury Law Blogs

A Cyclist’s Guide to Personal Injury Compensation

cycling-accident-claims-lawMore and more people are taking to the pedals to get around. It is important for all new cyclists to know their rights on the roads and fully understand what to do if they are ever unfortunately caught up in a collision, so that they can get back on the roads as soon as possible.

Our comprehensive guide looks at the main three stages of a road traffic accident and the necessary action you should take as a cyclist, so that you to know how to effectively handle the situation.

  1. At the scene of the accident

There are several actions to take immediately after a collision:

  • Move to a safe spot, out of the way of any traffic and other cyclists
  • Ask for help from passers-by and those who may have witnessed the accident
  • Phone the police or ambulance if you are injured or suspect you are being given false details by the driver

Seeking medical attention and removing yourself from further danger are of the greatest importance. Following on from this, you should ask the driver for their details.

Make sure to note down:

  • The driver’s name and address
  • The owner of the vehicle’s name and address
  • The make, model, colour and registration number of the car involved
  • Their insurance company and level of cover

When the police arrive, stay calm and remain co-operative. Remember this is your opportunity to give them your side of the story. Once you have finished, note down the officer’s name and the case reference number.

If possible, also take the names and contact details of any witnesses. Hand this information on to the police but keep a copy for yourself. Then, try to take photographs of the scene and your bike. If you have already asked someone for help they may be able to assist with this.

Finally, take your bike and any other damaged property with you. Do not attempt to fix any of your equipment; you will eventually need to use your broken bike to get a cost estimate of the damage for your claim, if you wish to make one.

  1. Seek medical attention

Once all the details of the accident have been taken, go to hospital or your GP surgery, depending on the severity of your injury and the medical help that you need.

Ask the attending doctor to take detailed notes of your injury. It is also important to photograph your injuries at their worst, straight after the accident or while you are being treated if possible.

Even if you do not feel that you need medical attention, visit a surgery for confirmation and so your details are logged. If you do chose to make a claim, this will be vital to helping you gain compensation.

  1. After the accident

If you do not call the police by the side of the road and you have been injured, it is legally required that you report the collision.

Keep a diary and write down everything that happened before, during and after the accident, while it is still fresh in your mind. Make sure to jot down:

  • What happened
  • Where it happened
  • When it happened
  • Road conditions
  • Weather conditions
  • Traffic flow

If you believe the collision was not your fault, then you have three years in which to make a claim at court. If you do choose to progress with seeking compensation, it is recommended that you use a solicitor experienced in cycling accident claims.

Also, it is important not to communicate with insurance companies before speaking to a personal injury lawyer. Insurers will often try to offer compensation early on in the claims process, where the amount offered is typically low and does not take into consideration the ordeal and expenses accrued. A cycling personal injury specialist will investigate the accident and ensure that you are properly compensated.

Experiencing a cycling accident can be extremely traumatic and have a detrimental effect on your quality of life. Following these steps above will help you on your way to claiming the compensation that you deserve and stop you from incurring any extra costs at the fault of a careless driver.

Based in the North West, solicitors Slater Heelis are experts in handling cycling accident cases. The team have helped many cyclists claim the compensation that they deserve, giving them the opportunity to get back on their bikes and cycling on the roads once more.

Trampoline Owners Warned About Onerous Duty of Care

trampoline-injury-claims-edinburgh-manchester-london-lawsDirect Line have warned trampoline owners that they could be faced with a bill of up to £100,000 if a child is injured whilst playing on their property. The insurer has claimed that they frequently settle in and out of court for personal injury compensation claims of over £20,000 as a result of trampoline, bouncy castle or climbing frame accidents.

There has been a significant rise in recent years of both trampoline accidents and also parents calling their lawyers when their children are injured playing on a trampoline at a friend’s house or at a children party.

A recent study indicated that around 11,000 children are taken to accident and emergency units each year as a result of a trampoline or bouncy castle accident, and compensation claims for such accidents can attract between £20,000 – £100,000. Such claims could force many parents to sell their family home to meet such pay-outs where they are not adequately insured.

What is interesting from a legal perspective is the standard of duty of care in such cases. Whilst many parents would assume that children were not properly supervised, which would amount to negligence, research shows that it is often not the case. Research conducted by Direct Line shows that in 4 out of 5 cases children were properly supervised when their accident took place. Spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents suggest trampolines said: ‘If you have a lot of people on the trampoline and they crash into each other you can get concussions and some nasty fractures. We also know if you have a safety net, parents tend to get complacent about safety and that’s when you get more horseplay and serious incidents.’

What will be taken into account when assessing duty of care?

Any person who owns a trampoline or who hires or rents a trampoline for an event either in a public or private space owes a duty of care towards those using the equipment. Under this duty of care trampoline enthusiasts are required to:

  • Make sure that users of the trampoline they are responsible for are in the requisite physical and mental condition for trampoline use
  • Warn or ‘train’ trampoline users appropriately
  • Supervise users of the trampoline adequately
  • Set up the trampoline in a suitable location
  • Have a first aider on location
  • Use a safety net

Trampoline owners are also required to observe reasonable foreseeability, which will be determined by the judge but may include things such as children becoming boisterous or play-fighting on the trampoline.

Failure to meet these standards could result in a costly lawsuit, however this standard of duty of care appears to be very restrictive on this who simply want to have a trampoline in their garden for their children to play.

Trampoline Injury Claims Edinburgh, Manchester, London & Across the the UK

Have you or someone you know been affected by a trampoline injury? Or as the owner of premises with trampolines, do you need to defend an action against you? Get in touch to ask us more about the relevant laws here.

Trampoline image via flickr

UK patients keep a stiff upper lip over medical negligence

“First, do no harm”: this famous phrase is at the heart of what it means to be a doctor. But what happens when a doctor does do harm due to medical negligence?  Recent research has found that too many UK patients are keeping a stiff upper lip when it comes to injuries inflicted by medical negligence.

Medical negligence is the breach of the duty of care that doctors and specialists have for us. We place a huge amount of trust in our doctors and medical specialists, sometimes literally putting our lives in their hands, but if things go wrong, we are disturbingly reluctant to come forward.

Recent in-depth research carried out by Patient Claim Line confirmed that a worrying number of British people would rather soldier on in pain than cause a fuss by making a legal claim for injuries sustained through medical negligence.  Of the 1000 UK families and 200 Medical Negligence clients surveyed, 44% reported they would put off taking legal action for fear of ‘making a fuss’.

This trend is worrying, considering the profound impact that medical negligence can have on people’s lives. The research demonstrates that 41% of people injured have a reduced earning potential as a result of injuries caused by medical negligence and a full 54% of these injuries have a potentially lifelong impact. Patient Claim’s research also finds that 61% of people who were injured by clinical negligence suffer constant pain.

Given the severe impact of medical negligence, it is surprising that 64% of people wait over one year before seeking legal help.  However, it is important not to wait.  The more time that goes by, the harder exact dates and events become to recall, and those impacted may well suffer needlessly for longer. It’s worth rocking the boat to receive justice for a wrong done.

A medical negligence claim can be made in many areas of medicine, including nursing and dental care.  In fact, the kinds of persistent injuries resulting from clinical negligence are as varied as the range of doctors and specialists that can cause them.  The top three most common injuries were internal injuries, internal pain and knee injuries.

Who were the medical practitioners most frequently responsible for injury?     Unsurprisingly, specialist consultants, who perform the most complex procedures, were responsible for 30% of injuries.  Surgeons also made up 30% of those responsible. GPs caused 18% of injuries, 6% were done by nurses and 16% by other medical staff.

So what changes peoples’ minds to give them the strength to start a medical negligence claim?  For many, it is the desire to prevent others suffering the same difficulties they have faced.  55% of medical negligence claimants stated that they wanted to prevent injury to others.

Not many go it alone. Medical negligence is a complex area of law with its own specialist knowledge, so most people engage a professional law firm to assist.  Many people need the encouragement of others.  64% of people confide their concerns about medical negligence to their friends, who stand behind them in the legal battle.  Only 32% tell their families, perhaps wanting to spare them pain.  14% of people claiming for medical negligence injuries are persuaded to do so by a medical professional.

All the above findings point to one direction: when people suffer, they tend to do it on their own.

Turning a negative situation into a positive one can be as simple as speaking with family and friends or seeking professional help. If you’re going through something similar this might seem like a difficult step but most likely you will feel better, get rewarded and help others at the same time.

No Gimmicks, no free iPads, no annoying texts, just great legal advice – regulated solicitors winning the battle against those annoying claims companies

No Gimmicks, no free iPads, no annoying texts, just great legal advice – regulated solicitors winning the battle against those annoying claims companies

As ‘cash for crash’ claims companies now face thousands of pounds in fines should they try and make money by pestering the public or processing fraudulent claims at the public’s expense, Freeclaim Solicitors are urging those looking to claim compensation to approach reputable solicitors only.

We’ve all had them – text messages stating that we’re entitled to thousands of pounds in compensation if we text a certain number, and annoying cold calls to people who haven’t even had an accident! But with the announcement that new powers are to be handed down to the Ministry of Justice’s Claims Management Regulation Unit (CMRU), this could be set to change very soon.

Complaints about nuisance text messages and cold calling by claims companies (for both PPI and accident claims) have been growing at an alarming rate. Freeclaim Solicitors have campaigned for many years to bring a halt to the random text messaging and cold calling practices of many claims companies.

Finally the government is taking notice and under new legislation, the CMRU will be able to impose substantial fines on those claims companies who mislead clients. These firms could now be charged up to 20% of their yearly turnover under the new rules.

The regulator is looking to ensure innocent accident victims are not mislead and ensure that these companies do not encourage ‘spurious’ or ‘unsubstantiated’ claims.

The government is also planning to introduce a ban on cash incentives – whether £250 for your claim or free iPads, they are promising to crack down on these schemes, many of which often then deny the money or benefits promised due to stringent “terms and conditions”.

Unfortunately, over the past few years, these practices by many companies have given the industry a bad name. Freeclaim Solicitors welcome the new rules and the banning of cash incentives will hopefully ensure accident victims will not be misled or short changed. Unscrupulous companies who thrive off the misfortune of others and make money by acting as a middle man may be a thing of the past.

Alastair Fernie, Managing Director of Freeclaim Solicitors comments,

“Before many of the changes, there were many companies who quite unashamedly were maximising as much profit as they could from the personal injury sector. Many operated with poorly trained call centre staff. Their business models relied on processing high volumes of claims and minimum contact with clients. This approach meant that many cases were mishandled and clients were left completely under compensated for their injuries.

The forthcoming changes should help, but we are still seeing many firms operating like ‘sausage factories’, dealing with high volumes of claims at the lowest cost possible.

We would always strongly recommend that anyone who has been injured in an accident seeks advice from a firm of specialist solicitors who can prove a track record of success in handling injury claims and can demonstrate high levels of client care.”

Freeclaim Solicitors have over 25 years’ experience in personal injury and come recommended by the Legal 500 as leading personal injury solicitors. They are also on Headway’s Approved Solicitors List, the Law Society’s Personal Injury Panel and have membership of the Motor Accident Solicitors Society (MASS) and APIL, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

When you decide to make a claim with Freeclaim Solicitors, you can be confident that you are choosing an independent and experienced legal firm that has your best interests at heart. For more information visit www.freeclaim.co.uk or call 24 hr Freephone on 0800 612 7340 and speak to an expert about your claim.

Corporate Health Insurance Programs and Personal Injury Claims

No matter whether you’re an employee, operate your own small company, or employ hundreds of people as part of a large corporation, the complex and confusing issues surrounding the wide variety or corporate and private health insurance programs available affect all of us. [1] It is estimated that at the end of 2013 a scary 41 million Americans were uninsured and therefore would have had very limited access to healthcare and medical services. [2] The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has already reduced that number but it is still very high. Many people assume that those people without health insurance are unemployed, however that actually is not the case. According to corporate law many people do not have access to coverage through their jobs, either because they work for small companies that are not legally required to provide health insurance, or because they don’t work the amount of hours required by their company to receive their standard corporate health insurance coverage.

The Benefits of Going It Alone

If you are not covered by a corporate policy through your work place then health insurance programs can be very expensive. In fact, for many, the cost of providing your own independent health insurance is prohibitively expensive (which is why so many individuals across the country simply don’t have coverage). However there are some benefits of opting for independent private health insurance. One of these is that if you have an accident in the workplace or are the victim of any kind of medical malpractice then your job couldn’t be affected by pursuing the case in court.

Accidents can and do happen anywhere, but a large proportion of accidents each year happen in the work place. Statistics from the Occupational Health and Safety administration show that 4,405 workers died whilst on the job in their work places in 2013. [3] This figure doesn’t take into account the thousands of other workers who sustain injuries (some serious and some less serious) that don’t result in fatalities each year. Workplace accidents, often as a result of employer negligence, are a very real issue in the United States and something that every employee should be vigilant about. There is an obvious conflict of interest in making a personal injury claim after sustaining an accident at work or experiencing medical malpractice when receiving treatment for a non-work related injury if the health care provider you will be making a claim against and that you hold responsible for your injuries is provided by your employer, and therefore one can assume, has a close working relationship with your employer. If you do choose to make a  personal injury claim as a result of an injury at work, or make a claim against your corporate health insurance and their partners as a result of their medical malpractice, then your employer is not able to fire you. However they can make your life very uncomfortable, and make your working environment feel much more difficult than it was previously.

Health Insurance When You Work For Yourself

An incredible 53 million people in America earn their living from freelancing and working for themselves. This adds an interesting dimension to injury claims in the work place if your work place doubles up as your home! It also adds a unique aspect when it comes to choosing the right health insurance policy. It’s important that, whether you work for yourself or are choosing private rather than corporate health insurance, that you don’t prioritize short term costs when looking for the right health insurance policy for you. That extra money might well be nice in your pocket right now, but in the long term you could end up spending much more than you need to, and that money might not be going towards the best quality standards of care and the most comprehensive amount of coverage.

Additional Reading

[1] “Everyone is worried about the Supreme Court’s latest dive into health care, The Sacramento Bee, http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article9208346.html

[2] “Key facts about the uninsured population”, The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation, http://kff.org/uninsured/fact-sheet/key-facts-about-the-uninsured-population/

[3] “Workplace injury, illness and fatality statistics”, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (United States Department of Labor), https://www.osha.gov/oshstats/work.html

[4] “Wise up Wednesday from Zane Benefits: Why Health Benefits are Important to You and Your Staff”, Dentistry IQ, http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2015/01/wise-up-wednesday-from-zane-benefits0.html

[5] “What’s the most important cost to consider when picking a health plan?”, PBS News Hour, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/whats-the-most-important-cost-to-consider-when-picking-a-health-plan/

3 Quick Tips for Claiming for Personal Injury in the UK

Experienced Solicitors for Injury Claims

Here are 3 quick tips for claiming for personal injury in the UK (applies to Scotland, where personal injury law is known under the term ‘delict’, England & Wales and Northern Ireland. For fast legal advice contact us here:-

1. Make extremely close attention to time limits. There are different time limits that apply to different types of personal injury claims in the UK. Generally the time period for making an injury claim in the UK is 3 years BUT this does vary. You should get legal advice, ideally free initial legal advice, straight away to ensure you know when and how you can make your accident claim. If you don’t you could be losing out on all compensation you would otherwise have been entitled to.

2. Think about and research how you’ll pay for your legal action. Lawyers can be expensive. Bringing a claim can be expensive. But with the personal injury claims market being at such an advanced point in the UK with a great deal of competition, you don’t have to fund things entirely yourself. You could get help with legal costs for instance through legal aid. Or you could enter into a conditional fee agreement with your solicitor (eg find a solicitor who will work on a no-win no-fee basis and sometimes if you’re lucky even one who will give you 100% of the compensation you are due (not many of these exist any more, but there are several in the UK)). Whatever you do, don’t get a free initial legal advice consultation then sign up without researching what other solicitor options there are out there. And never, ever try to represent yourself in a personal injury claim (unless you want to end up with less compensation than you want or deserve).

3. Choose the best possible solicitor for you. Don’t try to find the cheapest personal injury solicitor out there. Quite often while they might be undercutting their competitors’ costs, they may be sacrificing service or expertise (although not necessarily). Choose a solicitor who is a personal injury accredited specialist. Scotland and England & Wales have different accreditation schemes – look them up before or after you research the solicitor(s) you want to hire to help you pursue your accident claim.

Good luck and again for quick legal advice contact us here.

‘Tis the Season’: Accident Claims Rules of the Motor Insurers Bureau (‘MIB’)

On the approach to the Holiday Season we are often filled with excitement, infected with Christmas Spirit and nursing our Christmas Party hangovers.

But with December seeing an increase in Drink Driving, accidents on the road inevitably increase and those culpable drivers, not applying their ordinary level of humanity owing to their alcohol consumption, will often flee the scene of an accident in a state of panic.

A hit-and-run is defined as the act of causing (or contributing to) a traffic accident and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards; this is a criminal offence.

Victims of such incidents can be left with symptoms ranging from whiplash, to more serious and immobilising injuries such as breaks, fractures and psychological trauma, leaving their festive period …not so festive.

Being involved in an accident at any point is a traumatic event but, where the responsible driver flees the scene of the accident, it can only add to the stress and worry which inevitably follows any accident.

Victims of hit-and-run drivers may think that they do not have recourse as the culpable driver cannot be traced, however, the existence of the Motor Insurers Bureau (‘MIB’) means that they may still be able to pursue a claim for personal injury.

The MIB is a statutory body set up to deal with personal injury claims involving untraced drivers under what is known as the ‘Untraced Drivers Agreement’.

The Claim is initiated via an application process under the Untraced Drivers Agreement and, although the applicant can make the application directly via the MIB, the Untraced Drivers agreement itself and the process which follows can often be complex and lengthy at a time when people are already experiencing undue stress. It is therefore reassuring and necessary for most people to have the specialist legal knowledge of a Solicitor representing them.

There are a number of conditions which must be satisfied in order to successfully pursue a claim under the Untraced Drivers Agreement.

These are often conditions which need to be satisfied immediately after the accident, and often before the victim has had the opportunity of seeking legal advice.

If you are involved in an accident with an Untraced Driver it is important to note that there are stringent rules to follow and the MIB will only compensate you if the following conditions are met:

  1. If the accident involves injury alone, the accident must be reported to the police within 14 days of the accident occurring.
  2. Where there is also a claim for property damage, the accident must be reported to the police within 5 days of the incident occurring or as soon as reasonably possible thereafter.
  3. You must provide satisfactory evidence that you have reported the matter to the police. It is therefore advisable to obtain a police reference and retain this, along with any correspondence you receive from the police.
  4. You must have fully cooperated with any police investigations.
  5. The MIB are only obligated to compensate you where the Untraced Driver would have been found negligent and where compensation would have been paid by the Insurance Company had they been insured at the time of the accident.
  6. As the MIB are only obligated to compensate where they believe the Untraced Driver was negligent, it is important to obtain as much evidence to support the circumstances of the accident as possible to prove that the Untraced Driver was at fault, ideally by obtaining details of any witnesses to the accident circumstances and asking the police to review any CCTV footage which may have captured the accident.
  7. The Claim must be brought within 3 years of the accident, or as soon as reasonably practicable after realising injury had occurred.
  8. A claim cannot be pursued if you knew, or ought to have known, that the vehicle you were travelling in was being used in the course of a criminal activity and/or that it was not insured at the time of the accident.
  9. You will be under a duty to prove that your injuries have been caused by the negligence of the Untraced Driver. It is therefore advisable to seek medical attention for your injuries to ensure the accident and symptoms are documented and that you receive the right medical advice and treatment.

Ultimately, there are two primary issues with each and every personal injury claim; the first is to prove negligence against the driver i.e. liability, and the second, is to prove causation, this means to prove that the injuries have been caused by the accident.

The investigation process conducted by the MIB can be lengthy but once complete, provided the MIB are satisfied that all conditions have been met and that the injuries have arisen from the accident with the Untraced Driver,compensation will be paid for the personal injuries sustained.

Although compensation can never eradicate the effects of an accident, it canoften go some way towards helping those innocent victims get back on their feet, get on with their lives and restore their Christmas spirit!

Jimmy Savile personal injury claimants tops 160, Courts hears

London Appeal Court judges have begun analysing legal arguments over a compensation scheme set up for victims of Jimmy Savile, who died in October 2011 aged 84.

The Court of Appeal was told by trustees of one charity, which is a major beneficiary of Savile’s estate, that compensation claims had to be scrutinised. Explaining that they had concerns about the compensation scheme drawn-up between the executor of Savile’s estate (NatWest Bank) and the lawyers representing the alleged victims.

This follows an earlier High Court ruling in February where the judge, Mr. Justice Sales approved the compensation scheme set-up for victims of Savile, in the face of objections from the Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust. He also would not replace NatWest bank as executor.

The Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust is asking the Court of Appeal to overturn Mr. Justice Sales’ decision. Accordingly three Appeal Court judges have begun analysing legal arguments at a hearing in London.

Mr. Justice Sales had heard that Savile was the subject of an ITV programme broadcast in October 2012.

Judge Sales said Savile, having worked at the BBC, had been accused of being a “serial child abuser and sex offender” – and was also allegedly regularly abusing people in NHS hospitals.

He said following the broadcast a “large number” of people had come forward making claims of abuse by Savile.

Sales described the compensation scheme as a “sensible and pragmatic” attempt in solving a “complex situation”.

He went on to say that the scheme would allow for “sufficient objective scrutiny” of the merits of the compensation claims. Sales was reported to have said that approximately 140 people had “intimated to the bank” that there were personal injury claims against Savile and his estate in relation to sexual abuse.

Additionally Mr. Justice Sales said there had also been indications of claims against other organisations that Savile had been associated with – the BBC, a number of NHS hospital trusts and the charities Bernado’s and Mind.

The number of people with an intention to make claims has now risen to more than 160 according to the lawyers.

The value of Savile’s estate is around £4 million based on the experts’ opinion. However Mr. Justice Sales has reckoned that a “range of expenses” has already been incurred which means that the value of the estate has decreased to some £3.3 million.

Robert Ham QC, acting for the Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust, said the compensation scheme did not have the mechanism to sufficiently assess the “validity” of claimants. He reasoned that it lacked a “process of evaluation”.

“It describes itself as a scheme to provide compensation,” Mr. Ham said to Appeal judges. “It doesn’t describe itself as a scheme to scrutinise and assess claims.”

He added that: “As a matter of common sense these sort of situations are likely to attract numbers of fraudulent claims. One certainly cannot proceed on the basis that the claims are valid- or even presumptively valid.”

Mr. Ham said that NatWest “misunderstood” its duties in being the executor of Savile’s estate.

The bank regarded itself as a “middle man” although it should be a “defendant” in preserving the assets of beneficiaries who were entitled to them.

Mr. Ham told Lord Justice Pattern, Lady Justice Gloster and Lord Justice Bean, appeal judges, that the Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust was a registered charity which had “general charitable aims”- to include the “relief of poverty” and the “relief of sickness”.

Mr. Ham stated neither the trust nor trustees were “in any way” implicated in allegations made against Savile.

“It would not be right to regard the trust as in any sense the alter ego of Jimmy Savile,” he claimed. “It is simply a beneficiary of his will.”

The appeal court had received a letter from the regulator of the Charity Commission said Lord Justice Pattern. Stating that the commission had concerns about “charitable funds” being “diverted to the costs of litigation”.

Mr. Ham told the court the commission had been informed of developments in litigation.

Lawyers responsible for the representation of alleged victims are in fear that further litigation has the potential to run up costs, which will simply eat into the money available for potential compensation.

Mr. Justice Sales told alleged victims that they would not be out of pocket resulting from the High Court fight.

It has been ruled that because the trust lost the High Court battle it should have to foot legal bills- conclusively a sum of over £250, 000 – run up by alleged victims and the bank.

The appeal hearing continues.

If you are looking for personal injury solicitors you may find the following links useful:

Kent – Kent Compensation – http://www.kentcompensation.com/

Essex – Blackwater Law – http://blackwaterlaw.co.uk/

New Accident Claims Advice Website Launches for UK Residents

London, UK (PI Claims Blawg UK 20 October 2014). The following is a new legal press release from Accident Claims Web:-

This month a new website launched in partnership with the Accident Claimline, with the aim of helping UK residents and workers to claim for compensation from an accident.  With the proliferation of ambulance-chasing style tactics from many personal injury claims management companies, the Accident Claims Web has a different approach.

They don’t actively pursue accident claims from UK residents and workers, but instead let potential claimants find their website online and then present back relevant information and advice.  Then if the claimant wishes to call the dedicated call centre, they can – and receive immediate accident claims advice on what to do next and if they wish, be connected up with a personal injury solicitor local to them.

You can see the website on www.accidentclaimsweb.co.uk and also read a bit more below about the various accident claims types that they specialise in.

Accident at Work Claims

One of the more common UK accident claims involves people who have been injured in the workplace.  The Accident Claims Web works with solicitors around the UK who are specialists in accident at work compensation.  For more information visit their website.

Industrial Injury Compensation

Working in heavy and manual industry can often result in injuries leading to accident claims involving industrial disease and industrial deafness.  If you think you might have been affected by your working environment then get in touch with the Accident Claims Web to discuss the matter.  All conversations are no-obligation. For more information visit their industrial injury compensation page.

Sports Injury Claims

With millions of people in the UK playing sports every weekend, the chance of accident can be quite high, especially in contact sports such as rugby and football.  The Accident Claims Web has a dedicated sports injury claims section, with sub-sections dedicated to most major sporting activities.  If you have been injured whilst playing, then please visit their website to see what options are open to you in terms of claiming for sports injury compensation.

How the Accident Claims Web Works

Here’s a brief overview of how the process works for people in the UK seeking accident claims advice.

  1. The claimant searches for their specific accident claim on the website.
  2. After reading through the pre-qualifying information to make sure they have a valid accident claim they call the Freephone number.
  3. They will then speak to a specialist in the Accident Claimline’s call centre who will take further information from them about the accident.
  4. If there is an accident claim or personal injury case to answer, the call centre operative will connect the claimant up with a local personal injury solicitor.

About the Accident Claimline

The Accident Claimline have been established for over a decade and are specialists in accident claims and injury claims in the United Kingdom.  They work on a no win no fee agreement meaning UK claimants do not have to pay any up-front legal fees.  By calling them via the Accident Claims Web, claimants are under no obligation to use their services.

They are fully regulated by the Claims Management Regulator in respect of claims management activities CRM28108 and full details of our registration can be found at www.claimsregulation.gov.uk

Serious Injuries, Broken Bones And Road Traffic Accidents

Whether it’s night or day and something unexpected just happened on the road, and you need a towing service, emergency gas delivery service, looking for the Best place to buy car battery, kick-starting your car, or you have a disabled vehicle that needs removing, call Towingless they can help you.

While the most recent government figures (2012-2013) show that there were relatively fewer fatalities on the roads in the UK than in the rest of Europe, the official data states that the number of people seriously injured on our roads was still a worrying 23,530.

The definition of a serious injury varies quite widely: it is one which requires an in-patient visit to hospital, or one that requires direct medical treatment but not necessarily a hospital stay. Broken bones, internal injuries, lacerations and concussions – these all require treatments like Knee Replacement Alternatives in Charleston – QC Kinetix and the patient may have to take time off work to heal.

For example, official government figures indicate that broken or fractured bones accounted for 11% of serious injuries caused in road traffic accidents between 2010 and 2012.

A serious injury also includes life-changing injuries that require amputation, or might be a head injury that requires more lengthy rehabilitation, or could even lead to death; drivers, passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclist are all at risk.

How are road traffic accident injuries caused?

The severity of injuries sustained as a result of being involved in a traffic accident vary depending on the size of the accident, speeds involved, whether people wore seatbelts, how they were sat … all these can change the way a human body spreads an impact, which influences how badly injured they are.

Recovery might be as simple as a cast and a couple of weeks off work, or it could be a much more severe break that requires surgery and rehabilitation with months off work. At this point, personal finances begin to become a real issue for many people.

Serious injury compensation

Mortgages, bills and day-to-day living expenses still need to be paid for during this time, as well as prescriptions, crutches and other specialist equipment that can make a patient’s life easier while they get better. It’s worth bearing in mind that anyone seriously injured in a road traffic accident because of someone else’s mistake, may look into making a claim for compensation.

While compensation won’t miraculously heal an injury, it can provide more financial security during a difficult time and ultimately help victims and their families get back on their feet.

Claim500 are personal injury claims experts who have dealt with many serious and catastrophic injury claims that are the result of road traffic accidents. In addition Claim500 are experts in the fields of clinical / medical negligence, work related accidents and industrial disease claims.