I note that some of my colleagues have previously posted blogs surrounding the issue of referral fees; what they are, how they affect you and why should look out for them.

Today I was reading an article on the Guardian’s website relating to this particular fact once again, as the Legal Services Board have been carrying out a lot of research in to the area. It is thought that by the end of the summer a decision shall be made about whether or not these fees should be banned altogether.

By next Monday the Legal Services Board will have released information about how the referral fee system is impacting on the economy. Shortly after this release they will also be confirming the results of the report carried out with the board’s consumer panel.
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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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The answer…yes (dependent on the circumstances of course!)

To clarify; you wouldn’t be able to claim for the shock or ‘snap’ you feel from the static on your carpet or when you shut your car door now and again. If you had misused a product in an unreasonable manner which had caused the shock to arise then again it is unlikely you will be able to make a claim.

But what if a product you have purchased is faulty and caused you a serious electric shock? What if your apparatus at work is faulty and you have experienced a shock which has resulted in severe injuries?
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We have all experienced that ringing or buzzing sound in our ears at some point; whether it’s after a concert, being at a club or at a party. It’s rather annoying for the time it hangs around but generally by the following morning it’s gone and you wonder what all the fuss was about.

But what if that annoying little buzzing or ringing stayed around for longer? What if it was with you continually, day and night and you just can’t shake it?

I don’t know about you but I can only imagine that it would be nothing more than torturous.
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We think we’ve seen it all when it comes to strange mishaps on the road and then you read something else that makes you think in amazement…”Just how did that happen?”

One of my fellow colleagues wrote an article just a few months ago regarding the scary incident whereby a woman’s vehicle became trapped on the front of a lorry and was pushed along for 1 mile before the lorry driver noticed what had happened!

Well, on browsing today’s news pages I couldn’t help noticing a small article on the BBC News website titled “Mystery of US dangling vehicle” (BBC News Source).

How could you not be intrigued to have a look at the latest road wierd and wonderful road mishap?!
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Cerebral Palsy is a collective term for muscle impairment disorders which are consequential to damage caused to the brains motor ‘area’.

Cerebral Palsy most commonly begins during pregnancy and it is often the case that you will not know your child has the condition until months, even years, after the birth. There are several causes and the majority of the time they cannot be prevented no matter how careful you are during pregnancy. You can take precautions by ensuring that you watch the level of alcohol and cigarettes consumed during the pregnancy.

However, there are a small percentage of cases which have been caused by clinical or medical negligence;
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We have all experienced food poisoning at some point in our lives but it often clears after 24 hours and we never really think much more about it. What if you experience a severe bout of food poisoning? Can you claim for it? What are the symptoms of food poisoning?

Food poisoning is caused by bacteria, toxins or viruses which have contaminated food or drink which you in turn consume.

Whilst most people will recover from symptoms within a few days, more serious strains such as salmonella can lead to hospitalisation and in worse case scenarios, death.
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What do we expect of our emergency services? Good Community rapport, assistance in an emergency, life saving efforts? These are all things that spring to mind but should we be concerned that health and safety regulations in place are going to prevent them from carrying out all of these points?

One Scottish headline to hit today’s news would lead me to say yes.

This will be a shocking and disappointing story for many of you to read but I think it is important for our blog readers to be aware of developments involving such services.
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Well you think you’ve heard it all and then today I read the story of 18 year old Cherelle Dudfield in New Zealand.

After a night out with her friends drinking, Miss Dudfield was dared to flash passing cars on a busy road in the city of Invercargill. She was positioned on a strip in the middle of the road and ‘successfully’ flashed a few cars when her dare suddenly took a scary turn.

Miss Dudfield told reporters that she had seen a car coming toward her and decided to run. Unfortunately she was unable to get away and she was hit by the car. Miss Dudfield found herself in hospital after she had rolled across the bonnet of the car and cracked the windscreen! Luckily she managed to escape with only a few minor bruises and cuts.
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A study carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has revealed that a 20mph speed limit has cut road injuries by 40% in London! They are urging more UK cities to implement 20mph zones in a bid to reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths caused by road traffic incidents in the UK.

It is estimated that the 20mph zones could have the potential to prevent up to 700 casualties in London alone!

At the moment it is estimated that that one in five pedestrians are killed if hit by a motor vehicle at 30mph but at 20mph the chances are reduced to one in forty.
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