Vehicle Stopped Suddenly Causing Accident

Most of the time, if a vehicle has collided into the rear of your vehicle then they will be at fault. These types of accidents are the most common type and are known to us in the business as rear end shunts.

However, sometimes it is possible that the driver that has been hit will be at fault for the accident. I know it does sound ridiculous given that you have no control over the actions of the driver behind – but if you have made a sudden or emergency stop, and this was done for no apparent or sufficient reason, then you could be liable for the accident.

So when is it reasonable to brake or stop suddenly?

Well the answer is that the law is unfortunately not too clear on this subject and therefore each case is assessed on the individual circumstances.
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What are Moderate Whiplash Symptoms

Well to start, what is whiplash? Whiplash is an injury that affects the neck, back, and shoulders (commonly). The actual whiplash injury is caused by the soft tissue in the neck back and shoulders being stretched and strained after a sudden jolt or movement. Whiplash can occur in slips and trips but is mainly an injury which results from a road traffic accident.

Some whiplash injuries are quite minor and resolve in a matter of weeks – however client’s with moderate whiplash symptoms can be suffering for a lot longer than this. A lot of people see whiplash as a minor injury but whiplash can be severely debilitating.

Client’s with moderate whiplash symptoms are significantly restricted in their movement and experience constant pain and stiffness for quite some time. This type of whiplash injury can result in cervical discs or nerve roots being damaged and even fractures in the neck. This can result in surgery being necessary to rectify this damage.
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Accident During Driving Lesson Who is Negligent?

Turning 17, these days, just means one thing – you can now learn to drive! The independence, the freedom, and the confidence that can come with driving makes learning to drive one of the most beneficial things to do. As a driver myself, I often say to people who are looking to start learning that it will be the best thing they ever invest time and money in.

The requirements of learning to drive are quite simple:

• You must hold a provisional driving licence
• You must be supervised when driving by a driving instructor or someone over the age of 21 who has held a full driving license for at least 3 years
• You must display “L” plates

Your driving instructor or supervisor has a duty to ensure that you are driving in a safe manner and therefore learner drivers should feel in safe hands when learning to drive: but the person sitting next to you in the car is not normally the problem.
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Pedestrian Crossing Road Accident Law

As a pedestrian, a motor vehicle is a dangerous piece of machinery. The consequences are often devastating when a pedestrian and a vehicle come together in an accident.

Placing fault for an accident involving a pedestrian and a vehicle often depends on the individual circumstances. The main questions to be asked would be what was the speed of the vehicle? When or how quickly did the pedestrian step into the road? And was the driver aware of their surroundings?

Even though a pedestrian could step out suddenly, not giving the vehicle time to react, the law is very pedestrian friendly. With that I mean that the law seems to be built around placing the blame or most of it, on the motorist.
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Accident advice for Motorbike overtaking stationary traffic

The ability to overtake stationary traffic and skip to the front has got to be one of the most beneficial aspects of riding a motorcycle. I know I would love to do this on my way to work some mornings!

However, it can be fraught with hazards due to other road users or even the carelessness of the rider. The main reason for this would be that drivers of vans, cars and lorries can fail to check their mirrors and surroundings properly before making a manoeuvre. Obviously as a motorcyclist you are more difficult to detect in traffic; however other road users checking properly, and not just glancing, can avoid accidents.

Unfortunately people can look but not see or register what is there and this is one of the main causes of accidents for people riding motorcycles. The most common circumstance, involving motorcyclists, is that of a motorcyclist overtaking stationary traffic and a vehicle pulls out of the line of traffic to turn or to change lanes.
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Who is at Fault in an Accident on a Roundabout Exit?

Roundabouts can be very daunting, especially ones that seem to have never ending amounts of exits! The markings for lanes and exits can be very confusing and therefore accidents which happen on roundabouts are unfortunately one of the most common types of road traffic accidents we deal with here at The Injury Lawyers.

The common circumstances on a roundabout are vehicles pulling onto the roundabout when it is unclear to do so, vehicles changing lanes to exit the roundabout, and also vehicles continuing around the roundabout in the wrong lane which causes accident’s when other vehicles are trying to exit.

The Highway Code provides some general rules on the use of roundabouts, however, even when following these instructions, accidents can still occur as other road users can be careless.
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Whiplash Compensation for Children and Where Payouts are Kept

Although, particularly smaller children, are usually well protected in a vehicle with car seats and booster seats, whiplash can still be a factor if a child is involved in a road traffic accident.

If your child has suffered from whiplash, can they make a claim for compensation?

The simple answer is: not by themselves; the child themselves cannot start a claim as they are under the age of 18 and therefore cannot enter into legal proceedings – however an appropriate adult can act on their behalf for a whiplash claim and it will run in pretty much the same way an adult claim would.
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Moped Accident Compensation Claims

A moped is a motorcycle that has a maximum design speed of approximately 31 miles per hour and can be driven on the road at the age of 16 with a provisional licence and “L” plates. Making these vehicles extremely popular with teenagers. They are a perfect for teenagers who are starting to gain their independence.

However, as with motorcycles, they are involved in a high number of accidents on the road. How, if they can only go 31mph? Well the answer is that mainly mopeds are involved in accidents due to other road users who are not looking and checking mirrors properly.

The main scenarios include vehicles pulling out of a side road into a moped which is correctly proceeding on the main road, vehicles pulling out of stationary traffic whilst a moped is attempting to overtake the stationary traffic, and vehicles changing lanes when a moped is travelling at the side of them.
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JSB Whiplash Guidelines

Please note that the information below is provided as a rough guide to how much whiplash injury claimss can be worth. Settlements should always be based on medical evidence to avoid the risk of under settling. Please do not take the below information as a definite value for your claim – always speak with a solicitor.

The JSB (Judicial Studies Board) whiplash guidelines provide rough estimates to what you could expect to receive when suffering from a whiplash type injury. As you will see, the brackets are rather wide ranging- this is because, realistically, nobody can EVER know how much your claim is worth prior to medical evidence. This is to avoid what is known as “under settling”.
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Passenger in a Vehicle Driven by a Drunk Driver Can I Claim?

Although it is never a good idea to get in a vehicle when the driver has been drinking, it does not mean that you cannot make a claim for personal injury if the trip ends in an accident – and let’s be honest, this is more likely than not.

The normal guideline is that as a passenger, you are an innocent party and cannot be at fault for the accident. This therefore entitles you to receive 100% of any compensation that is awarded.

However, getting into a vehicle knowing the driver has been drinking does have consequences for a claim for personal injury. The insurers of the driver of the vehicle will more than likely argue contributory negligence for passengers making a claim for personal injury in these types of circumstances.
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