Archives
Claiming Against the Council for Potholes
With the lovely weather we have here in the United Kingdom, it is not surprising the amount of potholes that have appeared on the roads and pavements. As someone who commutes to and from work on a daily basis, I have experienced the far from smooth ride which often involves my car dipping down unexpectedly and rattling my very bones. However, potholes, although annoying, can be dealt with rather easily when in a car and usually do not pose an immediate risk of injury.
This is definitely not the case when you are not in the car, but on foot or a bicycle. Here at The Injury Lawyers we deal with a high volume of personal injury claims that have been caused by someone either tripping over a pothole, or alternatively, riding a bike when the front wheel gets caught and consequently results in the cyclist being thrown from the bike.
It is important to stress that these are not straightforward cases and therefore should not be approached lightly. One of the first things we require to assess is whether we are able to pursue your claim, are photographs are extremely important for this.
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Hit from behind car accident claims
Slowing down, stopping and emergency braking can be hazardous to road users, simply because of the fact that the driver behind could be following too closely or not paying enough attention to what is in front of their vehicle.
The gap between vehicles travelling in average conditions should be at least 2 seconds according to guidelines. This should be enough time for the driver behind to see the brake lights and begin to slow and stop themselves.
The amount of road accident claims that we receive here at The Injury Lawyers involving vehicles being hit from behind, tells us that a very significant number of drivers do NOT follow the two-second rule!
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Can I still work with Whiplash?
To begin with, it may be best to consider what a whiplash injury actually is. Whiplash is an injury to the soft tissue in the neck, back and shoulders area where the tissue is stretched and strained after the body is thrown or jerked in a sudden, forceful movement. This is most common in car accidents.
The symptoms of whiplash commonly include pain in the neck, back, shoulders and arms. Other effects include dizziness, nausea and more often headaches. Although whiplash can be quite minor and resolve after a few weeks, more serious circumstances mean that you could be suffering for up to a year.
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A Rise in Deaths of 18-25 Year Old Drivers
Last month the Government has been advised by the Transport Select Committed that there has been a rise in fatal deaths from road traffic accidents for people aged 18-25 years old. This has been the first increase of death in over 10 years and has therefore put the issue in the media.
Fatal road traffic accidents are the main killer amongst the 16-24 year old bracket. The rise of deaths has been shocking – an increase of 12% in pedestrians and a rise of 6% of cyclists and motorcyclists.
The rise in figures has been blamed on the current Government for scrapping the national targets and comments have gone so far as to say that the Government is not dealing with road safety as a top priority. As a result of these comments the Government has announced that they will publish their road safety strategy later this year.
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Uninsured Drivers & MIB Claims
As insurance policies become more expensive, more drivers are likely to take to the road without insurance. Although I understand that sometimes the insurance is just too much to pay, what some of these drivers fail to realise is that uninsured drivers are one of the main culprits for pushing up insurance premiums in the first place – aside from the fact that it is illegal!
If more motorists are driving without insurance then surely that means more people will be involved in a Road Traffic Accident with an uninsured driver? The answer is yes – Here at The Injury Lawyers, we have seen an increase in the number of client’s coming to us to request advice about claiming for injuries they have sustained at the hand of an uninsured driver.
Most client’s do not believe you can make a claim for compensation against an uninsured driver –the great news is that you can.
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Work Related Traffic Accidents
When your job includes driving, you can be driving anything from a car, a van, a lorry, or some form or machinery or equipment – like a forklift truck for example. If the vehicle is owned by your employer then your employer should take out insurance on the vehicle which will also cover you as the driver in the event of an accident. It’s also their responsibility to maintain the vehicle as well.
As the vehicle will be used for work and business, the insurance policy is normally different to that of everyday motorists. Vehicles owned and used by companies are normally insured under what is called a ‘fleet policy’ which will usually cover all the vehicles owned and used by the company.
Now, normally Road Traffic Accidents usually involve the collision of vehicles and therefore a claim for personal injury will be made against the at fault party’s insurer. However, not all Road Traffic Accidents do involve other vehicles and an accident can often be caused by the employer’s failure to maintain a vehicle.
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The quest for longer, thicker more volumised eyelashes has become much easier to achieve these days through the availability of temporary fake eyelashes, eyelash tinting, and of course eyelash extensions. In this blog I hope to address the latter two, as these procedures unfortunately can result in injury.
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NHS Walk In Centre Charges £25.00 to Treat Whiplash Injuries – The Start of a Slippery Slope?
There have been some recent reports that a major city’s NHS Walk in Centre has been charging patients £25.00 to treat whiplash injuries. There is now concern that this trend could follow through the other NHS services.
A local counsellor in the city has slammed the charges quoted as saying they were “disgraceful” and “…flies in the face of the basic NHS values of healthcare being provided free at the point of use”
The city’s cabinet member for health, care and independent living has also stated she is “very concerned” about the charges.
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Accidents at school can be complex cases, mainly because it is inevitable that children will sustain small injuries whilst playing in the school yard. However, some accidents do happen that could have been prevented and therefore in some circumstances there is the option to pursue a personal injury claim.
Most accidents at school are claimed to be because of a ‘lack of supervision’- but this is very difficult to prove.
Sometimes no matter how much supervision there is, children’s game play can often lead to tears and therefore negligence is not automatically presumed.
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Without a doubt, hair extensions are now one of the most profitable beauty products available, with a vast majority of women opting for this quick fix to have their dream hair.
It is hard to look at an advert or magazine these days, without seeing the little caption “styled with hair extensions”. As an ‘extension fan’ myself, I, like many others, enjoy the wide variety of styles extensions can provide and the confidence having the hair you’ve always wanted can bring. I am therefore shocked when I hear about the injuries extensions can cause if not fitted correctly, consequently turning the hair of your dreams into more of a nightmare.
Hair extensions have had their fair share of ‘bad press’ with regards to the damage they can do to your natural hair and scalp. However, there is a correct way to have extensions fitted, hence the many training courses available to hairdressers wishing offering this service. Fitting extensions may seem straightforward – however, everybody’s hair is different and therefore it is always advisable to book a consultation with your stylist to discuss how the extensions will work.
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