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What do you guys think; should advertising “no win, no fee” guarantees be banned?
Seems pretty extreme but it is a view which has been taken in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia!
The so called ‘ambulance chasers’ have been banned from advertising their services and it is a ban that Attorney-General John Hatzistergos is campaigning to have blanketed across Australia.
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Personal injury claims aren’t just about victims of accidents arising from negligence recovering the compensation they are entitled to for physical injuries sustained. In fact, there are more often than not psychological “injuries” sustained that can be included as part of the claim.
A big example is road traffic accidents. Past cases have shown that a lot of the victims we have represented have suffered psychologically as a result of the accident. Many people involved in a car accident suffer from initial shock and travel anxiety thereafter; these are elements taken in to account when it comes to valuating a claim for compensation.
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Highways Agency Feels the Heat Over Icy Road Injury Claims
The Highways Agency has come in for criticism and faces legal action for failing in its obligations to road users in Cornwall. Although the Agency closed the A30 road between Devon and Cornwall following sheet ice in January of this year, but not before 40 accidents has already occurred.
The allegations put forward are that the Highways Agency, in failing to identify that the particular stretch of road would become dangerous at an earlier stage, fell below the standards expected of it to keep roads clear as much as reasonably practicable. This involves keeping roads free of snow and ice in so much as they might avoid endangering the safety of users or, alternately, acting to minimise the risk through actions such as closing the section of road.
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Sale of Goods and Services Act 1982
Ever heard of it? Its legalisation in place as the guidelines for legal disputes involving products and services sold. And it’s very important!
It covers everything from the liability a manufacturer of a product has to the consumer, to the liability a tradesman has for a service he/she provides. When it comes to personal injury, it is important when establishing liability if a person is injured as result of a defective product or a dodgy service for example.
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Big, Scary Rides Made Scarier!
I was recently at Hull fair a few weeks ago (it travels around the country, and was recently in Nottingham as Goose Fair) and it got me thinking about the strict health and safety legislation operators and ride manufacturers must adhere to.
I think it would be hard to find anyone who isn’t a fan of amusement parks and fairground rides. There are of course some of us (myself included) who are a little more inclined to the bigger and scarier rides to quench a thrill seeking thirst!
So it probably goes without saying that all rides (in particular the big ones!) are put through stringent health and safety checks to ensure nothing can go wrong. And there have been stories recently and in the past whereby negligence has resulted in ride users being seriously injured, or worse. Not to put anyone off the big ones of course!
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In recent articles we have discussed the dangers of the turning weather as winter sets in and conditions for driving worsen. And according to BBC reports, it’s not just the physical environment that’s taking its toll on the safety of Britons roads …
Cash strapped motorists in the credit crunch are neglecting the importance of safety when it comes to maintaining their vehicles according to BBC sources from the AA.
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Don’t Fall into the Trap of Falling into Autumn!
The clocks have all gone back and whilst we all appreciated the extra hour in bed and the nights are drawing in and it’s that first sign that Christmas is on its way; what is happening out there on our roads?
Every autumn when the clocks have been put back there is an increase in road traffic accidents, but why? We’ve all got headlights on our cars to guide the way in these early evenings and surely our driving skills have not been taken away just over night!
It is often the case that these early evenings suddenly creep up on us and we can all probably admit to jumping in the car after a long day at work and forgetting to turn on our headlights, or being caught out by those slippery leaves all over the roads!
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It appears the number of news articles centred on dangerous motor vehicle incidents are on the rise at the moment. Of course these stories are never nice to read about, particularly with the onset of the winter weather and driving conditions worsening.
You may have heard in the news recently of the police officer’s joyride that resulted in the tragic death of a grandmother, BBC news reports (source).
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High Premiums Lead To Increased Numbers Of Uninsured Drivers
Bad news for motorists! According to the AA, car insurance costs are rising faster than at any time over the past 15 years. Average premiums have risen by 14% since last October 2008.
The increased cost of car insurance has been particularly brutal on young drivers, with premiums for third party, fire and theft policies rising by 17.6% over the year to an average quoted premium of £1,059 according to The Guardian.
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Causing Car Accidents Under the Influence!
Unfortunately there are still people out there who take the wrong decision to jump behind the wheel of a motor vehicle whilst under the influence of alcohol or narcotics; and it’s no secret that it’s a major cause of road traffic accidents around the world.
So what are the rules and legislation regarding being under the influence and on the road? It depends on the circumstances of course, but the gist Section 5 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 details clearly that a person found to be under the influence or alcohol or narcotics is guilty of offence (source – opens as a pdf).
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