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‘Patience is a virtue’- this motto in my opinion has been done to death over recent years.  I do believe that that there are times in our lives where we simply either cannot afford to be patient, or our patience is taken for granted; one particular area where this is most potent is in the world of personal injury.

For most of the unfortunate people who find themselves to be a victim of negligence, their main aim is to not only recover compensation for their pain, but also to receive closure of the situation as quickly as they can. With this in mind and to ensure that the legal procedure for claims is kept relatively straightforward, there are certain things we can do to speed up the process when the other side or their insurers delay the process by failing to adhere to the rules in place. One such avenue is a “Pre Action Disclosure Application.”

The nature behind a Pre Action Disclosure Application is relatively straightforward to follow. When a defendant fails to comply to the compulsory time limit for injury claims of 3 months and 21 days (to investigate your accident and injuries), we are well within our rights to make a request to the court which forces the Defendants side to disclose any documentation or evidence they may have that could be used as vital evidence in determining whether you have a winning claim or not.
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These days we are all trying to do our bit for the environment – walking, sharing vehicles, trying the bicycle, and using the bus. Amongst the hustle and bustle of busy city life, many more of us are finding using the bus an easier and faster way to travel from A to B. You don’t have the stress of cuing in traffic or the worry of parking; it seems the perfect way to travel sometimes.

However, I can’t help but notice the increasing amount of claims for compensation as a result of a bus accidents here at The Injury Lawyers. Bus accidents can happen not only because of a collision with a third party vehicle, but they can also be a result of the negligent driving of a bus driver.

Whenever I have used the bus, most drivers are cautious to stop and start gently and ensure you have fully stepped off the bus before departing at the bus stop. Most of us are lucky and know nothing different – it seems like standard bus driver behaviour. However, unfortunately, some of us think very different about bus drivers. If you have been in an accident and sustained injuries as a result of a negligent bus driver, don’t suffer in silence – get the compensation you deserve!
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How much is my claim worth? This is probably the question that we at The Injury Lawyers get most asked.  In fact, it was only the other day that I was asked this very question and had a somewhat lengthy conversation trying to explain that it is actually impossible to value someone’s injury claim at the very outset.  Here is a quick guide as to how a claim is valued:

The law is clear.  If you sustain injuries by means of a negligent third party, you are able to receive compensation to put you back in the position you would have been in had the accident not have occurred.  It follows that you can therefore receive compensation not purely for your injuries, but also for any losses that arise directly from the accident and your injuries as well.  Compensation for your injuries is called General Damages, and compensation for your other losses is called Special Damages.

General Damages:
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‘Third party capture’ is a term which describes the practice of third party insurers getting in touch with the innocent victim of their insured’s negligence and attempting to settle their claim for compensation directly with them.

For example, you have been involved in a road traffic accident where someone has collided with the rear of your vehicle and you have sustained whiplash.  You pretty much have a dead cert claim – so their insurer gets in touch with you and offers you £300; you agree, and your claim for compensation is settled.

In effect, you have been captured by the third party (the insurer).
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I imagine that most of you reading this blog will be well aware that Christmas is approaching.  Shops have all their decorations up and have made it only too clear that Christmas is coming.  City centres have begun putting up their decorations up as well, and television already has so many Christmas adverts.  In fact, I might go so far as to say that we cannot get away from the fact that Christmas is almost upon us!

Christmas is a time for giving; but unfortunately giving can sometimes cost a fair bit of money, especially if you have children, or a close but extended family. 

Insurers are only too aware of this fact as we at The Injury Lawyers know only too well.  If you have an injury claim, given the time of year and money being that little bit tighter, it is not uncommon for an insurer to put forward an offer to settle your claim now at an early stage in the case.  This is what we call a pre-medical offer – an offer to settle your claim, made by the third party, before you have had a chance to obtain medical evidence in support of your injuries.  In other words, it is an offer, by the insurer, to get rid of your claim as soon as they can.
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At The Injury Lawyers, we frequently speak to people who have been injured whilst out shopping at the supermarket.  Often they want to know if they have a claim, and if we are happy to advise them for free about their chances of winning. 

We advise that any potential claim can be brought about as an Occupier’s Liability claim, which means that if you are a visitor to premises, in this case a supermarket, the supermarket owes you a duty of care to ensure that you are safe whilst in their premises. 

So, if you have an accident at a supermarket and believe it was not your fault, you could bring a claim for compensation against the supermarket for neglecting this duty of care.
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Public Transport Accidents Rise with Petrol Increase.

Despite the recent statement by the government to scrap the 3p rise on fuel duty planned for January, families continue to struggle with the higher petrol prices we are subject to every day. As a result, more and more people are turning to public transport.

With the increase of usage of public transport, there is a noticeable rise of road traffic accident claims involving passengers on public transport.
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Have you been in a road traffic accident? Did your accident occur after 30^th April 2010? Did the accident occur in England or Wales? If you have answered yes to all three questions here, you may be able to claim compensation for your injuries as a result of your accident through the Road Traffic Accident Protocol.

The Road Traffic Accident Protocol is a more efficient and effective procedure to get the compensation you deserve. The Road Traffic Accident Protocol uses a Claims Notification Form which provides the Defendant insurers with all the circumstances surrounding your accident, and is submitted through an electronic portal to speed the process up.

We all would like claiming for compensation to be as simple and easy as possible – well now it is! All you need to do is ensure that you have all the following information and give us a call today and we can get your claim moving on that very same day!
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Slipping on a wet floor has been both the butt of slapstick humour as well as a common stereotype for claims for personal injury for countless years. But for those who have ever slipped on a wet floor and hurt themselves, it’s no laughing matter.

Slipping due to a floor being wet, or having some article or debris on the floor causing the surface to become slippery, is one of the most common forms of accidents we advise people about and represent victims for claims for compensation. In reality, you can end up slipping anywhere whilst out and about for a whole host of reasons. You might slip on some spilt food or drink in a supermarket, a wet floor in a shopping mall entrance, or at work after your colleague has mopped up the floor.

But – can you claim for compensation after slipping due to a dangerous or wet floor?
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Whiplash is a pretty painful injury to suffer with. I’m recovering from it myself – and if you are reading this as a whiplash sufferer, or if you have recovered from a whiplash injury, you will know where I am coming from!

The symptoms can actually be a lot more complicated and a lot more varied than most people think. The symptoms that are generally associated with whiplash are:

• Pain in the neck, and / or back, and / or shoulder areas. Affected areas can be sore, stiff, or ache.
• Reduced movement in the affected areas
• Headaches, and sometimes dizziness and sickness
• Pins and needs in the arms
• Tingling sensations in affected areas

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