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Road accidents are common – it’s the reason we all have a legal responsibility to have insurance which covers us all for any accidents we cause. But the sad story is that the insurance companies are somewhat displeased that their heavily lined pockets are being ever so slightly dented with claims against their policy holders; which in itself is a bit of a conundrum, given that the insurance product they sell is designed to insure people!

So, the insurance companies have for many years now being finding ways to save themselves some money – which unfortunately can end up having a serious negative effect on a claim for personal injury.

But how?

Well, the insurance companies’ involvement is normally known as Legal Expense Insurance – so here’s the real explanation as to what exactly Legal Expense Insurance is:
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For some motorists, motorcyclists are their worst nightmare! Motorcyclists are seen by some drivers as hazards on the road. They often appear as if from nowhere, and speed past drivers on some of the most dangerous roads. However, the latest government campaign called Think! Bike aims to change those views. They don’t want drivers to judge motorcyclists as rebels on the road; they want us to see them as people – i.e. a mother or a father, or as someone’s daughter.

Motorcyclists are 57 more times likely to be injured in a serious or fatal crash than car drivers. That is why it is important that motorists keep an eye out for bikes when on the road. They should check their blind spots before turning to make sure that no bikes are behind or to the side of  them.

If you are a motorcyclist, you must also show a duty of care to other road users. A lot of motorbikes are seen as speed machines – this doesn’t mean they are. Just like any other vehicle, as a motorcyclist, you should still stick to the speed limit. Failure to do so could result in a road traffic accident, and puts the lives of you and other road users at risk.
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Any accident we become involved in can become a stressful time in our lives, especially if we become injured due to that accident. None of us expect to become involved in any accident as we go about our business, however if we do, it’s best to know what we should do. Injuries from an accident can be either minor or severe, whatever the reason why should we suffer alone?

A lot of people that become injured due to the negligence of another often don’t bother to make a claim. They may think it’s a waste of time or that they won’t get much for their claim. Some people don’t feel comfortable making a compensation claim, and just blame the reason for their injuries on been in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

No matter what kind of accident you become involved in; if the accident wasn’t your fault and you suffer injuries due to that accident then you have a right to make a compensation claim. Getting compensation for an accident isn’t just about the amount of money you’re rewarded, it’s about justice been done on your behalf.
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We all know that trespassing on someone else’s property without their permission is against the law and if caught can face prosecution. However, with that in mind, some of us still proceed to do so. Maybe we’re doing it for a laugh and don’t think we’ll get caught or maybe we’re not aware that we are trespassing at the time.

Usually when someone wants people to stay off their land they will fence it off or display signs, warning that anyone caught trespassing will be prosecuted. However this isn’t always the case and it may not be until after gaining access to the land that we realise we are actually trespassing.

If the police or owner of the land catch anyone on there, that shouldn’t be, they will be escorted off the land, and may even face a fine or imprisonment, if this is a regular occurrence. What happens if you become injured whilst on private property? When talking about private property in this instance we mean land owned by an individual.
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In the UK we are extremely lucky to have the health care that we are have been brought up with. From such a young age we have been aware that if we become ill or injured we visit our doctors and they will hopefully make us better. If we become really ill we can be referred to a hospital where doctors and nurses will do everything they can to make us better.

After recovering from an illness, doctors like to keep an eye on us, they often do this by referring us to a consultant who we pay regular visits to. They will check that we are still in good health, and are coping well with the after affects of the disease.

Although non of us like the idea of being in hospital, we like to think that if we ever need to stay in that we will be taken care of. We’ve all probably visited someone in hospital at some point in our lives, and hopefully we will have witnessed the hard work that the staff were doing to ensure everyone was safe.
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A lot of us regularly attend our local leisure centre, it is the perfect setting for an enjoyable family day out. The kids can play in the swimming pool or play area and we can sit by and watch whilst enjoying a few drinks or can join in and have fun. Either way a visit to the local leisure centre is a day out the entire family can look forward to.

The staff at leisure centres are used to working with customers of all ages, and therefore have activities aimed at a variety of age ranges. When setting up activities or carrying out building checks the duty manager on shift must make sure that there are no possible hazards.
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We have all probably used a taxi service at some point in our lives, whether it is to get home from a night out, to get to the airport or we just figured it was too cold to get the bus. Whatever the reason, the service we pay for when using a taxi is that they will get us to our destination safely.

Getting a taxi is a popular way of getting home after a night out in your city centre. There are usually a number of taxi ranks where people queue to wait for a taxi service; some taxis also hang around outside nightclubs to take party-goes home when the club shuts.

When we get in a taxi we rarely question our safety, we simply get in and tell the taxi driver the destination we want to go to. We may even start a conversation with the driver about how his nights been and if he’s been busy. But what happens if the taxi we’re in becomes involved in an accident?
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Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) is a serious condition that is caused by the narrowing of the spine. This causes the nerve roots below the level of the spinal cord to become compressed and trapped. There are many causes to CES and the narrowing of the spine, with the main one believed by medics to be an effect of surgery to the lower back. Some of the causes of CES may lead to a medical negligence claim.

Other causes of CES include:

• Spinal tumours
• Inflammatory conditions
• Infectious conditions
• Through medical intervention such as surgery
• Traumatic injury
• Slipped or prolapsed discs

When looking to diagnose CES medics use a number of red flagged symptoms:

• Has not passed urine for 6-8 hours
• Severe low back pain
• Bowel and bladder disturbance
• Saddle and genital sensory numbness
• Sciatica
• Sexual dysfunction

There are a number of reasons why there is often a delay in diagnosing a disease such as CES; the main one being the fact that it presents itself with common complaints that are also related to a number of other illnesses. Common complaints of CES are bowel, bladder and sexual problems. Doctors need to assess all possible aspects of the illness before they can successfully diagnose it.
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For many workers, suffering from asbestos poisoning seems highly unlikely, this is probably because the disease takes between 20-45 years to make itself known. For the first 20 years or so the disease gradually develops in the lung and their surrounding organs.

Asbestos as a solid material doesn’t put workers at risk, it is when the material becomes damaged. This allows it to release fibres into the air, these fibres are invisible to the human eye and if breathed in can be extremely harmful. Working near damaged asbestos or asbestos-containing materials, which may happen hundreds of times in your working life, could increase your chances of getting an asbestos-related disease.
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Going on holiday is something we all look forward to no matter how old we all. A lot us spend all year saving up to go away, especially for things such as family holidays as they can be quite pricey. Our main focus is getting the holiday paid off, the mini bus to get us to the airport booked and everyone organised. One of the things a lot of people leave to the last minute is sorting out their travel insurance.

Travel insurance is extremely important when leaving the UK, so it is essential that you choose yours carefully. It is a good idea to buy your travel insurance from a secure website, that you trust. A good travel insurance deal will cover any medical costs, any loss of baggage and compensate you for any flight cancellations.

If you do become injured on holiday medical costs can be extremely expensive, as foreign hospitals are run a different way to hospitals in the UK. That’s why you should take your travel insurance certificate away with you, or write down your reference number.
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