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Tag Archive: personal injury solicitors

1. Personal Injury Frequently Asked Questions

   December 9, 2014 11:22 am Leave a Comment

   

   Summary

   In essence, personal injury is a vast topic that covers various aspects to convey the right message to the targeted audiences globally. If you are willing to know something special about personal injury, please feel free to read various frequently asked questions about personal injury.

    

    

   Question 1: How do victims/injured parties settle on how much money they are entitled to in consequence of the accident, mishap or tragedy?

    

   Answer: The personal injury solicitors determine the exact compensation amounts by evaluating various important factors like loss of salaries, damages, emotional distress, medical expenses, loss of consortium, periods of disability and mutilation, etc.

    

   Question 2: What are the most important documents or evidences that injured parties should bring with them to show their lawyer.

    

   Answer: This may well includes bystander statements, medical reports from the doctors, and pictures of the accident, injuries and eyewitnesses.

    

   Question 3: What sort of information will victim/injured party need to provide at the initial consultation related to their personal injury, road accidents, accidents at work, and clinical negligence case?

    

   Answer: A personal injury attorney will request for several things such as medical reports, records, names, addresses and past medical records. It may include physical therapists, chiropractors, nursing staffs and other members.

    

   Question 4: What will usually happen at the initial consultation with personal injury solicitor?

    

   Answer: First and foremost, the attorney will tell you whether you have a valid legal claim against the responsible party or not. If you decide to make the right claims against the liable party, it is wiser to sign a fee agreement.

    

   Question 5: What is necessary for the victims or injured parties to have their valid personal injury case?

    

   Answer: All the injured persons or victims need to do is provide essential evidences regarding the personal injuries and damages to solicitors. If you were injured due to road accident or accident at work place, you have then a right potential personal injury cause of action.

    

   Question 6: What is exactly personal injury settlement process?

    

   Answer: It is a systematic process that will mainly cover evidences, medical reports, records, names, addresses, records and reports of the medical doctors. In addition, it includes the compensation amounts for loss of wages, medical expenditures, car repairing expenses, loss of cash, etc.

    

   Question 7: When should you contact with personal injury solicitors?

    

   Answer: It is vital to contact with personal injury solicitors immediately after the tragedy, road accident or mishap.

    

   Question 8: What are the types of accident claims in the UK these days?

    

   Answer: They may include slip and fall, car accidents, motorbike accidents, boating accidents, defective products, wrongful death, medical malpractice, water accidents, occupational accidents, dog bites and assaults, etc.

    

    

    

    

    

    

2. Research Finds 18% Of Uk Drink Drivers Are At Least 50 Years Old

   February 28, 2014 2:46 pm Leave a Comment

   While the general public may expect that young adults are the most likely to drive while drunk, personal injury solicitors London regularly see road traffic accident claims in which the negligent driver was ‘old enough to know better’. This was reflected by recent research from car insurance provider swiftcover.com, which made a Freedom of Information request to all police forces across the UK, discovering that 18% of all drink driving offences involve motorists over the age of 50.

   Furthermore, although the number of drink driving offences recorded has fallen by 15% over the last few years, the number of people older than 50 caught driving while drunk has remained relatively static.

   But the risk of drink-driving road traffic accident claims could be even higher among motorists over the age of 80. The research revealed that the number of over-80s who have been caught driving while drunk has increased by 20% since 2010, with four over-80s being caught drink-driving every week in 2012. The oldest-recorded offender discovered by the Swiftcover.com research was 93 years old.

   This could be because people over the age of 80 will likely have started driving in the 1950s or earlier, significantly earlier than the UK’s first drink-drive limit, which was introduced in 1967. Furthermore, many people older than 50 will have first got behind the wheel in the late 1970s, where the drink-drive limit was more than 500% higher than it currently is.

   Drink Drive Road Traffic Accident Claims And Older People

   Huge amounts of effort have been made to raise awareness of drink driving in young adults and to ensure they know not to get behind the wheel after drinking. This could also be a factor in the disproportionate increases in the number of older people who are driving while drunk.

   Regardless of how old a driver is and how experienced they think they are, personal injury solicitors London would warn people that there is no safe age to drink drive, and it is inherently dangerous in all circumstances. Far too many preventable personal injury claims and fatal motor vehicle accidents are caused by drink-driving and it is deeply irresponsible for older people to be putting other road users at risk by driving when drunk.

   Older people should be aware that their metabolism is not as fast as the average person’s is, and that they could be above the drink-drive blood alcohol limit and at a higher risk of road traffic accident claims after consuming a small amount of alcohol. One pint of beer will have a far more significant effect on an older person’s blood alcohol level than it would on a young person’s.

   Personal injury solicitors would strongly recommend that people avoid drinking any alcohol whatsoever when they are driving that day or the next morning, with this warning especially important for older drivers. The risks posed by driving while drunk are just too high to be excusable.

    

3. Stormy Weather Causes Damage Across The UK

   February 10, 2014 2:05 pm Leave a Comment

   

   The poor weather the UK has recently seen is nothing unusual for the country, but the floods, strong winds and low temperatures have still taken their toll on the nation, and will continue to do so until the summer hits.

   This poor weather brings health and safety risks with it and will lead to a number of damages claims and personal injury compensation claims. According to the AA, the strong winds over the Christmas period alone saw the organization receive a total of 130 car insurance claims and approximately 1,000 home flood and storm claims.

   Furthermore, the AA’s Special Operations workers, who are equipped with Land Rovers specially designed for flood waters and who are qualified in rescuing people and property from floods, rescued over 1,100 vehicles from flood water between December 23rd and 31st 2013. A disproportionate number of these rescued vehicles were 4x4s and SUVs, and many contained drivers that had ignored road signs such as ‘road ahead closed’. It is doubtful whether these drivers would be eligible to claim personal injury compensation should they be injured after recklessly driving through a flood.

   Cars cannot travel safely through flood water, and drivers that continue to do so are putting their own health and safety, the wellbeing of passengers and the safety of the public at risk. Off-road cars cannot cope with flood water and can be easily swept away or pushed over in water with currents.

   Some of the home claims the AA received show the storm created health and safety risks and could have potentially led to personal injury claims in the future. These included branches or trees that had been blown down in the bad weather, aerials that had become dislodged, windows that had broken, flooding, and dislodged slates or roof tiles.

   Met Office warnings and health and safety risks

   The Met Office is predicting strong winds and stormy weather to continue in the near future, and employers and the general public should take the health and safety implications of this seriously. People should only drive in poor weather if they absolutely have to, and cyclists and motorcyclists should take additional precautions if they have to travel.

   All road users should take an emergency kit around with them to help them should they break down or become stranded, and should ensure the vehicle they use is as roadworthy as possible before they set off. It is also a good idea to carry a fully-charged mobile phone around, as this can be used to contact people in an emergency.

   Personal injury solicitors can help people who have been injured in accidents they were not to blame for, or were only partially to blame for. For claims to be successful, a party must have acted in a negligent manner, and this negligence must have directly caused the claimant’s injury. Anyone who is uncertain should speak with no win no fee solicitors for no-obligation advice.

4. Dozens of law firms close after failing to take out PI insurance

   January 21, 2014 11:28 am Leave a Comment

   Professional Indemnity Insurance is vital for personal injury solicitors and is essential for the protection of the public. This insurance ensures that both solicitors and clients are financially covered in rare events of omission and mistakes.

   Solicitors are therefore not allowed to practice without PI insurance. LLPS and incorporated practices are required to have a minimum of £3,000,000 PI insurance, while Partnerships must have £2,000,000. As we are an LLP, we have the full £3,000,000 of professional indemnity insurance, although obviously we strive to avoid ever having to make a claim on it by providing our clients with the best possible service every time.

   The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) recently named 136 law firms that failed to take out this required insurance.  These companies failed to take out this insurance before the October 1^st deadline and failed to take out cover during the Extended Policy Period, which was enacted to provide companies with an extra 90 days in which they could meet this deadline. Therefore, personal injury law firms and other legal practices that failed to take out PI insurance by December 29^th are not permitted to practice any longer and will have to close down. They may be allowed to continue dealing with administrative tasks but cannot progress claimants’ matters or carry on practicing – full details on what they can do are found here.

   Most of the companies on the SRA’s list have closed down properly and are meeting their obligations, but some have not done so and are continuing to practice. The SRA is taking robust enforcement action against these law firms. People who believe an uninsured firm is continuing to progress their case should contact Clearwater Solicitors or another legal practice immediately and transfer the case to them.

   Law Society comments on SRA closures

   Commenting on these closures, President of the Law Society Nicholas Fluck said some of the firms that have closed will have done so as a result of “positive decisions” by the legal partners involved in the company, while others will have struggled due to challenging market conditions.

   However, he said that the Extended Policy Period would have ensured many legal firms are able to continue practicing, commenting that the Law Society asked the SRA to manage solicitors’ closures in an orderly manner and that it provided closing firms with guidance and support.

   Mr Fluck stated that the need for PI insurance is a key public protection issue. He also highlighted the importance for companies to be satisfied with the economic stability of their PI providers, noting that Balva’s failure last year “brought home” the importance of this issue.

   With Clearwater Solicitors fully insured and ready to handle claims of all kinds, we’re ready and willing to take on your case today! Call us on 08000 430 430 or fill in our online enquiry form today!

5. How To Know If You Have A Claim For Compensation

   January 17, 2014 12:51 pm Leave a Comment

   Generally, you can make a personal injury claim if you have been injured in an accident that was somewhat due to someone else’s negligence. This can be behind the wheel, in the workplace, while walking on the street, while shopping, while on holiday or in a huge range of other situations.

   However, this maxim does not suit every single injury compensation claim, and the best way to determine whether or not you have a claim for compensation is to speak with a personal injury solicitor. Professional and trustworthy solicitors, such as the team at Clearwater Solicitors, will have Lexcel accreditation, which is only awarded to those legal practices that reach the highest standards of customer care and management.

   Clearwater Solicitors offers a freephone telephone number at 08000 430 430, which you can use to discuss your case and arrange a no-obligation initial interview. We will use this interview to determine if you have a valid compensation claim. Don’t worry about wasting our time if you’re not certain whether or not you’ll have a claim – we’ll be more than happy to help you out!

   The Law Society provides useful information about the process of making a personal injury claim, advising what solicitors may need to find out from you and what you should expect when claiming compensation. The Citizens Advice Bureau has also provided information about personal injuries and claiming compensation, and can offer any member of the public free advice and assistance about a whole range of different subjects.

   Why should I use personal injury solicitors?

   Claims management companies may offer to handle your claim on a no win no fee basis, but they will be ill-prepared to handle your claim and will likely give you a very shoddy standard of service. They do not have to have any legal qualifications and will not be able to represent you in court.

   Personal injury solicitors operate under a strict code of practice and have insurance policies to protect their clients. They are well-placed to handle claims of any size and have a huge amount of legal knowledge in the specialist area of personal injury law.

   You will want to entrust your compensation claim to a legal expert who is experienced in the areas of personal injury law your claim relates to – someone you can ask questions to, and can fully trust to handle your claim competently and professionally. We are proud to offer this at Clearwater Solicitors, providing honest and reliable legal services for anyone who has been injured and who wants to claim compensation.

   For more information, don’t hesitate to call us on 08000 430 430, and speak with a member of our legal team today! Alternatively, you can also send us an enquiry online – fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our team will call you back as soon as we can.