Accident Consult

Have you had a personal injury in the last three years? Are you unsure whether you have a compensation claim? The answer is yes. If you are the victim of a personal injury accident that wasn't your fault you could be entitled to compensation. It is your civil and legal right to claim compensation after an accident that wasn't your fault that has left you with personal injury.

Personal injury can be physical or psychological. It stands for wrongful injury that has caused pain and suffering to an individual. The most common forms of personal injury are; whiplash, back injury, head injury and broken/fractured bones.

Falling victim to a personal injury can leave you with devastating results. The personal injury that you receive could leave you out of work, making you unable to afford bill payments; they can even alter daily activities in your life. Personal injury can be the result of numerous accidents such as; road traffic, work accidents, accidents in public and defective goods claims. Personal injury accidents also covers medical/dental negligence.

The personal injury lawyers here at Accident Consult are experienced in all types of personal injury claims, making Accident Consult a top choice for compensation claims. Regardless of the type of accident that you have had, Accident Consult can help you gain the compensation you deserve.

Unfortunately it is estimated that personal injury accidents are on the rise, but personal injury law is in place to protect people who have been harmed by the negligence of others. There are certain factors that are looked at when it comes to claiming personal injury compensation, such as how long your symptoms persist, the severity of injury and if you have a loss of earning as a result of your injury.

If you have been involved in an accident in the last three years that has left you with personal injury then get in touch with Accident Consult to find out more information about claiming compensation..

It's been 110 years since the first death due to a road accident, now more than a century on we are seeing more and more injuries due to road traffic accidents, mostly involving car accidents, which comes as no surprise when you take into account the amount of congestion on Britain's roads today.

Injuries sustained from road traffic accidents can range from minor whiplash to fatal injuries. An estimated 1.2 million people worldwide are killed each year on the road with more minor injuries being about forty times this number.

If you are unfortunately involved in a road traffic accident you should always stay at the scene and decide on the emergency services that you need by taking into account things like, is the road blocked? If so you need the police, are people injured? Then an ambulance. As well as these essentials you should always exchange details with the other driver so repairs and insurance claims can be sorted out quickly to get you back on the road in no time.

One other thing you are able to do after a road traffic accident is claim compensation. You can do this as a driver, passenger or pedestrian if the accident wasn't your fault.

With most people travelling in cars or on motorbikes to work and some even driving as a living, the risk of becoming a victim of a road traffic accident is a very high one. Legislations have been put in place to reduce the amount of road traffic accidents, with the focus being put heavily on young and inexperienced drivers, who are believed to be by far the most likely to be involved in a car crash. These legislations include proposals such as to introduce a curfew to young drivers, stopping them from driving late at night and a Zero tolerance on alcohol.

Although it is believed most crashes are a result of poor care and attention, there are times when factors such as road conditions and mechanical failures take over. Making it hard to safely stop the car.

A road traffic accident is a frightening experience and one that you would not like to repeat, leaving me feeling is enough really being done to prevent them?

All employers have a responsibility to protect their employees, contractors and visitors from accidents and injury in the workplace.

It is estimated that one million people suffer injury in the workplace every year and the vast majority of these are generally avoidable. Even with huge improvements in health and safety and an increasing list of safety rules/measures many workplace environments remain dangerous.

Employers should carry out risk assessments of the workplace to ensure that any measures to improve safety are being used. Even without these risk assessments there are still a number of precautions that need to be present in the workplace such as your employees should be provided with the correct safety wear, which includes goggles, hard hats, ear defenders, gloves, boots and high visibility jackets. As well as being provided with the correct safety wear, employees should also have the correct machinery and tools that they need to carry out their job. These tools and machinery should be checked regularly to ensure that they are in the best condition to carry out work.

If you unfortunately do suffer from an accident at work, you need to report it to your employers as soon as possible and make sure that the accident is recorded in the accident book. If the accident isn't placed in the accident book or the company doesn't have an accident book then you should write down brief details of the accident and send it to your boss, as well as keeping a copy for your own reference. If you can't report the accident because you are too ill, try to get someone else to do this.

If the accident involves any of the following:

Death
Disease
Major injury
Dangerous incidents
Any injury that stops an employee doing their normal job for three or more days

Then your employer has a responsibility to report the accident not only in the accident book but also to the Health and Safety Executives.

One last procedure that is advised if you have suffered from a work place accident is going to see your doctor. You should do this even if your injury doesn't seem too serious. The reason why this is so important is so that a doctor can record details of accident in case you wish to pursue a compensation claim later on.

If you are hoping to make a claim for compensation then remember, every compensation claim is different; some may be settled in a matter of months, others may take years but as long as you have a legal team at your side then things will be fine.

Property owners, landlords and councils have a responsibility to ensure that their premises are safe. This means they have to ensure paving isn't loose, spills are cleaned up and adequate lighting is in place as well as using reasonable care to keep their property safe. Sadly responsible parties don't always take the responsibility that they should.

Pretty much all of us have slipped or tripped while we have been out at the shops, in work or walking on the pavement etc. In some cases these slip or trip accidents are caused by not looking where you are going but if you have been injured in a slip/trip accident through the fault of someone else's negligence then you could have a chance to make a claim for compensation.

It is the duty of property owners to make sure that their building is free from obstructions or spillages that could lead to you having a slip, trip or fall accident. Due to this the floor in a workplace must be suitable for the type of work activity that will be taking place on it. Where a floor can't be kept dry people should be able to walk on it without the fear of a slip; so how can this happen? Simple you need to ensure that the flooring that is present in your property has a certain degree of roughness to it, this is important as it will provide a grip so that even if the floor is wet you will still have an aspect of safety to protect you.

The flooring in a public building should also be cleaned correctly to ensure that it does not become slippery and that it keeps its slip resistance properties. Your flooring should also be fitted correctly and any potential hazards should be removed.

It doesn't matter how old or new your flooring is, whatever its age all flooring should be maintained so that it is keep in a good condition. Maintenance of flooring includes making sure that any trip hazards, such as holes, uneven surfaces and curled up carpet edges are taken care of. If you do have uneven flooring that can't be avoided, such as ramps and raised platforms then these should be clearly highlighted and signposted.

Floors are just one aspect that can cause you to have a slip, trip or fall accident. Another common cause of slip, trips and falls are uneven pavements. If a pavement slab comes loose and is sticking up, causing the possibility of tripping then it is up to the local council to make sure that this paving slab is fixed in a timely manner before any injury is caused.

One last cause of slip, trip and fall accidents are stair cases. Stair cases, both internal and external ones should have high visibility and non-slip square nosing on the step edges. They should also be provided with a suitable handrail and the steps should be correctly proportioned, meaning they are equal in height and width.

Whiplash is a sudden movement/jolt to the body or head. Whiplash is notoriously known as being the most common injury that you can sustain after suffering from a road traffic accident.

Although road traffic accidents are the most common cause of whiplash there are several other ways that whiplash can be caused such as a blow to the head or through repetitive movements of the neck.

Whiplash causes pain and stiffness as well as a loss of movement. This is due to the fact that whiplash causes damage to the ligaments and tendons in your neck and head. Other symptoms associated with whiplash include headaches, muscle spasms and pain in your shoulders and arms. These symptoms usually appear within the first couple of days after, for example, a road traffic accident.

So how is whiplash diagnosed? The diagnosis of whiplash relies mainly on the information that is provided to a GP from the patient, such as the events leading up to the symptoms appearing and the patient's description of the symptoms. Whiplash is the type of injury that doesn't appear on MRI scans, CT scans or x-rays, however an x-ray is likely to be taken for nothing else but to remove any suspicion of a fracture or dislocation of the cervical spine. So the diagnosis of the condition is one that is made by your GP based on their knowledge of the condition and the symptoms that you are experiencing.

If you are suffering the symptoms of whiplash then in the first 24 hours of it appearing you should apply an ice pack to your neck as a way of relieving inflammation. This ice pack should be wrapped in a towel, never apply it directly to the skin, and it should be placed on the affected area in 20 minute intervals. As well as this you should be taking regular painkillers. If these painkillers however fail to have any affect it is important that you visit your doctor in order to get stronger painkillers or to find a better way of dealing with the problem.

The symptoms of whiplash usually clear up within a few days but there are cases where people may end up suffering for years after the initial accident happened.

If you are currently suffering from whiplash or you have suffered from it in the past three years then you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation. You can claim compensation for your injuries, suffering, medical expenses and any loss of earnings that you are experiencing while you are out of work waiting for you injuries to heal. Anyone can make a claim for compensation as long as your injuries are affecting your daily life and you can prove that the accident was caused through the negligence of another person.

Head injuries have the potential to cause damage to your scalp, skull or brain. These injuries can range from being minor, major or life threatening. Some of the main causes of head injuries are road traffic accidents, falls, work place accidents, assaults and sports related injuries as well as accidents in public places. Due to this you should always be aware of potential dangers and wear the correct protective headgear when you are using bicycles or motorbikes as well as when playing contact sports or undertaking construction work.

The symptoms that you will be suffering from with a head injury vary greatly depending on the severity of the injury; however the main symptoms that you will be dealing with when it comes to a head injury are the following:

Headache with nausea and vomiting
Blurred or double vision
Slurred speech
Confusion or drowsiness
Loss of consciousness
Blood or clear fluid from the ears or nose

It is said that one million people each year in the UK need emergency medical care as the result of a head injury and about one in four people who are suffering from a head injury need to be admitted to hospital.

The treatment that you will receive for a head injury depends on the type and severity of the injury that you are suffering from. This may include observation at home or in hospital, first aid treatment i.e. stitching of wounds and medication such as painkillers, corticosteroids and antibiotics

One thing that is certain when it comes to head injuries; you should always visit a hospital or your doctor. Whether you have a minor or major head injury it is important as you could have underlying problems that will only be picked up when you have tests done. Also by seeing your doctor you will have a medical record of your injuries so that if you wish to make a claim for compensation you will have the backing of your doctor.

Some examples of the head injuries that you may be suffering from are concussion, epidural haematoma, subdural haematoma and cerebral contusion as well as diffuse axonal injury.

If you are suffering from a head injury, whether it is minor or major then you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

More people are injured and killed on Britain's roads every year than through any other form of personal injury. You can be involved in a road traffic accident regardless of whether you are a driver, passenger, pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist and the injuries that you can sustain as a result of it vary in degree from relatively minor to catastrophic or even fatal.

Nearly half a million people are injured or killed on our roads every year. In order to help reduce the amount of accidents and injuries that occur each year on the roads we all owe each other a duty of care. This comes regardless of whether you are a driver, motorcyclist, pedestrian etc; whatever you use the road as you should do so in compliance with the Highway Code.

One of the most common injuries associated with road traffic accidents is whiplash. Other forms of injuries that you may suffer as the result of a road traffic accident includes broken or fractured bones, torn ligaments, head or neck trauma and even spinal cord damage. Whatever injury you are suffering from as the result of a road traffic accident you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation; this is as long as you can prove that the accident was caused through no fault of your own.

There are certain aspects that need to be looked at when it comes to road traffic accidents such as driver behaviour, road conditions and the state of the vehicle at the time of the accident. All of these will be used as proof that the accident occurred through no fault of your own.

Whether a road traffic accident was your fault or not it is important that you stop at the scene so that you can exchange insurance details and inform the police as well as an ambulance if anyone is seriously injured. Even if you are not seriously injured it is a good idea that you visit your doctor, even if your injuries seem minor. This way you will have a medical record of your accident and any injuries that you sustained as a result of it. Also some injuries that you may be suffering from might not show up straight away, which is why it is a good idea to have tests done to rule out any major illnesses.

If you have become the victim of a road traffic accident in the last three years then you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

Within the UK there is sadly a very poor record where uninsured drivers are concerned. In fact it has been estimated that one in every twenty cars on our roads are being driven without the correct insurance cover. That is an alarming amount and also a frustrating one for all of us drivers who pay our insurance premiums, especially as uninsured drivers mean that we are paying as much as an extra £30 on our premiums due to the accidents that uninsured drivers often cause.

Studies have concluded that uninsured drivers are around ten times more likely to drink and drive and are at least three times more likely to end up being convicted of driving without due care and attention. It has also been said that on average uninsured drivers cause at least one accident every six months. It is down to statistics such as these that means it comes as no surprise that one in ten of us motorists have been involved in accidents that involved an uninsured driver. So what exactly happens if you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver and what should you try and do at the accident scene?

The main thing that a lot of people seem to think when it comes to accidents involving uninsured drivers is that they have no claim against the driver, which is why a lot of people who are involved in accidents with them don't bother to carry out a claim for compensation. Well thankfully in the UK you are able to do something about making a claim for compensation after being involved in a road traffic accident with an uninsured driver.

The process for claiming compensation in this circumstance can be slightly more complicated than if you were claiming directly from an insurer as it involves the Motor Insurers Bureau or MIB in short. This is an organisation that was set up specifically to help victims of accidents that involve uninsured drivers and also victims of hit and run accidents. The concept behind this organisation is to compensate people in these situations for personal injury.

To help you claim this compensation from the MIB there are a number of pieces of information that you should try to gather while you are still at the accident scene. This is important as you will probably be unaware that the negligent driver is uninsured at the time of the accident so you should treat the incident exactly how you would treat any road traffic accident, which is you should collect pieces of information such as taking note of the person's car model and registration number and even though you probably won't get the right information you should still gain their name and address. Basically you should always note what the other driver says and get information from any witnesses. The more information you have the more likely you are to make a successful claim for compensation.

One last point is if you have a camera on you, take as many pictures as you can and try and get one of the other driver, this may give you a good chance of being able to trace them.

Armed with all of this information and the help of an accident solicitor you will stand a good chance of making a successful claim for compensation so make sure you take the above points on board if you do find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being involved in a road traffic accident with an uninsured driver.

When it comes to rules of the road it goes without saying that all road users have a responsibility to ensure they uphold care and consideration for other road users whilst driving. Basically we all need to ensure that we comply with the Highway Code, anyone who fails to do this is causing a breach of care and in the case of an accident is known as being negligent. If you are unfortunately involved in a road traffic accident with a driver who is considered to be negligent then it is important that you can prove their liability, especially if you are hoping to make a claim for compensation.

In many cases of a road traffic accident it can often be obvious when it comes to liability and there will be no dispute over who was the cause of the accident. However in other cases of road traffic accidents the person who was liable may not be so obvious or the extent of liability may be difficult to determine. A prime example of this can be seen in accidents involving a car being hit from behind. In a case such as this there is a rule in place that state the car behind is liable as they should have been driving at safe distance; but what if the car in front breaks sharply? Or they stop for no reason? There are some circumstances in which this rule will not apply, in these cases the liability of the accident is disputed and legal advice will be needed.

It is important that following a road traffic accident you do seek legal advice as you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation, especially if the accident was caused due to the liability of another road user. A legal team will be able to help you determine where the liability lies within a road traffic accident. This is important because of the fact that in a road traffic accident if you want to make a claim for compensation there needs to be an establishment of fault. In many cases of a road traffic accident there are two main errors that people make that generally result in accidents occurring on the road, these errors are a failure to keep a correct lookout/general lack of due care and attention and the second error is driving too fast. The majority of the accidents that happen on our roads stem from these two main issues; in an example of this think about when a car turns out of a side road when it actually isn't safe to do so thus causing an accident. This leaves that driver liable as they failed to keep a good lookout on the road; they didn't have due care and attention. Basically when determining the liability of a road traffic accident, it is these two aspects that are kept in mind.

If you have been involved in an accident in the past three years that was caused through no fault of your own then you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation, as long as you can prove the accident liability lies with someone else. To help you prove your case there are a number of things that you can do at the scene of the accident. This involves taking down the contact details of the other person involved in the accident and the contact details of anyone who witnessed the accident take place. Also if it is possible you should aim to take photographs of the accident scene. On top of this it is also important that you visit your GP after the accident for the obvious reason of getting any injuries looked at but also so you have a medical record of any injuries you sustained as a result of the accident.

All of the above points will put you at an advantage when it comes to making a claim for compensation as you will have the proof needed to demonstrate liability lies with another party.

So if you are thinking about making a claim for compensation after suffering a personal injury due to the liability of another road user keep the above in mind and make sure you always seek the help of a professional legal team.