In the UK there is an average of 2.5 million people suffering from personal injury every year. These people face losing income and independence as well as facing lifestyle changes.

Anyone can suffer a personal injury accident and they can happen via a number of different avenues such as a road traffic accident, a work related accident, slip, trip or fall in a public place or a medical negligence accident. The personal injury accidents that lead to a no win no fee claim seem endless.

Under UK law it is stated that a liable person, who is the negligent party in a personal injury accident, must compensate the injured person for any loss; however only 31% of people claim compensation using the legal process, which makes us wonder why people are accusing the no win no fee process of turning the population into a compensation culture. The actual truth about people using no win no fee compensation is the realisation of their legal and civil rights. Everyone has an obligation to avoid causing harm to others just as the UK law has an obligation to help victims who are subject to harm.

The way in which compensation claims were previously dealt with was through using legal aid. This method has since been replaced with the Conditional Fee Agreement, know as CFA. By replacing legal aid with the Conditional Fee Agreement it means that anyone can now pursue a compensation claim, regardless of their financial status. Legal aid was replaced between 1998 and 2000 with the Conditional Fee Agreement.

By changing the way in which we go about claiming compensation it means that the process of claiming compensation through a no win no fee claim is easier and allows anyone who has been injured through an accident that wasn't their fault to be able to claim the compensation that they deserve. It provides a lot more flexibility and reduces the hassle that was previously surrounding compensation claims.

A Conditional Fee Agreements. A no win no fee claim means that if you lose your case you won't have any fees to pay. If you do win your compensation claim then your solicitor fees and any disbursements (export reports and barristers/solicitors opinions) will have to be paid but thanks to the Conditional Fee Agreement and since 1st April 2000 it is stated that the losing party has to pay the success fees of the winning party, leaving your damages untouched.

If you are planning on claiming for compensation then it is important that you seek legal advice before putting in for a compensation claim. This legal advice will be able to inform you of your chances of winning your compensation claim. There are a number of no win no fee compensation claim companies available today so your chance of winning compensation has never been higher.

To help your compensation claim have more of a chance of being a success it is important that at the time of your personal injury accident that you preserve as much information as possible such as the details of witnesses and if possible taking pictures of the scene.

"Employment is nature's physician and is essential for human happiness" Galen, ca 180 AD. In 2003/04 30 million working days were lost to illness that were caused by work related issues. Two million people believed they were suffering from a work related illness in 2003/04. ½ a million people were said to be suffering from stress/depression or anxiety. 183,000 claimed to have breathing or lung problems. Hearing problems were sustained by 81,000, skin problems by 31,000 and heart disease/attack by 66,000.

These harrowing figures are a shocking insight into the abuse of health and safety in the work place. Although these figures have improved slightly now; health concerns due to occupations are still a major problem.

An occupational disease is a chronic ailment that occurs as a result of work. It is when symptoms of diseases are more prevalent in bodies of workers than the general public.

Improving organisation, work practises, addressing issues such as workload (over or under), matching workers skills to their jobs and having clear lines of accountability and responsibilities are all appropriate steps to prevent ill health occurring in the work place. The right work patterns, security and ensuring a 'happy' work place as well as good communication and safe working practises not only improve the safety of the work place but also creates a better working environment.

Examples of occupational disease are:

- Black lung disease - normally seen in coal mining industry
- Carpel Tunnel Syndrome - occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. The symptoms are usually burning, tingling, or itching numbness in the palm of the hand and the fingers, especially the thumb and the index and middle fingers with some people even stating their fingers feel useless and swollen even though they appear fine.
- Radiation Sickness - seen in the nuclear industry
- Byssinosis - disease of the lungs caused by breathing in cotton dust or dusts from other vegetable fibers such as flax, hemp, or sisal while at work
- COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - the symptoms of COPD are a persistent cough/phlegm, shortness of breath and chest infections. Once the damage of COPD has taken effect it cannot be reversed. COPD is damaged airways in the lungs, causing them to become narrow, making it harder for air to get in and out of the lungs.
- Silicosis - The Oldest of all work related diseases. It develops over time when dust from Silica is inhaled into the lungs. A persistent cough, with or without sputum, shortness of breath and chest tightness are all symptoms of Silicosis. All of these usually appear over many years of exposure to high levels of Silica dust, with the tissue of the lungs becoming damaged by Fibrosis and being replaced with solid nodules of scar tissue. Even after the exposure stops, the disease Asbestos - work related disease due to asbestos exposure can be highly serious. Mesothelioma is cancer of the pleura and asbestosis is a form of lung fibrosis, both of which are a direct result of asbestos, as well as bronchial cancer.
- Occupational Lung Disease - covers a range of damage, affecting things such as the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs (airways), the tiny air sacs where oxygen is transferred from the air we breathe into our blood stream. Other damage may affect the thin lining between our lungs and ribcage. Symptoms include chest pain, prolonged coughing, breathlessness and wheezing
- Occupational Asthma - it has been said that by 2010, the cases of occupational asthma are to be reduced by 30%. Occupational Asthma remains the most common form of work related illness. Dust from flour and grain; Industrial baking, farm work, grain transport. Wood dust, from hard wood, western red cedar, carpentry, joinery and sawmilling. Colophony, mostly found in soldering fumes but also present in glues and floor cleaners Dust from latex rubber, from jobs involving latex gloves used in nursing and dentist work.
Dust from insects and animals are all causes of Occupational Asthma.

The above list is only a small section of work related illness and disease that can affect many employees.

Helen is the web master for Accident Consult; specialists in accidents at work claims

Putting in a claim for compensation is a civil and legal right that is held by every member of the public. Sadly however since the abolishment of legal aid and the introduction of no win no fee claims (conditional fee agreements) the UK has been accused of being a compensation culture. Members of the public are being accused of taking advantage of the no win no fee agreement but how can this be true considering that only 31% of people have been claiming for compensation after accidents that have occurred due to no fault of their own. All no win no fee agreements have done is made people aware of their rights when it comes to putting in a claim for compensation after suffering an accident that has left them out of work with lost independence and lifestyle changes.

When personal injury accidents occur the fault may lie with another driver, a hospital, a public authority or an employer. Whoever is responsible for the fact that you are suffering needs to pay for their mistakes in the form of compensation but what exactly are you paying when it comes to claiming for compensation on a no win no fee claim? A no win no fee claim means that if you are successful in your compensation claim you keep 100% of the compensation that you are awarded with your solicitors fees being paid by the losing party's insurance company; but what if the losing party is you? If you are unsuccessful in your compensation the winning party's solicitor's fees will be paid by your insurance. This insurance is known as after even insurance, which you are advised to take out before you being your case. You need to be aware that insurance company's are only willing to grant this insurance to people who have a good likelihood of winning their no win no fee claim so if you are turned down for your compensation you should take it as a hint that your compensation claim will most likely fail meaning you should rethink about claiming.

If you are thinking about making a no win no fee compensation claim based on a no win no fee agreement then it is important that you seek legal advice before taking any steps. A personal injury lawyer will be able to tell you whether your case is suitable for a no win no fee claim by telling you whether you have a good chance of winning. A good personal injury lawyer will also be able to explain the compensation process to you.

Personal injury law exists in order to compensate you for your injuries, any medical expenses that you have occurred and any loss of earning that you are suffering whilst you are out of work recovering. By claiming for compensation you could also be helping to prevent that accident happening to anyone else. For example if you are suffering from a work related accident your compensation claim could mean the introduction of new safety measures.