Accident Injury Solicitors | Find The Best Accidents Solicitors

Using An Accident And Injury Lawyer

Taking Advice From Accident Solicitors

Many thousands of people suffer accidents and injuries each year through no fault of their own. There are many different situations and circumstances in which you can become injured, and in many of these it is possible to claim compensation from another person or organisation. This is because few accidents are truly no-ones fault. Provided it is not you who is to blame, there will almost certainly be someone whose action or lack of action contributed to your accident.

Making compensation claims for this sort of thing happens a lot more now, due to a greater awareness of our rights and to a growing number of professionals who are accident and injury lawyers. These are solicitors who focus on helping people to make claims when they have been injured through the negligence of another party. The most common offer these days is that a lawyer will help you with your claim on a no win no fee basis. There has been a certain amount of bad publicity around a few firms who promise this then still deduct substantial fees from any compensation, leaving the claimant with very little. You therefore need to be very careful about who you are dealing with and ensure you read the small print carefully before you sign up with anyone.

When you search online for an accident and injury lawyer you will come across some sites that are for law firms who have lawyers who will deal with your enquiry, while other sites are just there to take details of your claim and see if they can sell it on to an accident and injury lawyer. You need to be aware of who it is you are dealing with, and the nature of their business, before you approach anyone.

There are several main areas that injuries and claims fall into, and we will look at each of these in turn.

Road Traffic Accidents

There are various ways in which it is possible to be involved in a road traffic collision and suffer an injury. A lot of these situations involve circumstances when you may be in a position to make a claim against someone else. The most obvious being if you are driving a car, van or other vehicle yourself and you are involved in a collision caused by another driver. Alternatively, you may not be driving yourself, but you could be a passenger in a car and suffer an injury in an accident. This could also happen if you were a passenger on public transport or in a taxi.

Motorcyclists are often involved in accidents that are not their fault, because car drivers often do not see them. Again, you may be the motorcyclist yourself or you could just be a pillion passenger. And of course it is possible that you were not a motorist at all, but an innocent pedestrian or cyclist who has been involved in a collision with a vehicle.

Many people suffer an injury following a road accident that is not caused by them and in these circumstances you may be entitled to compensation.

Whiplash Injuries

Very closely related to car accidents is whiplash, which is one of the most common injuries suffered in car accidents. The injury happens when you suffer a violent jolt that sends your head backwards or forwards. The most frequent cause is being hit from behind by another car. Typical symptoms of whiplash are pain to the neck area, headaches, dizziness and pains in other areas such as the back or shoulders. With any such injury you should always consult your doctor as quickly as possible.

Some people are put off making a claim if they are a passenger in a vehicle driven by a family member or close friend. It is worth remembering that the claim you make is against the driver’s insurance company, not the actual individual, so should not necessarily be seen as being personal. Always check with your accident and injury lawyer for guidance on this sort of issue.

Accidents At Work

It is not only the most obviously hazardous work places that lead to accidents and injuries. While some industries lead to more accidents than others, accidents can happen anywhere and it is possible to injure yourself in almost any work environment.

You may be in a car accident as described above, while driving a vehicle as part of your job. As well as lorry and fork lift truck drivers, this also applies to sales staff or executives who have to travel to meet clients. In all such cases your employer has a duty of care to ensure the vehicle you are driving is safe.

Construction sites are potentially very dangerous and there are many causes of accidents in these areas. As well as a lot of heavy and moving equipment there are the obvious dangers inherent in using ladders, scaffolding and other access equipment.

A very common cause of injuries is slipping and tripping. Any work environment can have a wet floor after cleaning or a loose tile of piece of carpet. Things as simple as this can lead to quite serious injuries. While it may look like it is just an accident, your employer does have a responsibility for providing a safe and properly maintained workplace.

Sometimes people have accidents because they have been going about something in the wrong way, or without proper equipment or protection. Even though this can look like it is your fault, if your employer has not properly instructed you in the correct procedure, or provided you with the right equipment, you may well have a claim against them.

Back injuries are often caused by lifting heavy objects, or even by lifting relatively light equipment in the wrong way. If you are expected to move equipment as part of your job but have not been instructed in how to do so in a safe way, you might be entitled to compensation for your injuries.

Other types of accident and injury that can be suffered at work include diseases related to asbestos or other hazardous substances, effects of excessive vibration or hearing damage through excess noise.

For personal injuries suffered at work you have up to three years from when it happened in which to begin your claim for compensation. Bear in mind that if an injury at work leads to time off work and loss of earnings, that can all become part of your claim too.

Slips Trips And Falls

It is possible to suffer quite serious and lasting injuries from slip, trip and fall accidents. These can happen anywhere, but wherever it happens, you may have a valid claim for compensation if it is on the property of an organisation and they have not taken reasonable steps to have prevented such an accident. A lot of such accidents occur in shops and supermarkets. We all spend a lot of time in retail premises, and tend to make particularly frequent visits to some of the large supermarket chains.

In addition to slips trips and falls, there are other likely mishaps you can have in supermarkets, including a bad reaction after eating something. Food poisoning should be taken seriously and you should take the advice of an experienced accident and injury lawyer if this happens to you.

The most frequent type of accident that occurs in large food stores is slipping. This may be because the floor is wet after cleaning or it could be that you slip on an item of produce or spilt liquid. The retailer ought to have an effective system for dealing with spillages and should also have systems in place to prevent things being left around which customers could trip over. Falling over things left on the floor is another common cause of accidents.