Personal injury explained…It’s more than just road traffic accidents
Published: 29/01/2018
Many people believe that personal injury (PI) claims are just for when you are involved in a road traffic accident (RTA). That isn’t actually true.
There are many different instances in which you could be entitled to claim for compensation for an injury. After all, if you are genuinely injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault. It’s your right under the law! Personal injury can have a real impact on your life and work, as well as the lives of your loved ones.
Let us introduce you to our personal injury team and explain how they might be able to help, should you unfortunately be involved in an accident
Road traffic accidents (RTAs)
Meet the team: RTA claims are looked after by Claire, Alex, Fran, Kev, Sheena, Nina and Julie. Assisted by Jake and Sam.
An RTA is not just when someone crashes into your car. It could be a motorbike, lorry, bus, coach or cycling accident, where you are the driver, rider, passenger or pedestrian. Your injury might be anything from a brain injury to a broken bone to whiplash.
You usually have three years from the cause of injury to submit a claim. However, it’s advisable to contact a PI solicitor as soon as possible after your accident for 2 reasons. Firstly, sometimes you have less than 3 years to submit your claim. Secondly, if you try to deal directly with an insurer you will be without impartial expert advice on whether what you are being told about fault, or what you are being offered, is your best case scenario. That’s your solicitors job!
Another reason to contact a solicitor early is that it will be much easier to gather the evidence required to support your claim.
Holiday sickness
Meet the team: Hayley, David, Gareth, Kev and Kelly. Assisted by Corrinne and Olivia.
You could be entitled to claim compensation if you fell ill on a package holiday (if travel and accommodation were booked together), your holiday was all-inclusive (breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks included) and you or your family member were ill for three days or more.
Given many of us only get one holiday abroad a year, you want to make the most of it and it is a real disappointment if it is ruined by illness. If that illness was caused by inadequate standards at your chosen resort (eg, poor food preparation) you are entitled to claim for compensation.
You must only make a holiday sickness claim however, if you were genuinely ill for more than three days on your trip. You’ll need evidence to proof this. We will examine the details of your case and let you know whether you are entitled to bring a claim.
Accidents at work
Meet the team: Hayley, David, Gareth and Kelly. Assisted by Corrinne and Olivia.
Common types of accidents at work include: injuries sustained due to defective/unsafe work equipment; injuries caused by excessive manual handling; injuries caused by a lack of training or supervision; or slipping or tripping at your place of work.
Employers have a duty of care to protect their employees and ensure they work in a safe environment at all times.
Public liability
Meet the team: Hayley, David, Gareth and Kelly. Assisted by Corrinne and Olivia.
An accident in a public place could include: slipping on a spillage in a supermarket or restaurant; tripping on an uneven floor or pavement; being struck by a falling object; tripping over missing grids, manhole covers or potholes in the road; and so forth.
As this is a very varied area, it’s best to consult a solicitor experienced in public liability claims, who will be able to advise on whether or not you can claim.
Serious injury
A serious injury, such a head or spinal injuries, is life-changing. Your life and your family’s is turned upside down. Loved ones are left to deal with things they’d never before had to think about such as immediate medical care, rehabilitation and, potentially, long-term care. All this can have a significant financial impact upon a family and, at this highly emotional time, be incredibly overwhelming.
At this hugely traumatic time, it is more important than ever to have a specialist and sensitive personal injury solicitor on your side.
GWlegal’s Director of Operations, Adele Whittle, oversees all serious injury cases. Adele has extensive experience in personal injury litigation, securing multi-million pound damages awards for clients who have suffered the most catastrophic of injury, including spinal and brain injuries.
Adele and her team will handle your case with the utmost level of compassion and sensitivity and work with you to secure an uncompromised settlement.
These are just some of the main areas our expert PI team deals with. For more information, get in touch with GWlegal today. We will assign a dedicated case handler to your case and keep you updated along the way.
Content correct at time of publication.