If you believe you have suffered as a result of clinical negligence, it is important to gain as much knowledge as possible before contacting us to submit a claim for compensation on your behalf. Here we answer frequently asked questions, such as “is there a time limit to making a clinical negligence claim?” and “how do you take legal action for clinical negligence?” More...

Alcohol and Personal Injuries – Who’s liable?

Christmas is fast approaching, with the additional gathering of friends and family, work parties and New Year’s celebrations it is safe to say alcohol consumption will be on the increase. We are commonly asked if a personal injury claim can be made after there has been alcohol involved on behalf of the individual making the claim.

If you have had an injury whilst under the influence of alcohol you may still be eligible to make a claim, although you will need to prove that the accident was caused through no fault of your own. If you were highly intoxicated at the time of the accident you may also be liable to prove that the accident wasn’t caused by your intoxication.

Due to the complexity and individuality of these types of accidents they are usually assessed on a case by case basis.

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Children can be very accident-prone, but on most occasions there is no harm done. Unfortunately, however, there are also times when an accident is down to negligence, or occurs when your child is in the care of somebody else i.e. school or nursery.

Figures from the Child Accident Prevention Trust estimate that the cost of treating child accidents in the UK is in excess of £275 million per annum. It can cost as much as £250,000 to treat one severe bath water scald.

These figures, do not, however, accurately reflect the long-term costs of ongoing treatment and rehabilitation, nor do they reflect the cost of the pain and suffering to both the child and their family. Often, when accidents happen, people simply dismiss it as ‘one of those things’ when this is not always the case. Where an accident is caused by negligence on the part of another party, you have the legal right to make a claim for compensation. More...

According to the Law Society, in the UK alone there are over three million people injured in accidents each year, either at home, in their cars, at work or outdoors. Of these three million personal injuries, a large proportion is made up of work-related injuries and ill health.

Recent statistics from the organisation charged with preventing death, injury and ill health in Great Britain’s workplaces, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), have revealed the real extent of work-related ill health in the UK.

The Health and Safety Statistics Annual Report for Great Britain in 2013/14 states:  

• Out of a workforce of over 38 million, approximately 1.2 million people in the UK suffered with work-related injuries (3.15%) 
• 2,538 deaths from mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure occurred
• 142 employees were killed at work (2014/2015)
• 78,000 injuries were reported under ‘Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations' (RIDDOR) 
• 629,000 work injuries (Labour Force Survey) occurred 
• 28.2 million working days were lost in relation to workplace injuries and work-related illness More...

When someone is injured in an accident they are entitled to claim for compensation for their injuries and financial losses provided it can be shown that someone else was at fault and that their negligence caused the injuries. In some cases this is straightforward, but in others, evidence has to be obtained to prove the negligence, usually by way of witness statements and expert evidence.

There are a number of factors to be considered before Howells Solicitors will agree to act for you, and should you get in touch, we will assess your claim at the outset and advise you on whether we feel you have a good chance of winning.  In most cases, this is assessed on percentage terms, and your case would need to have over a 51% prospect of success to be accepted.  All the evidence available would be reviewed, and you would be advised early on as to the prospects in your case.  If your claim was rejected you would be given clear advice as to why.

The Personal Injury Claim Process

Generally, personal injury cases have a three-year deadline, which means you must issue you claim before the expiry of this limitation period.  It is therefore vitally important that you contact Howells as soon as possible after your accident. Howells may reject claims which are nearing the 3 year-deadline as we would have a short timescale within which to complete the work required.More...