Esso may have to pay millions of pounds in compensation

Esso and Nestle are giants in the food and drinks industry and these companies are facing many legal claims worth millions of pounds. These claims are made by the former workers who have contracted diseases from exposure to asbestos.

Last week, a British court ordered that Esso has to pay £300,000 to the widow of a former worker of Esso who died because of an asbestos-related disease. The Esso Petroleum Company was ordered to pay £300,000 to the widow of Micheal Streets, who was a worker at the Fawley oil refinery in Hampshire.

A private members bill has been introduced in the House of Lords to help the victims of asbestos-related conditions. The trade union is also demanding compensation for sufferers of pleural plaques, an asbestos-related condition.

According to a legal ruling in October 2007, pleural plaque patients are not eligible for any kind of compensation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but the workers are building pressure to change the law. According to trade unions, insurance companies could face claims upto £1.4bn, after the law changes.

Elaine Otway, the daughter of Robert Otway who died from mesothelioma, an asbestos related disease, in September 2006 brought the case against Nestle. The family of Robert Oatway is expecting to get around £150,000 in compensation

How a lawyer can help you to get a personal injury claim

A personal injury claim is a way of offering financial support to people in case any personal injuries occur due to the carelessness of another party. In such conditions, the victim has legal rights to claim for personal injury compensation. In case someone is injured, the injury claim solicitor can help you to put forward the case. In order to get financial compensation and prompt redress, it is vital to approach the right personal injury claim solicitor.

When you approach a personal injury solicitor, they look at your case and study it thoroughly. The personal injury solicitor will also offer you sensible legal advice as well as support. If you want to get the benefits of compensation, it is vital for the victim to tell each and every minute detail to the personal injury solicitor. The relationship of solicitor and the injured is based upon responsibility and mutual trust and it greatly assists them when looking for ways to provide the compensation to the injured party.

Generally, a personal injury claim solicitor studies the case of the injured while taking medical expenses and other damages into account so as to create a case for compensation. In minor cases, the compensation is not too high whereas in life threatening cases, the compensation can be large depending on personal injuries. So, when making a personal injury claim, make sure that you select an experienced personal injury solicitor who can help you to get the compensation with an ease.

Making a personal injury claim on holiday

Making personal injury claims in the UK is a rather simple process. You have to be above eighteen in order to make one. You need to make one within a period of three years. The date for claiming a personal injury claim begins from the time of the injury. Most important of all, it needs to be established that the injury was as a result of a third party that you will be claiming against.

What happens when you need to make a personal injury claim on holiday?

Because of the poor summer we have had in Britain, many people are now choosing to holiday abroad. On these holidays, there is a chance that there will be mishap or an accident that may occur at any given point of time. This requires you to be ready with at least with the basic knowledge regarding personal injury claims.

What action can be taken if you need to make a personal injury claim when you are abroad?

Whether you are abroad or on home turf in the UK, the rule of thumb of personal injury claims is – gather all the information about the incident that you can straight away, this should include witness statements whenever possible. However, depending on the country, the linguistic barriers may hamper communication. Contact a personal injury solicitor as soon as possible, then you may be able to claim personal injury successfully.

Resolving your personal injury claims

Any injury, physical or psychological, caused on account of an accident or medical negligence, is referred to as a ‘personal injury’. You can always ask for compensation by way of personal injury claim for an injury, disease or condition caused due to negligence or because of someone else’s fault. A personal injury can take different forms, including accidents at work, car accidents, industrial diseases, slips, trips and falls, medical negligence, dental negligence and so on.

Long term injuries can bring a situation when you are unable to work and need medical care for a long period. Short term injuries too can involve pain and a loss of income. If you have been nowhere responsible for either of these personal injuries, you can easily claim compensation for them.

Personal injury claims for work accidents
Many a time personal injury claims are related to work accidents. As per the recent survey by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive), more than 150,000 personal injury claims have been reported in the UK so far and out of which more than 2 million people are suffering from ill health owing to accidents at work. There are several cases where personal injuries have resulted from slips, trips or falls due to wet floors, trailing cables, damaged flooring or working at height without taking adequate safety measures.

The HSE also reports that about 1,000 people are suffering from broken bones and head injuries on account of slips, trips and falls every month. A special campaign has been launched by the HSE “Shattered Lives Campaign” that brings awareness amongst employers to address such frequent work accident issues with appropriate measures.

Besides slips, trips and falls, other personal injury claims that can be claimed for include road traffic accidents, medical negligence, motorbike accidents, whiplash injuries, work accidents leading to burns, deafness, etc and industrial diseases such as cancer, asbestosis, allergies, etc.

Recession Proof Industry?

Is the recession and downturn increasing the volume of Personal Injury Compensation Claims?

The news is full of negative stories about the global economic crisis - or credit crunch as it has been named. On a daily basis, we hear the news of more job losses, dropping sales levels, falling house prices and general doom and gloom. Most of us are yearning to hear some good news when we switch on the TV, log on to the web or listen to the radio. To most of us, it seems that the recession is all that exists when it comes to news. Well, there is some good news out there in the business world, and we are just a part of it.

The right service at the right time

One of the biggest sectors affected by the downturn in the economy is both the Manufacturing and Construction and associated trades. With the drying up of credit and inability for individuals to access credits to buy homes, the Construction Industry is struggling both in the domestic and commercial market place. Unfortunately, many workers have been laid off - despite their skills and hard work ethic. Due to the circumstances of the economic picture, many of these guys and girls have nowhere to go to find work. So, where does Direct 2 Solicitors and the wider Personal Injury Compensation sector fit in?

One of the claim types that we specialise in stem from accidents in the work place. The Health and Safety requirements that employers must adhere to are well known and the need for training, risk assessing, monitoring and compliance is a strict requirement for employers. It goes without saying that the majority of accidents in the workplace come about in the more dangerous of workplaces - such as building sites and manufacturing plants. Despite the best efforts of most employers, accidents happen and in some cases, they occur due to the lack of adherence to the training and safety requirements by an employer. In many cases, the injured party is reluctant to claim against an employer despite their legal right to do so. Normally, this is because of a confusion as to how a claim is brought and who is liable and how the compensation is paid. Many employees mistakenly think that they will be damaging the employer by making a claim and therefore fail to take up their right to make a Personal Injury Compensation Claim, especially when they continue to work for the same employer. However, many who have now been laid off now have serious financial problems. Whilst their wages have stopped, the mortgage payments and other bills keep going on. As a result of this, we have noticed a marked spike in the number people wishing to claim who were workers from the more dangerous sectors of the work place who are now out of work due to the economic downturn. People who previously felt an allegiance or loyalty to an employer and therefore ignored their claim, now have no such worries and have therefore, been driven to make their claim by the need to secure some sort of financial income whilst the economy settles down.

Am I still able to claim?

If you have been affected by the economic crisis and are now out of work but didn't initially want to claim against your employer whilst still working for them, you may still be able to bring your claim. If you were injured in the last 3 years, reported the accident to your employer (if applicable) and sought medical treatment, you may well have a viable claim. should you think that you may be in this situation - or if you are not sure, pick up the phone and call us. Our friendly team will be happy to listen to your story and give you our view on your prospects of success or otherwise.

Making your claim

To make your claim, come to us. Direct 2 Solicitors are approved for Regulated Claims Management Services by the Ministry of Justice (Authorisation CRM 3364), check the regulators web site www.claimsregulation.gov.uk and are also members of the Claims Standards Council. We offer genuine peace of mind, honesty and a friendly caring service.

If you are in need of a reliable and approved Claims Management Company to manage your accident compensation claim, look no further. Email us at webenquiries@direct2solicitorsltd.co.uk, call us on 0800 9177456, or get us to call you, using the big blue "Call me back" box at the top right of this page.

Limitation - make your claim in time!

Claim Limitation

It is well known by the majority of citizens that English and Welsh law provides a period of 3 years in which an individual can bring a claim for Personal Injury Compensation before the courts. This time limit is called 'limitation'. The exceptions to this rule are for those who are under the age of 18 years at the time that they sustain their injuries, as they are given up and until a 21st Birthday in which to register their claims. However, some people don't seem to know about the limitation period!

Whilst the 3-year period is there, in usual circumstances, claims companies and Solicitors require a good 6 month period of the limitation to remain in order that full investigations can be completed and correspondence can be entered in to with the alleged liable party. Many people don't know about the need to allow sufficient time for a Solicitor or Claims Company to run their claim and often find that they have ruled themselves out of a claim by missing the 3-year deadline or contacting us with only a month or less to go. They usually find themselves statute barred and unable to claim.

There are other very rare exceptions to the 3-year rule that may enable an individual to overturn the limitation limit. This would normally apply to individuals who were so seriously injured that they could not manage their own affairs and no carer commenced a claim for them.

Beating the claim deadline

Direct 2 Solicitors never rule anything out and are happy to go the extra mile when we can to assist clients in making genuine claims. Indeed, only this week we have managed to move mountains to assist a client who contacted us with only 4 days of his 3-year period remaining. In normal circumstances, this would not provide sufficient time to enable us to help. However, the injuries sustained a very serious - the client could yet lose the leg that was injured. The gentleman in question was crushed by a car that had been pushed on to the footpath he was using after it had been hit with force by a Public Service Bus. The injures were such that the client was hospitalised and left in a bad way. The Police and other authorities investigated this incident and the Bus Driver was later prosecuted for his actions.

Expert specialist Personal Injury Solicitors

Fortunately for the people we serve such as the client mentioned earlier, Direct 2 Solicitors Ltd have links with an expert panel of Personal Injury Solicitors. Indeed, we have a blue-chip list of firms that are expert litigators and serve client's interests in the best possible manner.

With this in mind, having spoken with the client in question, we immediately contacted one of our specialist Solicitors to discuss this issue. The value of the claim for the client was high and all parties wanted to help. Followng the advice from our Solicitor, we decided to take the unusual step of registering the claim in the courts before contact was made with the 3rd party bus company. Clearly, we had to make speedy investigations beforehand to ensure that we knew the identity of the parties involved to ensure that we were not wasting our or the client's time. Once done, we paid the fee and decided that this claim was worth risking our time, money and effort upon.

Taking risks and helping clients

We are happy to take such risks and put our money on the line to help such clients. Sure, if we win this no-win, no-fee claim for our client, we will get our money back plus fees, but that is not the point. We are a business with a keen ethical stance that ensures that we push the boat out to help individuals who are not always in a position to help themselves.

Making your claim

To make your claim, come to us. Direct 2 Solicitors are approved for Regulated Claims Management Services by the Ministry of Justice (Authorisation CRM 3364), check the regulators web site www.claimsregulation.gov.uk and are also members of the Claims Standards Council. We offer genuine peace of mind, honesty and a friendly caring service.

If you are in need of a reliable and approved Claims Management Company to manage your accident compensation claim, look no further. Email us at webenquiries@direct2solicitorsltd.co.uk, call us on 0800 9177456, or get us to call you, using the big blue "Call me back" box at the top right of this page.

Who is to blame for an increase in dangerous pavement surfaces?

It wasn't me honest...

Over the course of the recent months, there have been numerous media stories that have been coming from the point of view of local authorities regarding the terrible strain that they have been placed under by the 'growing number' of Personal Injury Compensation Claims made against them. To us, this seems a bizarre thing for the authorities to do and it appears that they wish to shirk responsibility for their mismanagement of their statutory duties.
The media stories being released are trying to convince Joe Public that the reason for the increase in dangerous pavements that are liable to lead to injuries for which they will have to pay compensation is because of the amount of money being sucked out of their budgets to settle Personal Injury claims. Words and phrases used when mentioning claims include 'over zealous' 'frivolous' and even 'questionable'. For those who know the truth, these stories and versions of events just don't add up!

Their argument

The authorities see it that they cannot spend money repairing the pavement surfaces because they are having to keep funds aside to fight claims and fund staff to do the defence work. Well, this doesn't add up either. For one, they have insurance and secondly local authorities have had a statutory duty of care regarding pavement surfaces etc for 20odd years now. The councils state that they have had to shelve repair and remedial work due to a lack of funds. Well, our argument is that if they had carried out adequate bi-annual inspection regimes, repaired dangerous pavements before they deteriorated to such an extent that the cost of making repairs ballooned.

Defending the truth

Thankfully, there have been some stories from the 'other side of the fence' - from the point of view of the injured party and that of Joe Public. Solicitors and Industry bodies have pointed out that there has been a declining standard of pavements and a drop in investment in repairs for many years and that there has been no new drop in repairs due to the modern 'claims culture' that we are being hoodwinked in to believing.
We have the knowledge of what to many, a simple fall on a damaged pavement can do to peoples lives. Clients of ours have had their entire lives turned upside down due to sustaining injuries in such falls. Often, especially to the elderly, a fracture to a wrist, leg or spine can end the independence that we all cherish. This is no small matter. In our view, the authorities must accept responsibility for making the repairs we all want to see. If the pavements are sound, inspections are carried out and minor repairs undertaken when needed, then the councils won't face claims in the first place. Simple isn't it?!

Duty of care

Remember, your local authority highways department has a statutory duty of care to ensure that the pavements in your area are free from hazards. If you think that there is a hazard that could cause injury, phone your council and report the matter. They can come and inspect it and decide if it requires remedial work. Let's do our part and trust that the councils will do the same.

Making your claim

To make your claim, come to us. Direct 2 Solicitors are approved for Regulated Claims Management Services by the Ministry of Justice (Authorisation CRM 3364), check the regulators web site www.claimsregulation.gov.uk and are also members of the Claims Standards Council. We offer genuine peace of mind, honesty and a friendly caring service.

If you are in need of a reliable and approved Claims Management Company to manage your accident compensation claim, look no further. Email us at webenquiries@direct2solicitorsltd.co.uk, call us on 0800 9177456, or get us to call you, using the big blue "Call me back" box at the top right of this page.