Author: Mark Reynolds

It’s estimated that there are over one million uninsured drivers currently driving on Britain’s roads and every year there’s around 25,000 incidents involving uninsured drivers.

As we all know, it’s a legal requirement to have valid motor insurance and it can literally add insult to injury if you happen to get hit by somebody who hasn’t. However, not all is lost. If you are hit by an uninsured driver and you are unfortunate enough to suffer an injury then you should be able to make a claim with the MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau). The MIB is a non-profit company which is funded by the insurance industry to deal with matters precisely like this. Even if you’ve only got third party insurance you should be able to make a claim.

When you get hit by another vehicle and you find out that they are uninsured it can be a very heart sinking moment. This is compounded if you’ve suffered an injury as well and your immediate thoughts will turn to how you will cope financially with time off work, and how will you afford to replace your vehicle. The MIB is there to deal with these issues but it still pays to get some legal representation to make sure that you receive the full compensation you deserve.

At Mark Reynolds Solicitors we have dealt with numerous cases such as this and we can advise you on the claiming process and the medical evidence you will need. If the injury has caused you to need long-term care and rehabilitation, we can help you put together a claim for that as well. If you’ve recently been involved in an accident with an uninsured driver and not sure what to do next then please contact us by phone or by visiting one of our offices, we would be happy to advise you.

According to the latest figures from RoSPA, around 3000 cyclists are killed or seriously injured every year in the UK, and there are approximately 16000 cyclists who suffer minor injuries. And these are just the reported cases. Many cycling accidents are not reported to the police.

These figures are based on cycling accidents which happen on the road. It is estimated that the number of serious injuries that happen to cyclists away from the road could be 2 or 3 times more.

Here are some facts and figures about cycling accidents in the UK:

• The majority of cycling casualties are adults with less than 20% being children. Around 80% of cycling casualties are also male.
• Around two thirds of cyclists are killed or seriously injured at road junctions, with T junctions being the most common.
• Around 50% of cyclist deaths happen on rural roads
• Approximately 80% of cycling accidents happen in daylight hours
• Around 75% of cyclists who are killed have major head injuries
• More cycling accidents happen during the spring and summer months
• Around 25% of cycling accidents are caused by HGVs, buses or coaches passing too close to a cyclist

When looking at the cause of cycling accidents, the most common scenarios are:

• Cyclists turning right from a major or minor road
• Cyclists turning on a junction, especially T Junctions
• Cyclists riding off a pavement and into the road
• Motorists turning into the path of a cyclist without looking properly
• Motorist passing too close to a cyclist

If you have been involved in a cycling accident that wasn’t your fault and would like to discuss the potential for making a claim then please get in touch. At Mark Reynolds we have helped hundreds of cyclists with the accident claim process so please contact us to discuss your case.

Despite Aldi’s recent announcement that they intend to pay 9,000 staff the full living wage, the overall feeling across UK employers is one of fear and reluctance to implement it.

When George Osborne announced that the minimum national living wage was to rise to £7.20 for over 25s from April 2016 onwards, the general reaction of employers. Aldi excluded, has been to look at their recruitment policies and focus on under 25s or look at outsourcing to self-employed workers.

In a recent survey by Manpower across more than 2000 employers, many came back saying that they were scaling back recruitment plans stating that the affordability of the new living wage was a big obstacle to their recruitment plans.

The CBI have also stated that the introduction of the new living wage was a ‘gamble’ to the UK employment market with employers potentially halting recruitment altogether or finding ways of bypassing the legislation by employing people who are not entitled to it in the first place.

Conversely, living wage campaigners believe that just like when the minimum wage was introduced in 1999, employers will absorb the costs of doing so and the same will happen when the living wage for over 25s is introduced next year.

The employment landscape could potentially change with the introduction of the living wage, as employers start to favour using remote self-employed workers rather than recruiting people themselves. This could throw up some legal challenges if employers don’t follow the letter of the law surrounding the use of self-employed people and the amount of time they spend working directly for the company without the benefits that a normal full-time employee would get.

It will be interesting to see how this story develops and the impact it will have on UK employment and the types of law cases that may emerge if employers fail to implement the new living wage correctly.

Have you lost out on money from an employer or a previous employer has failed to give you what you have worked for after moving to a new job? Talk to our professional employment law solicitors today with no obligation. Contact us.

 When it comes to making a claim in a clinical negligence case it is necessary to establish that the medical professional in question was negligent in their actions and that this negligence caused your injury. The courts have to decide that the actions of the medical professional were not simply a mistake but a case of incompetence that no qualified medical professional should have been responsible for. It must also be proved that the incompetence of these actions has caused or contributed to your injury. To prove both of these scenarios it is highly likely that an independent medical specialist will need to be called in to evaluate your case.

If your case is successful then you will be to claim:

General Damages – compensation for the pain, suffering and injury you received.

Special Damages – compensation for expenses that you have incurred such as loss of earnings, prescription charges, travelling expenses etc. You will need to keep a careful record of expenses so that you can be appropriately recompensed.

Future Losses – compensation for any future loss of earnings, loss of pension, future treatments etc

Determining the above costs can be a complex affair involving extensive record-keeping as well as advice from independent experts. At Mark Reynolds Solicitors we have handled hundreds of clinical negligence cases and have helped our clients put together strong cases with all the necessary evidence gathered. We have also helped them to calculate the amount of compensation that is appropriate to claim.

If you believe that you have suffered an injury as a result of clinical negligence and are unsure on how to take things forward then please get in touch to discuss your circumstances and we will advise you on the strength of your case and help you with your preparation for claiming compensation. You can free phone Mark Reynolds on 0800 002 9577 to speak to an adviser or fill in the contact form opposite and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

The NHS has announced major incidents within a number of their hospitals across the UK. These major incidents, caused by mounting pressures on NHS staff, lead to an increase in clinical negligence, as understaffed departments struggle to cope with increasing patient demands.

What Is a Major Incident?
Hospitals declare a major incident when they are finding it difficult to provide sufficient levels of care to their patients. This usually happens when demand is exceptionally high, or levels of staff are unusually low.

The measure enables them to seek extra help from outside their own hospital. For example, extra nurses may be brought in from another NHS authority. Once a major incident has been declared, the hospital are authorised to limit the flow of patients into the hospital. Routine operations and non-urgent outpatient appointments are often rescheduled, ensuring sufficient beds are available to patients who arrive at the hospital as a matter of urgency.

Which Hospitals Have Been Affected?
According to the news, major incidents have recently been declared in a number of hospitals across the UK, including the following locations:
• Gloucestershire
• North Yorkshire
• Surrey
• Staffordshire

What is Clinical Negligence?
Clinical negligence arises when medical professionals fail to provide adequate levels of care to their patients. When NHS services are stretched, particularly when they are understaffed or the demand increases, mistakes are more likely to occur. These mistakes can be relatively minor, but, in some cases, can significantly impact the life of the patient involved.

There are many types of clinical negligence that may arise. When hospitals declare a major incident, and routine appointments are delayed, this means diagnoses of major illnesses are often delayed. In some cases this is fatal, as the delay reduces the amount of time available for treatment as the illness progresses.

Every year thousands of workers are injured in accidents at work. In 2013 in the UK alone, 78,000 workers experienced a workplace injury and over one million workers suffered from a work-related illness. If you’ve had an accident at work or suffered from a work-related illness, find out how compensation could help you.

Why You Should Seek Help

Injuries and work-related illnesses can have a severe impact on you and your family’s life. In addition to experiencing pain and suffering, you may also find there are real financial consequences. Lost earnings, the cost of medical treatment and other related expenses soon add up, and you may find yourself seriously out of pocket. In such circumstances, compensation can really help. Not only will it ease the financial burden of an injury or illness, but it can help to take away the stress and worry too.

Claiming Compensation

In the workplace, your employer has a duty of care for your health, safety and welfare. This means they must ensure that your working environment is safe and that you’re protected from injury and illness. If you have suffered as a result of a workplace injury or illness that was not your fault, you may have a case for compensation.

Who Can Claim and For What?

It’s important to note this duty of care applies to you regardless of your employment status. So even if you’re self-employed or a casual worker you still have the right to make a claim for compensation. Work-related injuries and illnesses take many forms and are caused by many things. From inadequate staff training to exposure to faulty equipment, if your injury or illness was caused by your working environment you could have a claim for compensation.

To find out more about making a claim for compensation, call us at Mark Reynolds Solicitors. Remember we’re here to help you.

Suffering an accident at work can be very traumatic and if it leads to making an accident claim then it pays to do things by the book so that your case is a strong one. In the event of an accident, here’s a quick checklist of actions you need to take:

1. Report the accident to your employer – it sounds obvious but lots of accidents happen every year without this being done properly. The accident should be reported to the person who looks after health and safety matters in the company and if you don’t know who that is, then ask your manager. Ensure that the accident gets reported in the employer’s accident book. Your employer is legally obliged to have an accident book.

2. Seek medical attention – whether your accident requires the attention of your GP, a visit to casualty, or a visit to a medical specialist you should always ensure you seek medical attention even if you don’t think your injuries are that serious. Problems can escalate with injuries so it pays to get attention and in doing so; a medical record will be kept which may be important later.

3. Obtain witnesses – if your accident was witnessed by anybody then make sure you obtain their names and contact details. Evidence may be required later from any witnesses to your accident.

4. Photographs – it always helps if you can take photographs of where the accident happened and especially take photos of what may have caused the accident.

5. Keep your own record – this is always good practice. Keep your own written record of what’s taken place including tools and equipment you were using, the specific job you were doing at the time of the accident and your job responsibilities in general. This will help your memory later and it will definitely help your solicitor if you intend to take matters further.

6. Never admit fault or settle without legal advice – employers may want to settle with you to avoid court action. You should always seek advice first from a solicitor and don’t admit any fault because this will damage your case.

For more advice about filing an accident claim at work and to discuss your case with us, then please get in touch.