There are so many factors to discourage you from making a personal injury claim these days. The Westminster Government almost seem to be trying to outlaw claims for whiplash injury and there is a constant undercurrent of suggestion that such claimants are fraudsters or at least exaggerating their symptoms. So, if you are thinking of claiming personal injury compensation following an accident, should you do so? An unattractive “entitlement” mentality Most of us find it difficult to warm to people who claim entitlement to positions or privileges just because of who they are or what they may claim to have done in the past. But legal entitlements are different Fair enough, the legal entitlement to personal injury compensation, where the injury is caused by the negligence of another, is not a "deserving cause" in everyone's eyes. Usually, these doubters are folk who have never been in the position of an injury victim themselves. It is different when you are the victim. Personal injury Continue Reading
100 Moray Claims Blogs – A Round-Up
We launched the Moray Claims website in October 2012. This is the 100th blog article. So, as we reach the milestone of 100 Moray Claims blogs, what are the main themes which have evolved via the blog during the last 2 years? They ask, You answer I’ve looked to the “They ask, You answer” advice of Marcus Sheridan for guidance, even if most of the time it’s meant predicting rather than knowing what you might want to know about personal injury law. Moray Claims is a trading name of Grigor & Young and so we started off this blog describing Moray Claims as “Not just another accident claims company”. Probably a bit too cryptic as a headline. Belatedly, months later, I realised it might be a good idea to explain what is Moray Claims and the purpose of the blog. In the buzz-speak of the content marketing gurus online, I’ve tried to provide meaningful content, to a targeted audience (you folks in Moray and a bit beyond that) and be authentically helpful. Helping you in Continue Reading
Claims for Compensation after Assault
Most of our articles dealing with claims for personal injury cover injuries which have been caused as the result of someone’s negligence. In other words, the injuries were not caused intentionally. But what about situations where you have been injured because someone deliberately assaulted you? As a victim of crime you may be able to claim compensation. So what mechanisms exist to deal with claims for compensation after assault? Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a Government body set up to deal with these claims. Elgibility rules and exclusions There are strict rules on eligibility and certain factors can exclude you from making a CICA claim. However, you may be entitled to make a CICA claim if you have been a victim of violent crime or if you were injured while trying to prevent a crime or stop a criminal or while assisting a police officer. Being resident in the UK can be important as there are some Continue Reading
Bicycle Accident in Moray – How To Claim For Personal Injury
If you do any amount of cycling, you will probably have had a near miss or two. Cyclists are vulnerable road users and the risk is always there of an accident or collision with a car, lorry or even another cyclist. Moray has a few designated cycle paths, notably the tracks between Elgin and RAF Lossiemouth and between Forres and Findhorn. However, on numerous minor roads in Moray, the national speed limit is combined with narrow carriageways and restricted visibility. Add to this the ever-increasing volume of traffic on our roads and you can see why an increasing number of cyclists are falling victim to injury as the result of a bicycle accident in Moray. If you are a cyclist unlucky enough to be injured in an accident, you may choose to make a personal injury claim so you can receive compensation for your injuries and other losses. It is likely that your bike will be damaged, possibly beyond economic repair, and you will want any compensation to include an element to pay Continue Reading
Compensation Culture: Does Your Personal Injury Claim Make You Part Of It?
Fear of furthering a perceived Compensation Culture is deterring people from making Personal Injury claims. We recently took on a claim for a man who had finally reached the decision, more than two years after his accident at work, to go ahead with a compensation claim for his injuries and other losses. Here’s what he told us: “I have a concern over the "bandwagon" of what might be considered modern-day "compensation culture" and how that might seem - on the face of it - to be getting exploited for less-than-deserving cases. And that was maybe a wee bit of my issue in relation to starting this process.” So is there a Compensation Culture and what do we mean by the term, anyway? A difficult thing to define In some contexts, the term “Compensation Culture” is shorthand for the desire of one person to sue a second person where the first person suffered due to something which could have been avoided if the second person (or organisation) had done things Continue Reading
Food Poisoning on Holiday: Claiming Compensation for Injury
Going away on holiday gives us the chance to escape the routine of daily life, relax and rejuvenate. If you fall victim to a bout of food poisoning while on holiday, it can ruin the whole experience. You may end up with the feeling that you would have been better off staying at home. What can you do if you have been affected by food poisoning while on holiday and wish to claim compensation? While you are still on holiday You will need to get through the remainder of your holiday as best you can. You may need medical treatment and you should not hesitate to seek medical help if you get food poisoning on holiday. Apart from anything else, the health consequences of food poisoning can be serious if left untreated. From a claim perspective, however, suffering in silence - only to raise the matter on your return home - will make it difficult to prove the link between your illness and the hotel or resort where you stayed. If the hygiene standards at your hotel are poor and you Continue Reading
Personal Injury Lawyer In Moray (How To Focus Your Search For A Solicitor)
If you live in Moray or have been injured in an accident which happened in Moray, here are some factors to consider if you need to choose a solicitor to help you with a personal injury claim. Are you going to use a local solicitor or one who is at a distance from you? A Moray solicitor will have local knowledge, which could be useful and give them an advantage over someone who is not based in the area. For some types of accident - for example, pavement tripping accidents - it can be crucial for someone (often, the solicitor!) to visit the locus of the accident as soon as possible after the accident in order to take photographs and make measurements. A local solicitor is going to be better-placed to carry out such work. Or maybe not. Google Streetview and other free online tools mean that a virtual visit to a locus is often possible and this may be sufficient, depending upon the type of accident. So, it may not be essential to have a local solicitor to deal with your Continue Reading
What Can I Claim Personal Injury Compensation For?
The answer to the question "What can I claim personal injury compensation for?" is something which is bound to influence you in deciding whether or not it is even worth your while bothering with a claim at all. If you are injured in an accident and need to make a claim for compensation, there are various possible elements which can make up your claim as a whole. We tend to refer to these as “heads of claim”. Also note that, in this context, “damages” is another word for “compensation”. The way to think about it is that any loss you have suffered as a result of your accident can probably be compensated. Here is a list of some of the most common elements found in personal injury claims. Your pain and suffering The level of compensation you get for your injuries is calculated on a sliding scale. So, the more serious and long-lasting your injuries, the greater the amount of compensation you will receive. Multiple injuries will increase the value of the claim here, though Continue Reading
Holiday Accidents: When Can You Claim?
This is the time of year when many of us are returning to work with happy holiday memories. However, for some, their vacation will have been spoiled by an accident or illness. Damage to your health is upsetting enough but the difficulties created will be compounded where you don’t speak the local language and are dealing with an unfamiliar health care system. Added to the pain and suffering of your injury is the regret that the money you have spent on your trip has been wasted. If you have been the victim of injury or illness on holiday, can you do anything to recoup your losses? It depends upon the exact circumstances but there are certainly some situations in which you can claim successfully for your physical, emotional and financial loss. Package holidays If, for example, the injury occurred while you were on a package holiday, the focus will be on whether the tour operator is to blame. Tour operators have a legal duty to protect the customers to whom they have sold holidays. Continue Reading
Testimonial – I had never claimed…
"I had never claimed for personal injury before and had no idea how to go about it. I felt at ease talking to you about my claim." Continue Reading
Testimonial – I found that you…
"I found that you dealt with everything very quickly and that you were very professional to deal with. " Continue Reading
Testimonial – JM Inverness
"I was injured in a serious road traffic accident near Fort Augustus when I was a front seat passenger in a car which was in a head on collision. Initially, after the accident, when I was still recovering from my injuries, I didn’t want the additional stress of making a claim, so I left it for a while. I didn’t know much about the process and wanted to know what would happen if I proceeded. I called a few solicitors to enquire but didn’t feel I could trust any of them. I called Grigor & Young and spoke with Marie Morrison. I could tell she was a genuine, honest person. She was easy to talk to and, above all, trustworthy. I left it for a few months and then got back in touch with her when I felt ready to proceed. I was very worried about the future but I feel more secure now. Having resolved the claim gives me some closure and helps me move forward. The claim helped me face up to many issues that I would probably have swept under the carpet. From these points of view, it was well Continue Reading