Monday, 4 March 2013

Work Accident Claims Begin with RIDDOR

The filing for a work accident claim begins with RIDDOR 95. Also known as the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995, this law requires employers to report fatal and specific non-fatal injuries involving workers and members of the public to the government.

To put it a bit more plainly, RIDDOR requires employers or other people who are in control of the work premises to report and keep the records involving an accident. In the event that the employer is not available, a manager or supervisor takes over this responsibility.

The following information is required from an employer, manager, or supervisor:
•    Work-related deaths
•    Serious injuries
•    Cases of diagnosed industrial disease
•    Dangerous occurrences or near miss incidents

Based on a change implemented on April 6, 2012, only injuries that lead to workers who are not able to return to work for more than seven consecutive days, because of a work accident, need to be reported by an employer, manager, or supervisor.

This is a change from the old requirement, being that anything more than three consecutive days must be reported.

And while anything less than seven days does not need to be reported, an employer, manager, or supervisor still needs to keep a record of the accident if a worker is still incapacitated for more than three consecutive days.

Friday, 4 January 2013

The Main Responsibility of Accidents Direct and Other Claiming Groups

Duty to Inform

For Accidents Direct and all the other companies that advertise on the Internet and the television, there is no duty more essential than that of informing the public regarding the claiming process. More than just organizing lawyers and disseminating technical information, such entities focused on tort laws aim to help you decide whether or not to file a personal injury claim as well as to guide you in claiming compensation if ever you do decide to stake one.

These twin obligations, namely, of helping you decide whether or not to file a claim and of helping you claim once a decision has been made, constitute these law groups’ mission. It is also on such grounds then that they should be judged. In order to discover the caliber of a certain claiming company, for instance, then do not hesitate in asking how much these obligations have been met by that company and to deduce the necessary conclusions. If, for example, in browsing the Internet, you come across success stories related to one company, of how knowledgeable they are and of how much they helped a claimant receive compensation, then you should take note of that company. For contrary cases, draw contrary conclusions. If you can find no good reviews about a certain such entity, then it might be unsafe to secure their services.

An Unfortunate Truth

We understand that there are certain people who, in their honest but misguided indignation, unreasonable infer that because certain claiming companies like Accidents Direct advertise on the Internet and the television, that all these entities are in the end just interested in making money. Although such an argument is partly true, for we would not deny that such groups are interested in profit just like all other businesses, it is not completely true, because other than for its financial dividends, such groups exist and advertise in order to fulfill a social need: helping claimants process their accident claims.

Whatever our take on the matter may be, we must resign ourselves to the fact that claiming compensation is a technical process. It is not, in other words, something we can do by ourselves or without the help of a professional. Claiming companies, no matter how unethical some of them may be, in general have a place in society, for without them it would terribly difficult to make one person, especially if that person is an influential one, be taken into account for the harm he causes others whether through his hostility or his negligence. Aside from this, we need claiming companies to guide us through the thickets of legal jargon that claiming compensation has to go through. Let us remember these principles whenever we feel inclined to harass groups that earn their income on filing a personal injury lawsuit.

Friday, 7 December 2012

Reliability of No Win No Fee Solicitors

No win no fee solicitors play an important role in personal injury claims. The legal advice from them can make or break the claim. It is essential to pick the right one.

Ideally, no win no fee solicitors should possess impressive qualities that will stand out from others. Why is this relevant? The reason for this is because the appointed solicitor or lawyer will represent the injured person in court and face the legal battle. A solicitor should be knowledgeable in personal injury (PI).  He must be well-informed about the different types of claims like road traffic collision, whiplash, medical negligence, slips, falls, accident at work, accident in the workplace and accident in public. Being resourceful is a great advantage. PI involves complicated and complex issues. A voracious reader who is hungry to read and study the complexities of the case is an ideal person for the job. 

Studying every angle protects the claimant from possible risks that may impend the awarding of the compensation. The work requires a highly analytical person who will delve into the nitty-gritty aspect of the claim. On top of these impressive characteristics is a compassionate heart that listens patiently and understands the victim of negligence.