Why no win no fee solicitors shouldn’t be slammed
There have been a number of news headlines slamming no win no fee solicitors for helping "opportunistic compensation claimants" into taking legal action against the NHS and councils across the country.
A Courier investigation was launched after a man was awarded with over £15,000 in compensation by an East Sussex council for suffering personal injuries as a result of slipping on rubbish that was left on the pavement.
The investigation revealed that local authorities compensate members of the public with approximately £500,000 each year.
Another study revealed that local authorities across the UK have paid out £3 million in damages over the past 12 months with the NHS across the North of England paying out almost £36 million over the past year.
But the major concern shouldn't be about the money that's being paid out due to somebody else's negligence, what the real concern should be the reason why these people are injured in the first place.
Hazardous roads
With the poor state of the roads and pavements, filled with potholes and uneven slabs, along with little finding to maintain and repair the damages, it is only expected that there will be an increase in injuries and fatalities as a result of road accidents and slips, trips and falls.
The Northamptonshire County Council, for example, witnessed a surge in claims after it had faced over 2,300 claims being filed against it since 2006 as a result of road accidents.
A spokesperson stated that the growing number of public liability claims made against the councils is due to the heavy snowfall the country faced earlier this year.
The spokesperson said: "The increase in the number of compensation claims submitted to the county council can be attributed to the damage caused by the freezing weather that hit the county this year.
"The heavy rain, snow and frost caused the road surface to become more brittle, accelerating its deterioration."
And with the increase in the number of pothole damage and a backlog of repairs which is expected to take years to clear, along with small budgets put aside for the road maintenance, the number of potholes don't seem to be getting any lesser.
Another claim was made against the Scottish Government due to a sunken pothole which left a biker suffering from severe facial injuries.
The man suffered from a smashed cheekbone and other facial injuries despite wearing a helmet.
Compensated after lost needle
Another victim sued the NHS after a doctor failed to locate and retrieve a needle which was lost in a man's body during an operation.
The doctor then, knowing the needle would cause infections, perforations and other medical complications, left a needle in the man's body.
And in recent news, it was found that despite facing over 10 medical negligence complaints, a doctor is still able to operate on patients.
Furthermore, three babies died in the care of the doctor while another three suffered serious injuries.
Both the number of road accidents and medical negligence claims can be reduced if the authorities and the NHS take the appropriate steps to ensure the safety of others.
So in reality, no win no fee solicitors are only right in awarding victims who have suffered injuries on behalf of someone else, with compensation.
Updated on 8/23/2009