Almost everyone has been a victim of an accident, minor or major, at least once in their lifetime.
If you have been involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault but due to someone else’s negligence, then you can always make an accident claim for compensation for the injuries suffered.
Whether you are walking on the road, doing your task at workplace or operating some sort of equipment, you might get injured as accidents can happen at any place or time.
Many people are not aware that they can make a claim for compensation if they suffer harm in an accident.
Different types of situations may give rise to claim for compensation like road traffic accidents, slipping/tripping on the street or whiplash injury. If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident then you may be entitled to accident claims if there is physical or psychological injury, pain, stress, misery or suffering. The claim can also be made for the expenses, caused due to the accident, like medical expenses and damage to the property. You can also claim for compensation if there is loss of earnings due to the injuries suffered caused by the accident.
There are a few important ‘things to remember’ if you are claiming for compensation.
• There is a time frame of 3 years within which you must make a claim for compensation. After this statute time the court has discretionary power to allow or reject your claim. There are a few exceptions to this rule, for instance if you are under 18, then the time limitation starts to run from when you turn 18 or if you came to know of the injury caused by the accidents after a long time then the ‘3 years’ starts from when you found out.
• You have to prove that the accident was caused by someone else’s fault, at least in part. The principle behind this is that the person or organisation had a duty of care towards you which they failed to do and caused accident due to their negligence or fault.
• You need to keep records of all medical information regarding the sustained injuries suffered due to the accidents as well as of all the expenses including medical bills.
• You can take legal advice for the accident claim. The ‘No Win No Fee’ rule (which is now a law in England and Wales) you can pursue any genuine claim at negligible or no cost.
It may take some time before you win the accident claim, therefore, it is advisable that you make a note of every detail related to the accident and if possible have some evidence like photographs.
A 16 year old schoolgirl, of Boston, will receive £19,000 as compensation from her school. The school is also required to pay a fine of £16,500 along with £2,500 for expenses.
The teenager was trying to make a sculpture when she put her fingers in the bucket of plaster of Paris which set around her hands which no one could get off her fingers. She had to bear the pain, of a series of 12 operations, all in vain; as she was left with just two fingers in one hand and none on the other.
The governing body of the foundation school admitted to the breach of health and safety regulations and the failure to report the horrific accident to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE was informed about this by the girl’s plastic surgeon, six weeks after the incident.
Updated on 10/14/2009