Here are just a few of the things we can assist you with when claiming for compensation if a road traffic accident occurs:

Your health

If you have been involved in a road traffic accident in St Helens, then it’s very likely you’ve been injured in some way and could require physiotherapy as a result. It is unfair for you to pay these expenses if the accident was not your fault and, by contacting our experienced team, we can advise if you’re entitled to make a claim.

Your vehicle

If you escape without injury in a road traffic accident, then your vehicle may have taken the brunt of the impact and no longer be safe to drive. Repairing a damaged car, or replacing it entirely, is an expensive process and is one that is unfair if you feel that you were not at fault. At St Helens Law, we can arrange for replacement vehicles or repairs to help you with getting back on the road as soon as possible.

Proving the accident was not your fault

We’re extremely experienced in claims for road traffic accidents and can work with you to help prove that the accident you were involved in was not your fault.

The more information you can share with us the better, including details from the other driver. Such as:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number
• Insurance details
• Car registration number

Other important information to collect is any potential witness details and photographs of all vehicles involved in the incident.

Ready to contact us? We’re happy to assist

At St Helens Law we are proud to offer a personal service – including providing a home appointment if you would prefer – and our first consultation of 30 minutes is always free of charge. Contact us on 01744 385171 we are also available via email at info@sthelenslaw.co.uk or you can complete our online enquiry form now.

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Lots of us will remember reading the terrible stories about two young girls who died as a result of eating pre-packaged and take-away food that had either been wrongly labelled or ill-prepared. With the Christmas Season fast approaching, it’s important to remember, should you suffer from any kind of food allergy, that what you’re having is safe.

Bearing in mind all the various food allergens, with 14 of the most common allergens comprising eggs, milk, fish, crustaceans, molluscs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, cereals containing gluten, soya , celery/celeriac, mustard, lupus, sulphur dioxide and sulphates – it’s good to know that now there are now stringent regulations in place to ensure that :

1. Prepacked foods which are then sold on MUST have a full ingredient label on packaging. Any allergens must be emphasised on the label.
2. Foods prepared and then packaged for direct sale in an on-site kitchen do not need to adhere to the same law as businesses selling prepacked foods. The regulations stipulate allergen information in writing is NOT MANDATORY.  Instead, business operators are afforded discretion as to how they communicate allergen information to customers (either in writing or orally).
3. Non-prepacked foods are best described as foods sold loose, or foods packed at the consumer’s request and can include :
   • Foods sold loose in a retail environment eg deli counter (cheese, cold meats, muffins, baked goods)
   • Foods sold in catering environments eg meals served in restaurant, foods served from takeaway and packed at consumer’s request. Again, business operators are afforded the discretion to communicate any allergen information in writing or orally.

It’s important to know your rights.

If you suffer from food allergies, you should ALWAYS make sure you carefully read labels on pre-packed food.  If you’re out having a meal and you’re not sure what’s actually in the food you have ordered and the menu isn’t clear, ask what’s contained in any meal you order to ensure you’re going to be able to eat it safely.  It’s exactly the same with takeaway food.  If you’re not sure – ask.

Rest assured if you do have any issues, whether you’ve bought a prepacked sandwich, a takeaway meal, or had what you thought was going to be a lovely meal at a restaurant, we at St Helens Law can help you to get the compensation you deserve should you suffer an allergic reaction.

The last thing we want to see is anyone losing out at their Christmas Party because they’ve been taken ill, so please be aware.

For more information call 01744 385171 or click here to email info@sthelenslaw.co.uk

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It’s a chance for us all to let our hair down, get on the dance floor, have a cheeky glass of fizz and enjoy ourselves. But it’s also a time for silly accidents and unnecessary injuries.

Whilst you can be blamed in some instances for an injury you might suffer following a shot (or three), it’s important to remember that not all accidents are your own fault.  In some instances, you might be injured by somebody who is acting during the course of their employment, and if that proves to be the case you might have a claim against their employer. The employer is far more likely to be in a position to compensate you via their insurers, as individuals rarely insure against such incidents.

It is sometimes a complex question, and it’s called vicarious liability.

So please take care this Christmas.

If you are an employer seeking advice on your responsibilities during the festive period, please contact our expert team who is on hand to offer all the guidance you need.

And if an accident does befall you that wasn’t your fault, no matter what it is or where it happened, call St Helens Law. We are here to give you sound advice about whether you’d be entitled to make a claim for any injuries you might have experienced whilst trying to enjoy the festive season.

Click here to visit the Personal Injury section of our website for more help and information.

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Many people involved in accidents are left struggling to pay their medical expenses.

When you are injured following an accident the NHS are usually able to help you back into fitness either through your GP, the Hospital or physiotherapist. Sometimes, however, a lengthy waiting list may leave you waiting for months before your problems are dealt with. Or the treatment  you need may not be available on the NHS at all.

That needn’t be the case.

If the accident wasn’t your fault, then private treatment will often be authorised by insurers to put you back on your feet. If they don’t volunteer the treatment then you can see a solicitor and insist. The treatment can often be paid for by way of an interim payment.

At St Helens Law we recently acted for a client who needed treatment on her ovaries, that the NHS would not provide. This was after a clinical error on the part of the Trust. We arranged private treatment that was later funded by the Trust through our offices.

A more common need after accidents is physiotherapy. We have arrangements with physiotherapists that will treat you and wait to be paid until the end of the damages claim.

So if you’ve had an accident, there’s no need to let medical expenses add to your pain, and no need to wait for the NHS. Simply contact St Helens Law and our expert team will help take care of your private treatment.

For more information call 01744 385171 or click here to email info@sthelenslaw.co.uk

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Before any claim is submitted you will need to discuss the circumstances surrounding your injuries with our solicitors. We will then determine if you have a viable case or not. We work on a no win no fee basis.

You do not need to arrange our first meeting together. We are more than happy for you to simply pop into our town centre office. The first chat will take around 30 minutes and comes free of charge. If you cannot make it to our office, you can call us or email us to discuss your injuries.

What is classed as a personal injury?

Personal injury covers any injury you have suffered that did not come as a result of your own actions. This could be one suffered at home, at work, in a public place or one due to professional negligence. Injuries suffered in a road traffic accident also fall into the personal injury category.

The compensation you are likely to receive will depend on the severity of your injuries. This amount is also affected by factors such as loss of earnings, medical expenses and the insurance excess. Our personal injury solicitors in St Helens will be able to advise you on the figure you could expect to receive if your case is a success.

How long will a personal injury claim take to settle?

Firstly, you must submit your claim within three years of the incident taking place for it to be declared eligible. In special circumstances, a court may, however, extend this timeframe.

The amount of time it takes to resolve a claim depends on the intricacies of your claim. Simple, straightforward cases can take just a few months, but more complicated cases that involve very severe or life-changing injuries will take a lot longer to conclude.

Get in touch

We have over 20 years’ experience as a law firm and have successfully negotiated countless personal injury claims in St Helens. We are certified and accredited by the Law Society Lexcel and are members of the Law Society in Conveyancing Quality.

If you require any further information, please submit your details through the form to the side of the page. One of our expert team will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also contact us on 01744 385171 or via our email info@sthelenslaw.co.uk.

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Cases involving fatalities are looked at by most solicitors as being personal injury cases. In reality they are a lot different and any link between able to deal with a personal injury case and the ability to deal with a fatal accident is tenuous to say the least.

The first consideration is that the person involved is not able to give you a statement. Families looking for answers are often frustrated by the lack of information from the police, who of course have to make a thorough enquiry.

Where someone has died in accidental circumstances then the Coroner for the area where the accident happened will open an Inquest very soon after the death and adjourn it to a date when more and better information is available. A competent solicitor should arrange for representation at the Inquest the cost of which is usually paid for as part of the claim for damages.

Whilst waiting on information the persons who are able to claim need to be sorted out. There are basically two claims one being on behalf of the estate and the other being on behalf of dependents of the deceased.

The Estate Claim

The Estate Claim is one that is taken out either by the Executors (if there is a will) or by the Administrators ( if there is no will).

The Estate Claim is for any claim that was with the deceased at the point that he died. This might be damages for pain and suffering, loss of earnings and care. In addition the funeral and testamentary expenses are part of this claim.

A Claim For Dependency

One claim is brought for any dependents. Those entitled are the spouse (be it common law or married), parents and some more distant relatives. Anyone seeking to claim a dependency must show reliance on the deceased be it financial or otherwise for monies worth. For instance someone being cared for by the deceased would have a claim.

The damages are worked out by calculating how much annually was being relied upon from the deceased and then that sum is multiplied by a figure representing the expected life expectancy of the deceased and also the claimant. For instance if the deceased was unwell and not likely to have lived long in any event then the number of years will be reduced accordingly. The same applies if the claimant was aged at the time of the death then the claim would be reduced accordingly.

Bereavement damages

The Fatal Accidents Act 1976 provides for a category of relatives that are entitled to a payment upon death. These are husbands and wives Common law or married) and parents.

The sum is fixed by Statute but varied by statutory instrument and currently stands at £12,980. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1976/30/section/1A.

Damages For Right to Life

Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights suggests that all are entitled to have their life protected by law. Where the proposed defendant is the State or an emanation of the State eg the NHS or a Local Authority then a claim for damages can be made under this heading.

It can be seen that the options available and the calculations necessary mean that a fatal accident case needs an experienced solicitor to deal with them. It is far from straight forward.

For more information on this or any other type of personal injury case, click here to view our Personal Injury services, call our specialist team on 01744 385171 or contact us through our website.

The post Damages in Fatal Accident Cases – Not So Simple appeared first on St Helens Law.

• Your injury
• The cost of any repairs or the value of your vehicle
• Insurance excess
• The cost of hire vehicle or compensation for the loss of your vehicle
• Medical and general expenses
• Replacement vehicle to be delivered to you, usually within 72 hours

Although our office closes at 12.00 noon on Friday 22 December 2017 (and re-opens at 8.30am on Tuesday 2 January 2018), you can still contact us with any emergencies, all the way through Christmas. Simply call our office number on 01744 385171 and you will be diverted to one of our solicitors who will be only be to happy to help with your enquiry.

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Here’s our brief guide to staying safe this evening!

1. Check all costumes as to whether they are fire resistant!

Halloween costumes are a must for parties and trick or treating with the kids but are very often cheaply made and not from fire resistant materials. You may recall the news after Strictly star Claudia Winkleman’s daughter was burned by a costume that caught fire. Check and double check the labelling on such items of clothing and ensure that naked flames and candles are kept well away from the fun. Naked tealights in Pumpkins can be dangerous when little ones are about so why not use a pretend flame instead from a battery operated light? Props and accessories too can be dangerous with broomsticks and 3 pronged forks all posing a danger especially when being used by little hands.

2. Make up and face paints, spooky contact lenses.

No costume is complete without scary/spooky face paints or make up. Check labelling on such products as they could cause burns, rashes and allergic reactions if not checked or patch tested in advance. A big trend in recent years has been wearing contact lenses to finish off that scary look but not all products are as safe as they should be especially when ordering from the internet. Again read labels and if in doubt don’t wear them!

3. Road safety

Spooky costumes are by their very nature dark in colour and non reflective. If you are taking your little ones out trick or treating finish off their costume with a reflective band or stickers to ensure road users can see them and make everyone as safe as possible whilst enjoying all the fun! Keep little ones close and remind them of the road crossing code as in all the excitement it’s so easy to forget!

4. Watch where you are going

We’ve many years of experience here at St Helens law in dealing with tripping and slipping claims so know how all too often someone can easily trip and fall in broad daylight. At night defects in the pavements or road are not as obvious – take a torch out and take extra care when walking around at night especially with children who will not be used to being out in the dark!

But…………most of all have lots of spooky fun and don’t let this Halloween become a nightmare!

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But what do you do if you’ve been involved in an RTA? Well, it is assumed that you would contact your insurers so that they can sort the repairs to your vehicle and arrange a hire car.

By doing so, you are likely to impact your no claims discount and therefore see a huge increase in your premium at the next renewal. Not to mention the hire car that you receive may well be below the standard of your own vehicle.

But what if the accident wasn’t your fault?

Here at St Helens Law, we can offer a better solution! We’ve entered into a partnership with major repairers and hirers to enable you to have your vehicle repaired while the other party’s insurer foots the bill. We’ll also make sure that while your car is being fixed, we get you back on the road in a hire car that meets the same standard of your own car.

All of this will be covered by the insurers of the party at fault, with no penalty to your no claims and no cost to you.

Very simple, but very efficient.

For more information and support please view our online guide to road traffic accidents, or if you want to discuss a recent accident with one of our advisors, please call 01744 454 433 or email info@sthelenslaw.co.uk

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RTA’S are becoming more and more frequent as there are more vehicles on the road and especially as the winter weather starts to hit.

Being involved in an RTA can be a stressful and traumatic experience, both for yourself and family members. If you have an RTA we can help you recover compensation for,

•    Your injury
•    The cost of any repairs or the value of your vehicle if its beyond repair
•    Insurance excess
•    Hire of another vehicle or compensation for the loss of use of your own
•    Medical expenses
•    General expenses
•    Loss of earnings

We act on a ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis in order to obtain the maximum amount of compensation for you in respect of both your injury and any other financial losses that you may have sustained.

If you or you know of anyone who has suffered a Personal Injury and would like to discuss their circumstances then please contact our Personal Injury team via email or call 01744 385171. For further information click here.

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