Archive for the ‘Legal Services’ Category

Personal Injury Claim for Victim of Failed Hip Replacement

The victim of a failed hip replacement will seek personal injury claims compensation after the replacement hip apparatus became defective after just four years of use.

Susanna Derham, 40, was told the metal hip replacement would last for upwards of twenty five years, when in actual fact it did not last for anywhere near that.

The ASR hip replacement consists of a metal ball attached to the top of the hip bone with a metal cup replacing the hip socket. The manufacturer of the product, DePuy, has since issued a worldwide recall of the product.

Ms Derham said: “I started to have groin pain, further down the line swelling and everyday activities became harder.”

Personal injury lawyers representing the claimant explained that the metal surfaces of the hip joint wore away and released metal particles into Ms Derham’s blood stream causing further secondary health problems. For both reasons, Ms Derham seeks personal injury compensation.

She said: “I don’t know if I ever will totally recover from this. It’s worrying and you just don’t really know what the future holds for you.”

A spokesman for manufacturers DePuy said: “Since the recall decision was made, DePuy has worked to provide patients and surgeons with the information and support they need.

“DePuy is committed to addressing reasonable and customary costs of testing and treatment for reasons related to the ASR recall and DePuy’s efforts to support ASR patients and their surgeons remain a top priority.”

The claim is just one of an incredible 120 against DePuy, here in the UK.

Ms Derham has since had her ASR metal hip replaced with a ceramic ball joint.

Talk Your Way into That Job In Legal Services

Getting an interview for a job in legal services is only a small part of the process of finding a new employer. The main goal is to actually secure the position, and there are things you can say during the interview that will give you a substantial advantage over the competition.

The interview procedure, from an employer’s perspective, is designed to select the most appropriate candidate for the vacant position. Your goal should be to convince the interviewer that you are not only the best person for the job, but that you are the only person! What you say, (and often, how you say it), is the simplest and most effective way of presenting yourself as that ideal candidate. Say for example you’re a divorce lawyer, you want to push upon your interviewer, how successful you’ve been in all of your previous cases.

You should, prior to the interview, have already done some research into the company, and confidently demonstrating your knowledge of the business will convince the interviewer that you are motivated to win the job. A highly motivated person gives off an aura of positivity which, in turn, increases your self-confidence and the interviewer’s confidence in you.

You should stress your attributes and experience relevant to the job, with the intention of grabbing the attention of the interviewer, and holding that attention throughout the interview .Any previous experience, no matter how little, should always be put forward if it is relevant. If nothing else, it will show that you have a rudimentary understanding of that particular role and, if appropriate, you could always say that this is an area in which you would like to develop further. It may also be pertinent to ask if there are any resources available within the company to follow this up. So for example, say you had previously worked in a financial services job, your customer facing experience would be just as relevant to your new legal employer than anything else.

Stressing your relevant experience, and outlining your plans for a future with this company, will demonstrate an eagerness to succeed. Ask if there are any provisions to increase your academic qualifications whist working for them – this will again show motivation, which, in turn, usually indicates a productive and dedicated employee. Likewise, previous accomplishments will also reinforce what a conscientious employee you could be.

All employers value flexibility. Ensure that you state to the interviewer that you are prepared to be flexible at all times. The fact that you actually say it will give you an advantage over other candidates who may be flexible, but don’t think it important enough to put forward.

Finally, whatever you say, say it with confidence. Focus on being positive, and act as if you have already been offered the job. This will banish nervousness and instil confidence in the prospective employer that you will be an asset to their organisation.

Having followed these guidelines, you know that, when you thank the interviewer for their time, it will not be too long before they contact you with that job offer.

How can business dispute lawyers help to win your case?

If you are going through a business dispute, such as an unfair dismissal claim, it’s only natural to feel the pressure and fear of the unknown. The first step in settling any dispute is to look for an attorney that specializes in the same kind of law you are battling in. For the most part these types of disputes can be handled outside the courtroom. It is beneficial to many people if they are able to be handled civilly before they are taken in front of a judge. And many people do opt to do that, however there are those who are just out to get money and refuse to help take any responsibility at all.

If you find yourself in the middle of adispute you may want to consider speaking with friendly business dispute lawyers to get everything handled appropriately and quickly. An attorney can come in and take a look at all your information and let you know exactly what can be done. It’s important to make sure that you have documentation everywhere alarming to a business dispute on your end. Lawyers love having visual, written proof as it helps to put proof in the hands that read it most, that way it can get proven. With any business dispute make sure you have checked all your state laws as to what takes place.

Whatever the case you will surely come out on top in the game of business disputes. If you require the enlistment of the services of a lawyer you may want to look around to find one that is trustworthy and reliable since you will be sharing with them valuable information that should never get into the wrong hands. So the benefits are huge to get a lawyer to help settle business disputes, look into getting one today.

Local Solicitors and their benefits

The process of claiming compensation for an illness or injury that was caused by somebody else’s negligence is one that many people assume to be difficult, expensive and time-consuming. Very often, this proves not to be the case.

Choosing a Solicitor

Once diagnosed by a doctor, perhaps after suffering whiplash in a car accident or developing hearing loss in the workplace, the prospective claimant is tasked with finding an honest, reliable solicitor. This is usually not a problem in major cities throughout the UK. Home to some of the country’s leading personal injury solicitors Liverpool is no stranger to acts or omissions of negligence, which is why accident victims in the area are advised to choose local solicitors over national firms.

Why Local?

Local solicitors are ideally positioned to deal with personal injury claims because they are able to provide their clients with a personal service during an extremely difficult time. Of course, local solicitors are not merely useful for handling claims involving personal injury; some types of legal work necessitate the involvement of local firms.

Conveyancing is one area of legal practice that ought to be carried out by local solicitors. Possessing knowledge of an area and almost certainly having connections with local surveyors and estate agents, solicitors situated near to the client (or their property) are able to offer the best advice at the lowest cost. Local solicitors are also on hand to deal with any last-minute contract alterations, disputes and legal issues.

Other areas of the law in which local solicitors may be considered the preferred choice include commercial litigation, wills and probate, equitable trusts and professional negligence.

Removing the ‘Middleman’

One of the most compelling reasons to use a local solicitor rather than a national firm is that the latter often consists of various ‘middlemen’ who complicate the legal process. Personal injury claims, for example, are often dealt with by accident management firms or ad hoc legal departments. Removing the middleman by dealing directly with local solicitors invariably saves both time and money.

Accident Compensation Claim for Truck Driver Crushed by Eggs

A truck driver has been awarded compensation by his former employer after an accident at work resulted in him being crushed by thousands of eggs.

The 600kg load of eggs caused Phil Stacey, 60, serious injuries after he lost his footing whilst loading the eggs onto the back of a lorry.

He said: “I was clinging on as I didn’t want to see umpteen thousand eggs smashed to pieces, but they did. It was a complete mess.”

During the accident, in 2008, Mr Stacey suffered serious injuries to his shoulder, while his employers denied that there had been an accident, let alone one in which an injury had occurred.

He said: “I was pulling the eggs on to the back of the lorry, over the tail lift with a manual pump on a forklift, like I’d done countless times before. The lorry was mucky and needed cleaning out. I had to give them a yank to get them in and I lost my footing.”

After reporting the incident to the transport office, Mr Stacey was forced to stop lorry driving and seek medical help when the pain became too much to bear. He was also eventually made redundant by his employer.

He said: “I’ve been driving a lorry for years and years. However, I’d never had any weight training or lifting training from the company. The accident was not put in the book.”

Mike Clarke, the accident claims solicitor who handled the claim, said: “Mr Stacey was working in the evening on his own and there were no witnesses to his fall, although he rang his transport office immediately to report it.

“Although the defendant’s insurers admitted various breaches of employment regulations, they flatly denied that there had in fact been any accident. Even if there had been a fall, they alleged that it had not caused his injury and that in any event he had been partly to blame for it.

“After detailed investigation, we started court action and shortly afterwards, the insurers were persuaded to negotiate with us. We secured a substantial sum in compensation for Mr Stacey, who is now back at work with another transport company.”

Vet Wins Unfair Dismissal Claim Against Cornish Animal Charity

A vet in Cornwall has won his unfair dismissal case against a Cornish animal charity. Matthew Thomas was dismissed by the Cornwall Animal Ambulance and Hospital Charity, which cited breach of trust as the reason for dismissal. This came after Thomas circulated a Charity Commission letter among the charity’s trustees which said some trustees had been wrongly removed. He was sacked thereafter.

The employment law tribunal heard that Mr Thomas was unfairly let go for making the disclosures. The claimant went on to explain that he had been assured that the removal of trustees was not illegal by the executive trustee’s chair Jenny Jarram, secretary Pat Holloway and treasurer Trevor Chalker.

The Charity Commission was already in the process of investigating the Cornwall Animal Ambulance and Hospital Charity before the controversy of Mr Thomas’s dismissal. Mr Thomas said that it was not long after joining the organisation that he discovered that the Charity Commission had not agreed with the removal of former trustees, and when Mr Thomas pursued the matter he was threatened by Chalker to ignore the commission or face the sack.

“Phrases along the lines of ‘if this information is spread to anyone else then you may be called in for disciplinary action’ [were uttered].

“It was quite clear if you circulate these emails you may lose your job.”

Mr Thomas contacted the six Trustees he believed to be those stuck off and was dismissed shortly afterward. But My Chalker claims he had been happy for Mr Chalker to speak to the commission.

He said: “We as the trustees acted in the best interest of the charity throughout this whole affair.

“As far as we’re concerned reporting the matter to the radio and screaming it from the roof tops has only one end result, which basically can cause great damage and harm to the charity, which we as the trustees certainly don’t want to see happen.”

Accident Claims Against Scottish Councils Pay Out After School Trip Accidents

A pair of Scottish councils has been required to pay out a combined £7,000, in accident claims following an accident on school trips over the past two years.

Highland Council paid out just over £6300 between 2009 and March of this year in compensation claims, while Edinburgh City Council paid around £600 in compensation for the same period. However, it still has one claim outstanding.

These figures were uncovered using freedom of information requests, and were not accompanied by details regarding the nature of any of the injuries.

The compensation claim figures were published in a report by the Countryside Alliance Foundation called Teaching Children Outside the Classroom. The Foundation are calling for Scottish children to participate in more outdoor activities and learning after a report proved that parents had ‘strong support’ for such a programme.

A representative of the group, Ross Montague, said: “Our sister charity, the SCA Educational Trust, has always found pupils and teachers to be extremely enthusiastic when outdoor education opportunities are offered. Stumbling blocks are often put in the way, with parent and council anxieties over health and safety issues cited as reasons to avoid outdoor education.”

A total of 21 successful accident compensation claims, relating to accidents during school trips, were made against four councils within the two year period.

Seven accident claims were made against Highland Council alone, making it the most liable all of the councils, concerning school trips. Other councils accused against include North Ayrshire Council and Dumfries and Galloway Council. No compensation money was paid by either council during that time.