View Full Version : Compensation Claims...
avid_merrion 21-09-2006, 14:13 Has anyone ever claimed for compensation on a no win no fee basis?
What was the outcome?
Better half ended up in hospital today getting stitches on her forehead from an accident in meadowhall. She's fine now but still she would like to take this further.
Can anyone point us in the right direction?
Injury Lawyers 4 U (http://www.injurylawyers4u.co.uk) are good, they just have annoying TV ads...
The vast majority of solicitors now offer 'no win no fee' basis services for personal injury claims, no matter what some of the adverts may say that only the claims management companies offer.
It's also totally normal for their fees to be recovered on top of any compensation that you get (whatever the ads claim, this is the norm not a special service).
Personally I'd prefer to deal with a solicitor than a company who may employ an unqualified person to pursue my claim.
Most solicitors also offer a free first appointment where you can discuss the case and what they feel you could do about it.
Blade1983 21-09-2006, 14:24 Has anyone ever claimed for compensation on a no win no fee basis?
What was the outcome?
Better half ended up in hospital today getting stitches on her forehead from an accident in meadowhall. She's fine now but still she would like to take this further.
Can anyone point us in the right direction?
what happened?
might be worth writing to the manager of Meadowhall - threaten with legal action and papers etc... will probably just pay you off! did you report the incident to Meadowhall - enter it in accident book etc?!
avid_merrion 21-09-2006, 14:29 what happened?
might be worth writing to the manager of Meadowhall - threaten with legal action and papers etc... will probably just pay you off! did you report the incident to Meadowhall - enter it in accident book etc?!
Well it was the meadohall medical team that called me to come and take her to hospital she had my son with her.
I said what you are suggesting write a pollite letter to the manager of meadowhall and BHS where it happened.
When she was putting my son in the highchair to feed him she bent down to pick him up turned around and the corner of the highchair hit her just above here eyebrow she now has 7 stiches.
Not exactly a slip or fall but still highchairs are supposed to be safer than safe.
By the sounds of it - and I'm not wishing to be nasty, I promise - but it was your wife who hit the high-chair, not the other way round. In cases such as this, I think that you have to prove negligence on the part of the defendant, which I'm not sure you could here.
Unless, of course, there was a sharp edge or something on the high-chair - particularly something which wasn't part of the design of the furniture, like a broken lip underneath the tray - which caused the laceraction.
Your family all have my sympathies, by the way, and I hope your wife gets better soon.
I agree with Rich, the cut sound nasty but did Meadowhall do anything wrong?
Well it was the meadohall medical team that called me to come and take her to hospital she had my son with her.
I said what you are suggesting write a pollite letter to the manager of meadowhall and BHS where it happened.
When she was putting my son in the highchair to feed him she bent down to pick him up turned around and the corner of the highchair hit her just above here eyebrow she now has 7 stiches.
Not exactly a slip or fall but still highchairs are supposed to be safer than safe.
So your wife banged her head into a stationary object that was doing its job very well (I take it the highchair stayed upright with your child in it despite the heavy blow), she was then attended to by medical staff from the centre who patched her up and phoned you. And you now want to sue them? What for exactly? Not providing hardhats in the baby feeding area? :huh:
How about sending them a thank you letter instead. :rolleyes:
It is no wonder that insurance costs are so high. People seem to have it in their heads that nobody loses when dodgy claims like this one are made, but we all pay in higher premiums. People should claim compensation when they are disabled or off work (genuinly) for weeks and months because of someone elses gross negligence.
avid_merrion 21-09-2006, 17:27 It is no wonder that insurance costs are so high. People seem to have it in their heads that nobody loses when dodgy claims like this one are made, but we all pay in higher premiums. People should claim compensation when they are disabled or off work (genuinly) for weeks and months because of someone elses gross negligence.
Dodgy claim like this one. Whats dodgy about it? Simple fact is high chairs are meant to be safer than safe this one was made of wood and had very sharpe edges on it hense the need for stitches.
Put it this way if it had been my 2 yo son who banged his head on it, it would have been a different story. Just because it's an adult makes no difference what so ever.
Risk assesments are carried out for a reason this is obviously a risk and needs addressing, wether it happens once in 20 years or once a week it makes no difference.
tinkabel 21-09-2006, 22:08 Forgive me if i'm wrong but surely this claim should be against BHS not Meadowhall, the accident happened in one of the stores in there so they aren't to blame, the big bosses of Meadowhall don't check every single store for faults so i'm afraid you can't sue them. I also don't think you'd be able to successfully sure BHS unless you had photographic proof that this high-chair was dangerous.
Lester_Bigot 21-09-2006, 22:30 People should not claim for Compensation, its costing the rest of us a fortune in our insurance premiums.
I know of someone who is being compensated after being beaten up WHY ???
Wrong place, wrong time.
This can hardly be Meadowhall's fault can it? It was an unfortunate accident, but nothing more.
Certainly no blame at Meadowhall's door. Had your wife been hit by glass falling out of window or something like that, maybe I would have some sympathy.
tony2311 21-09-2006, 23:11 so if i bang my head against the table in a restaurant it is the shops fault for having tables:loopy: , if i was BHS i will sue you for for being stupid and waste of my staff time
Dodgy claim like this one. Whats dodgy about it? Simple fact is high chairs are meant to be safer than safe this one was made of wood and had very sharpe edges on it hense the need for stitches.
Put it this way if it had been my 2 yo son who banged his head on it, it would have been a different story. Just because it's an adult makes no difference what so ever.
Risk assesments are carried out for a reason this is obviously a risk and needs addressing, wether it happens once in 20 years or once a week it makes no difference.
If you'd bought that chair and the accident had happened in your home, would she be suing you?
You've just mentioned risk assessment, didn't your other half carry out risk assessment before she placed the child in the chair? I think you may have to watch out in case Meadowhall decide to sue you for wasting their medical staffs time because your other half was a tad clumsy.
upinwath 21-09-2006, 23:20 People should not claim for Compensation, its costing the rest of us a fortune in our insurance premiums..
It does sound like it was an accident caused by someones lack of care.
Who would expect a person to headbutt a chair and claim.
It's not normal use of the product.
I have to agree with Lester_Bigot.
My van and public liability insurance premiums have gone up silly amounts in the last few years without me ever having a claim against me or me making any claims of any sort.
It's not a nice thing to happen and I do hope that the lady is Ok but it's foolish and unfair to claim against a business for your own careless behaviour.
You should see the paperwork I have to do on risk assessment to try to avoid allowing people to do bloody foolish things and make a claim.
Sorry avid_merrion but it's claims like this that make me a load of work and cost me a load of money.
Lester_Bigot 21-09-2006, 23:26 it's claims like this that make me a load of work and cost me a load of money.
And me too, thats my gripe with the compenstation culture
upinwath 22-09-2006, 08:59 And me too, thats my gripe with the compenstation culture
Yep but some guy has the chance to scam a few quid for their own careless actions so that's OK then.
I wonder if anyone actually thinks that the money they get is a freebee or have they worked out that we all end up paying for their greed and stupidity.
It's small businesses that end up having to pay out for grabbing scammers.
My public liabilty insurance and doubled in the last few years as a direct result of these theives.
Why should I pay for someome taking no care of themselves.
Bear in mind these things are not sorted out quickly, I know someone who is claiming against ASDA, it has taken 6 years so far.
Blade1983 22-09-2006, 09:18 Bear in mind these things are not sorted out quickly, I know someone who is claiming against ASDA, it has taken 6 years so far.
it maybe worth using the small claims court. think the limit is £5k, but it gets sorted out in a couple of months.... plus the fact large organisations will probably not turn up as they can't be bothered... instant win!!
it maybe worth using the small claims court. think the limit is £5k, but it gets sorted out in a couple of months.... plus the fact large organisations will probably not turn up as they can't be bothered... instant win!!
I'm not certain but I don't think small claims would be appropriate for this case. A normal case that wasn't defended may take a couple of months but I'd be totally surprised if the company didn't defend it! They could also counter sue the claimant and it end up in high court.
In cases where the company don't turn up it's most likely due to the fact that they don't need to as they have a massive legal team fighting their corner...successfully. So it never gets to court unless they want to sue you.
it maybe worth using the small claims court. think the limit is £5k, but it gets sorted out in a couple of months.... plus the fact large organisations will probably not turn up as they can't be bothered... instant win!!
The solicitors are going for a fair amount of money so I think thats why they haven't gone down that track.
...I know someone who is claiming against ASDA, it has taken 6 years so far.
Was that as spurious a claim as this Meadowhall one? ;)
Old_Bloke 22-09-2006, 19:10 When she was putting my son in the highchair to feed him she bent down to pick him up turned around and the corner of the highchair hit her just above here eyebrow she now has 7 stiches.
How did an inanimate object do that exactly? It was stationary, your wife was moving about and didn't take anough care.
Why does nobody accept responsibility for their own actions these days?
If you were walking down the street and walked into a lamp post because you weren't looking where you were going would you be suing the council too?
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