Personal Injury

Injuries that were not your fault often have a devastating impact on your personal life, current career and future job prospects, impacting the well-being of those around you.

We can help you mitigate that.

Slips &

Trips

Accidents at

Work

Holiday

Sickness

Industrial Deafness

Slips & Trips

at work or in a public place

At Gifford Cairns, we often achieve great success for our clients in the following circumstances:

  • Tripping on a pavement, pothole or uneven paving.

  • Slipping inside a shop or supermarket due to spills.

  • Injured because of unsafe working practices or lack of protective equipment.

Be Comprehensive

Use a mobile phone or camera to take photos and video. This footage will also contain metadata to record the date the images were taken. Write down a comprehensive account and seek any witness details also.

Photograph the Hazard

When able and safe to do so, take photos of the accident scene. If the injury was caused by a pothole or raised pavement, use an object or ruler to illustrate the depth of the hole or raised section. If possible make a sketch showing where the accident area was. This can be used alongside any photos to document the exact location of the incident. If the area is later examined or alterations/repairs are done, this can help prove the condition of the scene at the time of the accident.

Obtain CCTV

Take note of any CCTV devices in the area around the incident, this can include things like video doorbells and similar devices that are frequently recording. Ask anyone in the area at the time to see if they captured it on camera/video.

Obtain Witnesses

If anyone saw the accident, or you were with people at the time, get all the names and phone numbers you can. Having witnesses can really strengthen your claim and help build an accurate timeline of the event.

Common failures by employers that lead to work-place accidents.

  • Obstructed Walkways

  • Cleaning Related Accidents

  • Stairway Accidents

  • Spillages And Wet Floors

Accidents at Work

Your employer may have a duty of care to ensure you are safe at work.

Types of injuries of which we specialise and have proven success:

  • Falls from heights

  • Back injuries

  • Head injuries

  • Manual handling injuries

  • Work place slips and trips

  • Burns and lacerations

  • Muscular tears and Permanent Mobility issues

Sick Pay after an accident at work

Many employers pay full sick pay following an accident at work. If you are only paid statutory sick pay, the difference can also be claimed.

Can I be sacked for claiming for an accident at work?

If you were not at fault your employer should not dismiss you because of the accident or for claiming compensation. If your employment is terminated for this reason, you may be able to take legal action against your employer for unfair dismissal.

What should I do about an accident at work?

Firstly report the accident at work making sure your accident is recorded in the accident book. Collect as much information as you can including photographs and witness statements.

Holiday Sickness

If you suffer food poisoning whilst away, it can completely ruin your holiday.

Worst case scenario, it can leave a child or elderly relative seriously ill, or a member of the party suffering with long term irritable bowl syndrome.

What Causes Food Poisoning?

Food poisoning is an illness caused by eating contaminated food. Pathogenic bacteria or parasites cause a poison to build up in the food, or they can infect the intestines.

Symptoms can include: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever.

Common Causes of Food Poisoning

  • Cross Contamination from raw foods - Cooked food cross-contaminated with raw food.

  • Cross Contamination from raw sewage - In many resorts they use the effluent from the hotel to water the gardens spreading pathogenic bacteria. This causes cross -contamination in the food chain.

  • Breeding bacteria in the food - If hot food is not kept above 63C, bacteria can double in number every 20 minutes.

    Never eat luke-warm food from a buffet.

Industrial Deafness

Symptoms include hearing loss, especially in a crowded environment. Often having the television on loud. Ringing in the ears, especially when it is quiet. Difficulty hearing children.

Common failures by employers

Failure to provide correct hearing protection. Failure to provide adequate training and monitoring on hearing protection. Failure to provide hearing tests and passing on information to employees.

Common industries that cause Noise Induced Hearing Loss

  • Airline workers

  • Construction workers

  • Carpenters

  • Manufacturing

  • Fence and pallet manufacturers

  • Bar staff

  • Gardeners

  • Food manufacturers

  • Data centres

  • Agriculture

  • Armed Forces

  • HMP Service

  • Motorcycle couriers

How do you know if hearing loss is due to noise?

A formal hearing test will compare the pattern of hearing loss experienced against the pattern of hearing loss that would be expected due to age - this enables us to determine the nature, extent and often cause of the additional loss.

How Long Do You Have To Claim?

You have three years to claim from the point of knowing your hearing loss was due to noise.

This could be 3 years after a hearing test at work or when you have been for a hearing aid.

No Win No Fee Explained

‘No Win, No Fee’ is a term used to describe an agreement between a Solicitor and a Claimant. It states that in this instance, the Claimant cannot be charged if their claim is unsuccessful.

However if your case is successful, the solicitor may take an average of 25% of the compensation awarded. This will be subject to your individual circumstances and the actual fee may be more or less than this. The solicitor will confirm the exact fee in writing in advance of you progressing with your claim.

In some circumstances, the solicitor may wish to insure the case with an “after the event” insurance policy. This will be done on a case by case basis.

If you terminate the agreement with your solicitor outside the ‘cooling off’ period or before the case is concluded, you may be charged for the work done on your behalf. The charges are calculated on an hourly rate. The hourly rate may differ according to the geographical location and experience of the solicitor.

Whatever your legal needs – We look forward to working with you. Provide us with your details and we will contact you directly.

Copyright Gifford Cairns 2024. All rights reserved


Gifford Cairns Solicitors and PRHS are trading names of Philip & Robert Howard Solicitors Limited, registered in England and Wales: 08185212

Registered Office: 113 Wilmslow Road, Handforth, Wilmslow, SK93ER.

Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority: 571131