The Ministry of Defence stated it was dedicated to improving services and last year engaged in the ‘Don’t Bottle It Up’ campaign designed to fight the stigma surrounding mental health problems in the Armed Forces and encourage more soldiers to come forward for help. It is important that the Ministry of Defence continues its efforts to remove the stigma surrounding mental health, especially post-traumatic stress disorder.

With on going and increasing defence cuts, it’s hoped those that leave service are not forgotten and that the much needed resources and support will be there for members of the Armed Forces who are at greater risk of committing violent offences and focus on helping service personnel re-integrate into civilian life following deployment.

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Will Aid are currently on course to raise a magnificent £2.1 million from the 2012 scheme. The fund will be used by the above charities to improve the lives of many individuals, groups and communities both in the UK and around the World.

Hilary Meredith Solicitors are proud to have participated in Will Aid and raised money for such a good cause. We would like to say a big thank you to all clients who took part in Will Aid 2012 for their kind generosity.

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You may well have heard about the recent changes implemented by our Government in the area of personal injury law. As of 1st April 2013, personal injury claims, although still being accepted by Hilary Meredith Solicitors under ‘no win, no fee’ conditions, have been affected by changes in the way personal injury solicitors can obtain new client’s instructions and recover their fees from the other side. We want our existing and future clients to understand these changes and more importantly, realise they do not affect your right to make a serious injury claim, industrial disease claim, asbestos claim, brain injury claim or spinal injury claim on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis.

The recent law reforms have had a massive impact on both Regional and National personal injury firms already with many closing or struggling to survive. However, Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd, a niche firm specialising in serious injury claims and military accidents, has implemented radical and effective business re-structuring  such that we are better placed than ever to maximise the recovery of compensation for our clients and to  be the serious  injury solicitors you, the Claimant, need  in these uncertain times.

As a result of the new rules, if your personal injury claim is successful, you will still be able to keep most but not all your compensation, as all our legal costs can no longer be recovered from the defendants. The new rules require us to take UP TO, BUT NOT MORE, than 25% (including VAT) of your compensation to offset against our legal costs. If however your personal injury claim is not successful, you will not have to pay our costs and any liability you have for the Defendants’ costs can be covered by an insurance policy we would advise we put in place for you.

As a niche practice with many years’ experience in pursuing serious injury and military claims, we at Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd are confident we can maximise your compensation, thereby minimising the effects upon you of the recent reforms.  We will for example ensure recovery of the 10% uplift on compensation as required by the recent reforms, designed to offset the effects upon you, the Claimant.

Hilary Meredith Solicitors understand that the deduction of some of your compensation can seem like a daunting thought to the personal injury client, but it reflects the fact we continue to act on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis’ and do not get paid at all were the case unsuccessful.

We at Hilary Meredith Solicitors remain committed to maximising compensation for our clients and are keen for you, ‘the Personal Injury Claimant’ to join together with Hilary Meredith Solicitors to recover your deserved compensation, remembering that these new legal reforms do not affect your fundamental right to compensation following a serious injury.

Hilary Meredith Solicitors specialise in all aspects of personal injury and serious injury, including CICA claims, public liability matters, road traffic accidents, military accidents, Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claims, occupational disease and brain injury claims. To discuss your potential personal injury claim and your continued right to claim compensation, call one of our team today.

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I am aware of some of these rejections which we are helping to fight on behalf of our clients, the main reason being, the SPVA did not accept the injury was caused whilst on duty, this does not mean there was not a serious injury. The definition ” on duty” is ambiguous and has not been defined.

Since the commencement of the AFCS in 2005 there has in my view been a tightening of decisions to make an award and there is a growing back log of appeals .

I have long campaigned to take the word compensation out of the AFCS title it causes confusion and as the MOD are aware a reduction in the number of valid legal claims against them in the courts.

Further I would add to name and highlight Ric Clement an ex soldier who Mr Rayment has met is quite simply shocking, Ric Clement was the most severely of injured soldiers blown up by an IED he lost both legs and his genitalia making it impossible for him to father children, he has bravely spoken out about his condition and campaigned for the right of soldiers to donate sperm pre deployment. Ric is lucky to be alive, he received quite rightly so an award from the AFCS but this was capped under the terms of the scheme. Rather than complain Ric delivers talks to schools about his condition to educate those who do not understand the scarifies our soldiers make.”

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It follows that if you hire a car in Florida and you are involved in an accident that is your fault, the insurance that you purchased may not cover a personal injury claim brought against you and you could find yourself personally liable for the damages awarded against you.

It also follows that if you are involved in an accident that is not your fault and you are injured, the driver at fault may not have adequate insurance cover to compensate you for your injuries.

At Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd, we strongly recommend that you purchase what the Americans refer to as underinsured/uninsured motorists coverage when you hire your car as this should pay out if you are injured in an accident that is not your fault and the at fault driver’s insurance coverage isn’t adequate. Also we strongly recommend that you check the wording of the policy offered to you to ensure that it does include adequate Bodily Injury coverage in case anyone claims against you.

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The inquiry comes at a time when, statistics suggest, more and more cyclists are sustaining serious injury.

In Great Britain in 2010, 111 cyclists were killed and a further 2,660 sustained serious injury in road traffic collisions.  By 2012, these figures increased to 122 deaths and 3,085 serious injuries.  In fact, the number of cyclists sustaining serious injury has risen year-on-year since 2004.  Cyclists are vulnerable to neck injuries, back injury (including spinal cord injuries) and brain injury.  Hospital statistics show that 40% of adult cyclists involved in accidents suffer some degree of head injury, many including brain injury.

The causes of cycling accidents are varied. Common accident patterns involve motorists emerging into the path of cyclists, motorists turning across path of cyclists and collisions where a cyclist is turning right from a major or minor road.  A recurring theme appears to be motorists’ lack of awareness of cyclists, a problem perhaps best highlighted by the increasing number of cyclists injured when colliding with (or swerving to avoid) car doors suddenly opened into their path– around 600 cyclists sustained serious injury in such accidents last year.

The statistics prompted Labour MP, Barry Sheerman (who chairs the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport safety) to call for the greater education of motorists

“It is true there are more cyclists but there are people who are not trained enough to look in their mirrors.  It is an education challenge, we have got to raise awareness. It is much more likely that there is a quiet cyclist coming past you…..

There are worries about these figures…the number of serious injuries is up to more than 90 – a serious injury means you never walk without pain again.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has recently revealed plans to introduce cycle lanes on a number of the capital’s major roads, aimed at creating a safer environment for cyclists, which would certainly appear to be a positive step.  It will be interesting to see whether the Get Britain Cycling report will lead to a similar blueprint for other major UK cities.

If you’ve been injured as a result of a cycling accident, Hilary Meredith Solicitors ltd’s dedicated team of Personal Injury Lawyers can assist in all aspects of your personal injury claim and, wherever possible, will endeavour to arrange the treatment you need to get you back on your bike as soon as possible.

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It is clear that soldiers returning from deployment need support to tackle the problems that can follow active combat. The study showed soldiers with multiple experiences of combat had a 70%-80% greater risk of committing acts of violence.

The Ministry of Defence stated it was dedicated to improving services and last year engaged in the ‘Don’t Bottle It Up’ campaign designed to fight the stigma surrounding mental health problems in the Armed Forces and encourage more soldiers to come forward for help. It is important that the Ministry of Defence continues its efforts to remove the stigma surrounding mental health, especially post-traumatic stress disorder.

With on going and increasing defence cuts, it’s hoped those that leave service are not forgotten and that the much needed resources and support  will be there for members of the Armed Forces who are at greater risk of committing violent offences and focus on helping service personnel re-integrate into civilian life following deployment.

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She says clients often object to being referred to as disabled, as it emphasises the things they can’t do, rather than what they can.

Meredith wants to drum-up enough support for her campaign to be able to present a case to government departments, sports governing bodies and other organisations, in the hope they will adopt a new term for describing people with disabilities.

She has set up Twitter hashtag #redefinedisability to encourage people to suggest new phrases.

Meredith, pictured, senior partner of Wilmslow firm Hilary Meredith Solicitors, has already won the support of Olympic wheelchair tennis player Jamie Burdekin.

She said: “We should champion those that rise above injury, not label and discredit them with the world ‘disabled’. The word disabled, although widely used and not considered an insult, suggests a lack of ability rather than being a positive declaration.

“People with a condition that might mean they require assistance to do certain things deserve a better definition than something that focuses on what they can’t do, rather than what they can.

“I want to encourage the discussion of disability and Twitter is the perfect area for this.”

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The AFIP is an alternative to the new Personal Independence Payment (‘PIP’) which will replace the current Disability Living Allowance (‘DLA’) for claimants of working age (16-64).Individuals who are not entitled to GIP at 50% or higher, or are entitled to receive compensation under the War Pensions Scheme, may apply for PIP.

In contrast to PIP, individuals eligible for AFIP are not required to undergo an initial assessment or any future assessments; payments continue throughout their life. The AFIP is non-taxable, not means-tested and entitlement is administered by the SPVA in conjunction with AFCS. Furthermore, individuals who are entitled to AFIP can also make a claim for other benefits.

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On January 29th 2013 Elizabeth Truss, the Coalition Government’s Early Years Minister, unveiled a policy set to reform childcare. This policy has been designed to introduce new Early Years Teachers. It claims to make childcare qualifications more demanding and to introduce ways to facilitate more childcare places through schools and child-minders.

It is reassuring to know that our infants will have personal care at their fingertips so that they can maintain a steady and fulfilling life development at such a crucial age. However, crucially, the policy also suggests that higher child to staff ratios is inevitable, which may be cause for concern.

When we decide to leave our children in the care of others, we want certainty that they will be looked after in a safe environment where they are free to have fun and engage with other children their age. Increasing the numbers of children individual nursery staff are required to look after, could create an unsafe environment for our children’s continuing development which might lead to accidents and serious injury.

Frankly, more children tends to mean more mess and more mischief so accidents are to be expected. Despite the policy’s intention to provide higher childcare qualifications, children have a mind of their own. With the intended increase in infants, we can anticipate that it will be difficult for staff and child-minders alike to keep all the children under control and to minimise the potential for serious injury claims.

Young children can be expected to, and should, be adventurous, curious and want to explore. How can we be sure that our children will not suffer personal injury, even serious injury, if numbers increase as proposed?

In recent months, due to staff shortages, nurseries in the UK have been subject to legal proceedings due to accidents resulting in personal injuries to children whilst in their care. These accidents may have been prevented had sufficient staffing been provided. Some of these accidents have resulted in serious injuries:

In one accident, a 14 month old boy sustained a serious injury to his finger. The infant had trapped his finger in a closing door, leading to an amputation claim.

In another accident, a 9 month old baby girl also suffered a serious injury after she allegedly crawled up behind the nursery nurse who had opened the door to put rubbish in a bin. The door closed and the toddler again trapped her finger. As a result of the accident the baby girl lost her finger tip, another prospective serious injury claim.

It is no wonder many are sceptical of the impacts the proposed changes will have on childcare costs. Better trained, better paid, more highly valued childcare workers may indeed ultimately raise standards but where is the guarantee that someone will be watching our children throughout their care and that more such avoidable accidents will not result in more serious injuries?

The UK, has the second highest childcare costs in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), yet as a society we still seem ambivalent about nursery care. If we are paying such a substantial amount of money for our children’s childcare we want to ensure the personal safety in the process and prevent the risk of serious injuries.

We, at Hilary Meredith Solicitors, have a team of very experienced, dedicated Lawyers who specialise in serious injury claims such as head injury, including brain injury claims; spinal injury , including spinal cord injury claims; amputation claims; and the all types of military claims.

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