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Common Pitfalls To Avoid If You Have Been Injured In A Bike Accident

Most of the time when you take a bike ride through your neighborhood or perhaps out along a country road, everything goes as expected. However, with so many drivers on the road today, there is a greater likelihood you may find yourself being involved in an accident. Unfortunately, even though bike riders are supposed to be given equal consideration by drivers when on the road, this rarely happens. As a result, many bike riders are seriously injured each year due to the carelessness or negligence of those behind the wheel. If you have found yourself injured in a bike accident, consult with an experienced bike accident attorney. Here are some common pitfalls you should always avoid.

Failing to Call Police

If you have been injured in a bike accident, always call 9-1-1 to make sure police come to the scene. By doing so, you will be able to tell your side of the story to officers, and it will also ensure an accident report is filed by police in charge of the accident scene. Once this report is filed, you should always make sure your bike accident attorney obtains a copy. Since this report will contain key details about the accident as well as the officer's preliminary assessment as to who was at fault, your bike accident lawyer can use this when planning legal strategy.

Not Getting Treated for Your Injuries

Even if you believe you may not be seriously hurt, never refuse to get examined by medical personnel at the scene. If you do, you may be positioning yourself to lose out on gaining the compensation you need for various damages, including:

  • Current and future medical treatment
  • Lost wages from being unable to work as it may come with a disability
  • Damage to personal property, such as a smartphone
  • Pain and Suffering
If you choose to refuse treatment, the driver's attorney and insurance company will then claim you were not injured in the accident, making it more difficult for your bike accident attorney to prove otherwise.

Admitting Fault

When involved in an accident such as this, it may feel only natural to you to say something such as "I'm sorry" to the driver of the vehicle that hit you. However, if you choose to do so, this could be a mistake. By saying something as simple as "I'm sorry" to the driver or police at the scene, this may give others the impression you are admitting the accident was your fault. Should you say this to police, it will likely find its way into the officer's accident report, which will then make it much harder for your bike accident lawyer to convince the court the accident was not your fault.

Since even the most innocent words or actions in these situations can spell disaster for your personal injury lawsuit, always be very careful what you do and say both at the accident scene and afterwards. Along with this, always make sure you schedule a consultation with an experienced bike accident attorney as soon as possible after your accident to discuss your legal options.

General Medical Council Complaint Investigation Lawyers

All GPs and Specialists in the U.K. are required to register with the General Medical Council and adhere to the published rules in the GMC Good Medical Practice. Breaching these professional rules of conduct may lead to complaints by patients and an investigation by the GMC and a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service Panel FTP hearing. If the MPTS Panel finds that your fitness to practise is impaired, it could have devastating consequences for you and your professional career. If you have been accused of medical misconduct you should contact a solicitor to guide you through the complicated GMC complaints process and prepare an effective defence on your behalf. You certainly shouldn't consider preparing your own courtroom defence

The GMC Complaints Procedure

All complaints from patients are directed to the General Medical Council for investigation. Complaints can be upheld on the grounds of misconduct, recent criminal conviction, health issues, or an inability to speak fluent English. You will be notified of the complaint and issued with a Rule 4 letter stating the full terms of the allegations against you. It is important to have proper legal representation right from the outset to ensure that your rights are not prejudiced and that the entire procedure is handled with the utmost professionalism and accuracy.

A full investigation will be conducted by the GMC to accrue evidence regarding the allegations made. At the conclusion of these investigations, a Rule 7 letter will be sent to you with full details of the complaint and the evidence against you. You will be given 28 days from the date of this letter to submit a substantive response which will be taken into consideration at the FTP hearing. This is where a dedicated team of solicitors experienced in medical law and the defence of doctors and specialists who have face patient complaints can guide you in preparing the best response.

Before the Fitness to Practise hearing your solicitor will help you build an accurate chronology of events in strict confidence in order to prepare an accurate defence on your behalf. If the MTPS Panel finds you guilty of the allegations during the Fitness to Practise hearing, it may result in conditions being imposed on your GMC registration, suspension from the registration, or removal from the Medial Council Register.

A professional discipline solicitor will negotiate terms on your behalf and aim to reach a settlement to ensure the least amount of damage to you and your career. If you are involved in a GMC complaint procedure, you will need the help of a team of solicitors to give you expert legal advice and representation from the initial complaint to the final hearing and outcome.

Fitness To Practise Defence Solicitors Explained

A lawyer is a professional whose main duty is to advise and represent others in legal matters. This is due to the fact that the individual is well-versed in matters concerning the law, courtesy of many years in law school.

The professional is governed by various guidelines and principles that they are required to adhere to, an important one being confidentiality. This is one of the major virtues that must be upheld by any professional who practises as a lawyer.

Just as any profession has various specialisations, so does law, and this brings us to GMC defence solicitors who specifically deal with representing medical practitioners before health care regulators. A significant number are located in London, at firms such as Blackfords LLP. One of the health care regulators that defence solicitors defend registrants against is the general medical council (GMC).

A medical practitioner can be accused of a medical offence that can lead to the practitioner losing their job, hence this is where the GMC defense solicitors come in and defend the registrant.

A registrant is a doctor who is accused. As mentioned earlier, any lawyer needs to be confidential in regards to matters that are discussed with his or her client, and this is one example of a medical offence that could prove disastrous for the accused doctor. The General Medical Council and General Dental Council are two separate regulators for their respective fields. Today lets look at the lawyers (defence solicitors) charged with the responsibility of representing the accused doctors. The procedure involved is as follows.

First, the accused doctor may face an internal disciplinary assessment by the employer, who might suggest that that the accused performed a crime. Examples would include sexually assaulting a patient, sneaking out drugs from the hospital or any misconduct set by the regulatory body. The process will continue from the initial notification, to the fitness to practice, to appeals against decisions until a hearing is set.

This process is very stressful to the medical practitioners, and a lawyer is absolutely required as representing yourself in court is a terrible idea. Experience is key here because in law, just as in any profession, experience really matters. Having an experienced defence solicitor who has battled it out in court against the regulatory body (GMC) is to your advantage because the lawyer is familiar with the procedure.

In regards to the cases involved they vary from one which is complicated to one that is piece of cake. All in all a defense solicitor is charged with the responsibility of advising the registrant on matters involving the case probably due to a misconduct set out by the GMC. To read more about GMC defence solicitors, see this page.

Tips For Settling A Car Accident Injury Claim

When you find yourself involved in a vehicle accident, you are dealing with a variety of issues and people. Not only will your vehicle and possibly other property be damaged, but you may also suffer physical injuries that require medical attention. While in these situations your first reaction may be to get everything settled as quickly as possible, that can often be a mistake. Not only will you possibly set yourself up for unexpected litigation against you by the other driver, but you will also likely lose large amounts of money by reaching a quick settlement with the other driver's insurance company. Therefore, before settling a car accident injury claim, speak to an attorney who has experience in these matters. There are certain things that you should keep in mind while hiring car accident attorney. And along with this, here are additional tips to keep in mind.

Gather Crucial Information

If possible, gather as much information as you can while at the accident scene. If you are unable to do so because of injury, have a friend or other person do so if possible. This usually involves a variety of names and contact information for numerous people, such as:

--Driver of other vehicle
--Witnesses to the accident
--Police officers at the scene
--Other driver's insurance company

While this process may take some time, it's necessary for your claim, since it will be needed by insurance companies and your attorney.

Always Take Photographs

Along with contact information, always try to take photos or videos of the accident scene itself. If you can, pull out your smartphone and focus on the following:

--Damage to each vehicle
--Location of each vehicle
--License plates
--Skid marks or other property damage
--Snow, ice, or other factors that could have played a role in the accident

By having pictures or videos, it will be very difficult for the other driver or their insurance company to dispute the facts of what happened.

Don't Believe the Insurance Company

When you are contacted by the other driver's insurance company, don't believe they are on your side. While it may appear as if they are, the fact is they are simply trying to get you to agree to a quick settlement for far less than you will need and deserve. For example, while you will probably need money to currently cover medical bills and lost wages, you will also need money to cover future medical treatment, additional lost wages, and pain and suffering from the accident. Therefore, when contacted by an insurance company, never agree to anything, and instead refer all communication to your attorney.

Consult an Attorney

When it's time to settle your car accident injury claim, always utilize the services of a knowledgeable and experienced attorney with a track record of winning these cases. By doing so, you will immediately gain peace of mind, and have legal representation that will ensure your rights are protected. Rather than settle your car accident injury claim on your own and lose money, let a skilled attorney help you gain the full and fair compensation you deserve.

What Should I Give The Insurance Company To Maximize My Case Recovery?

One point is necessary to bear in mind, no two cases are the identical. When one case results in a specific recovery for one plaintiff this doesn't mean that your claim is worth the same simply because you were associated in the same accident. There are lots of factors and it is sometimes simply the destiny of the draw past the factors themselves.

If you conclude your case it will likely be concluded in one of three manners-- arbitration or mediation, trial by a jury or judge, or settlement before filing suit. Now lets consider some of the damage factors to value a car wreck case.

Pain and Suffering. Pain and suffering is the hurt which you suffered as a result of your injury. It's the pain affiliated with a broken bone or the pain associated with injury to the back or neck as an example. In a trial a jury or the judge will put a specific dollar amount on that specific recoverable damage. In most jurisdictions, including Maryland, pain and suffering damages are capped at a specific dollar amount irregardless how dreadful an injury may be. You can thank your legislature for their foresight in capping damages in horrific cases that deserve more than a capped amount.

Another significant factor to think about in case value is permanency or permanent injury to the person. Permanency is the level of impairment that doesn't go away, but instead is life long as an effect of the injury. This particular kind of damage is very important because the fact finder is looking at a life time loss to the individual which means a calculation must be done year by year for the rest of one's life. This can turn into much bigger damage numbers. In any given case, your treating doctor will have to generate the decision as to what level of permanency you have sustained to a reasonable degree of medical probability.



Without a permanency claim for damages, damages will generally be restricted to soft tissue or short term injury. You will be paid for pain and suffering for the period of time you suffered. Essentially, if the treating doctor can not testify that you've got sustained a permanent injury to a reasonable degree of medical probability, or if there isn't any finding of a "long-term harm" by a doctor, the fact finder will probably be constrained on damages. Bear in mind that, economic damages such a medical bills incurred and lost wages are not limited like non-economic damages and are designed to compensate for all reasonable and foreseen economic loss resulting from the car crash.

Considering that the law is so specific regarding injuries and the medical documentation, it is important to follow your treating doctors' recommendations for your own course of treatment. Be certain you inform your doctor in specific detail, about all your injuries because if you fail to do so, it will not be documented and if its not documented, it never happened. Obviously, you don't over-exaggerate your claim to your medical provider but accuracy and detail is always important.

All You Need To Know About Flight Delay Claims

If you have suffered a significant flight delay (or cancellation) recently, you could be entitled to compensation. It's important that you understand your rights, what you might be entitled to and how to make a claim. For further information you can visit WINWales, however this article will cover the basics. Levels of compensation are determined by a number of factors including:

  • the length of delay
  • flight distance (miles)
  • departure/destination points (specifically if flying from/to an EU country).

The reason for the delay must be deemed to be the airline's responsibility - these reasons could include technical and other aircraft problems or booking issues. Compensation will not be payable in circumstances reputed to be outside the airline's control; severe weather conditions, security concerns or strikes for example.

For flights delayed by more than two hours, all passengers have a basic entitlement of food and drink vouchers and an allowance for telephone calls and emails. This applies even if the delay is as a result of factors outside the airline's control. Additionally, where the delay involves an overnight stay, the airline should provide hotel accommodation and arrange any necessary transport to and from the hotel. The airline has a responsibility to provide this service, but if the required assistance or information is not available at the airport, passengers should make their own arrangements, retaining receipts for appropriate expenses in order to claim them back from the airline later. Be aware though, the airlines will only reimburse 'reasonable' expenses so do not include alcoholic drinks or other 'extras' and ensure you book only standard rather than luxury accommodation.

In situations where a flight is delayed by three hours or more, EU law comes into force. The law allows passengers taking flights departing from/to a European country, or those with a European based airline, to claim cash compensation in addition to their basic entitlements as set out above. Under these regulations compensation packages ranging from 250 euros up to 600 euros can be sought, dependant on the circumstances of the delay. You will need to make note of the time delay and calculate the total flying distance in miles to ascertain the amount of compensation applicable. These claims should be made directly to the airline operating the flight.

In the event of a longer delay of five hours or more, you have a choice; proceed with the journey as planned and claim the appropriate compensation package or cancel your journey and claim a full refund, including your return and any connecting flights (you will still be entitled to your basic rights of food vouchers etc.). If you decide not to take the delayed flight you should inform your airline immediately.

Similarly, if your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to either a full refund (including any additional flights as part of your booking) or a replacement flight(s) to get you to your final destination. You are still entitled to claim compensation if the replacement flight results in a delay of two hours or more at the time of arrival.

Claims for flight delays outside of EU jurisdiction should be directed to the airline responsible and will be handled subject to their own regulations. It's a good idea to check your airline's terms and conditions prior to booking so that you know what your rights are. If you do have cause to make a claim, it's good practice to keep a copy of all correspondence and any receipts until you reach settlement.

If you have a grievance or been denied a claim relating to a flight delay (or cancellation) within the UK, you should contact the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Flight delay and cancellation complaints occurring outside the UK should be reported to the airline regulator in the relevant country.

Qualities Of A Good Brain Injury Compensation Lawyer

The laws surrounding claims made on brain injuries can be tricky and tough to understand for a regular person. That is why it is important to hire good brain injury compensation lawyers.

Brain injury compensation lawyers are the kind of lawyers who specialize in handling cases where brain injuries are involved. They focus mainly on the effects of the brain injury to the quality of your life after it had happened. This is also usually the argument that they use when defending cases relating to brain injury. They show the judge or the jury how catastrophic your injury is and how it can affect the quality of your life to determine how much compensation you should get.

When looking for a good brain injury compensation lawyer to hire, look for someone with a keen eye for details. These kinds of lawyers are the ones who can read people's actions, words, tones and body language. Lawyers with this trait can easily read people around them and can tell when to attack and when to retreat when faced with an argument with a fellow lawyer in court.

A good brain injury compensation lawyer also has to have some background and knowledge about brain injuries in general. This is not to say that they should know everything relating to brain injury, but it would be an advantage if they know something about the case. He should at least have handled similar brain injury cases as yours so you'll know your chances. It would also help if he has won those brain injury compensation cases.

Good brain injury compensation lawyers also stick by you no matter what happens in the case. Whether you are winning or losing, a good lawyer keeps up the fight. He will do anything in his power to find that loophole, or that clause that will help you win the case and not abandon you when the going gets tough.

Good compensation lawyers are also inquisitive. They are the ones who do not just accept things as facts right away. They question, probe, and they do research on the information that they have. They exhaust all sorts of possibilities before coming to a conclusion. They use their network and team to find out more information on the case before they go to court.

Patience is another good trait to look for when looking to hire a compensation lawyer. If he is always abrupt with a client or always trying to hurry up a client, then he might not give your case 100% of his time and attention. As earlier mentioned some terms used in brain injuries are hard to understand, so your lawyer should be patient enough to explain to you and make you understand what will happen to the case. Also, look for lawyers who claim that you are guaranteed to win if you sign up with him. Winning is not always a sure thing and a lawyer who guarantees it is usually doing something illegal in order to win.

If you are looking to hire a brain injury compensation lawyer, look for these kinds of traits. These can help you determine which lawyer will help you win the case.



Find A Brain Injury Compensation Lawyer For Your Claim



When you are suffering from an injury that has to do with your brain, you need to get compensation if you weren't at fault. You can find a brain injury compensation lawyer that will help you make some progress. Here is the information you're going to need so you can come out of this with what you deserve.

Brain injuries can make it hard for you to live your life. You need to be compensated for the time that you have to lose from working, for instance, because there are a lot of times when you are going to have a lot of problems with what you are doing in your day to day life. You should work with a lawyer so that you can get the most for what you have lost during this time.

Did any of your property get damaged when you suffered your injury? If so, then you are going to want to work with a lawyer to get help getting everything paid for either by the other party or if you have insurance, their coverage. Either way, you deserve to get back what you lost when you were dealing with an injury since that can really make it hard for you to deal with your day to day life if you lost something like a vehicle or a device like your computer you used to do work on.

An injury is something that could have been caused by a company that you work for, and you may need to be paid the rest of your life to deal with it. For instance, if you now are unable to work because of negligence on the company's behalf, it's okay because you can get a lawyer to help you to get the company to pay for the problems that have been caused by this company. You want to be careful to do this right because you will have to go to court in a lot of cases and shouldn't take a small settlement.

Find a lawyer that is easy to get into touch with on a regular basis so that you know your case is being cared for. There should be a lot of time spent on your case, because if they just get paid and then put it aside that is not fair to you. Look for reviews on the firm that is being looked into and do a lot of working to learn all you can about the various types of people that do this kind of work in your area so that you can know who the best in the business are.

A brain injury compensation lawyer is someone you should hire if you were hurt and need help. There are a lot of people that can get you started with this if you are willing to work with them step by step on this. You'll be pleased you did when you are given a chance to work through these options.

Choosing A Brain Injury Claims Lawyer

Brain injury is one of the most devastating outcomes of an accident. In the most extreme cases, brain injury can leave one in a coma or a persistent vegetative state. This is a state where the victim is unable to regain consciousness and brain activity becomes low. In such cases, hospitalization is usually the only option. However, in cases where the injury is mild, the victim may lose the ability to remember things that were said just a few moments previously, but function normally in all other aspects.

While medical experts continue to carry out detailed research on the brain, at this time, it's still the least understood of all body organs. The brain is the most complex, fragile and vital part of the human body and the effects experienced in case of an injury will depend on the areas of the brain that have sustained the damage or injury.

Getting Compensation From An Accident Involving Head Or Brain Injury

If a loved one has suffered from head or brain injury due to negligence by another person, they have a right to claim compensation. The awarded funds will sponsor the ongoing care of the victim, and this enables the family to attain the best possible quality of life despite the incident. This is where professional advice from a brain injury claims lawyer with vast experience in managing and handling such cases is essential.

Issues regarding compensation tend to be sophisticated. If the claim procedures used to make an injury compensation case are not enough to provide lifelong care for the affected, there's no chance to go back and ask the courts for more funds at a future date even if the compensation amount proves to be inadequate.

A firm of lawyers who specialize in head and brain injury will do more than just simply fighting the case for your loved one in court. A personal injury lawyer specializing in brain injury claims will also offer a huge array of managed care solutions that include sourcing as well as managing expert staff and equipment for home care when required. Moreover, the firm will provide a care manager to assist with day to day living requirements of a loved with who has suffered a brain injury.

This kind of assistance and support will be available before and after the compensation claim case has been heard and is usually provided free of charge. Keep in mind that some cases take up to five years to reach a verdict and so, it is a critical consideration.



If you are reading this post because your loved one has a had a severe injury and are looking for further information, an excellent way to asses the practical experience of any potential brain injury claims lawyer is to take a look at their website. Based on the site's content, especially the case histories and testimonials, it should be fairly easy to know whether the firm specializes in serious injury cases, and if they have a successful track record in dealing with them. Brain injury doesn't have to be a life sentence for the entire family.