U.K. Personal Injury Attorneys to Face Closer Examination

April 22, 2010 (by Horatio Algren) Personal injury lawyers making more than £1 million per year on personal injury claims according to a new report should face closer examination.

According to Stormont’s Public Accounts some Northern Ireland personal injury attorneys should be scrutinized closer. It is believed that there is the potential for conflict of interest in a committee of judges and attorneys setting fees, which some stand to benefit financially.

During the year 2007-2008 there were payments made that involved tipping style accidents paid to plaintiffs’ attorneys equaling £1 million. The costs have increased almost four times with inflation over the past decade in claims against the Road Services.

Stormont’s Public Accounts chairman Paul Maskey stated the Committee believes that the legal profession is making these financial decisions to their benefit without considering the impact on the public and private sector which will bear the costs.

The tipping injuries on the roads and footpaths cost the Department for Regional Development £4 million between 2007 and 2008. According to Maskey approximately half of this money paid to claimants was paid for legal attorney’s legal fees and in house government advisers. The administrative costs are an additional £1 million a year.

Maskey believes this is a dangerous situation that does not meet the accepted principals of governance and accountability.

While the number of personal injury claims has decreased by half during the last ten years, the average cost of a successful injury claim has increased by approximately four times the rate of inflation. The reason for this is believed it is because the increases are outside of the Department’s control.

Compensation paid in Northern Ireland that is paid is almost twice the amount that is paid in England or Wales. One reason is due to the fact that juries made the decisions, while this was discontinued in England and Wales. England and Wales decisions are done by judicial guidelines, and with the change in Northern Ireland the differential was maintained. The difference between a severe ankle injury in Northern Ireland and England, would be the Irish claimant award starting at £18,000, while in England or Wales the same injury award would start at £7,625.

The Department pays for the compensation that is awarded in personal injury claims, for the claimants legal costs and for their own legal advice.

Ford Ranger Overturns After Anaheim Crash

April 19, 2010 (by Horatio Algren) According to reports a Ford Ranger overturned after a crash in Anaheim trapping the driver inside the pickup truck.

According to Anaheim Police Sgt. Rick Martinez the crash occurred in the vicinity of Rio Vista Street and Lincoln Avenue. The drive of the Ford Ranger was traveling southbound and in the middle of the intersection waiting to make a left turn when the accident happened.

The Ford was struck by a Dodge vehicle that was traveling eastbound on Lincoln Avenue, hitting the Ford Ranger in the side. The impact of the Dodge caused the pickup to overturn, trapping the driver inside of the vehicle for a short amount of time according to Sgt. Martinez.

The Anaheim Police officer stated that the driver of the Ford Ranger was able to get out of the pickup after firefighters broke the front windshield out of the vehicle. The driver appeared to be uninjured according to Sgt. Martinez.

The driver of the Dodge sustained injuries to his right hand and wrist, according to the police officer. Sgt. Martinez also stated there were no passengers in either of the vehicles and the rollover accident is still under investigation.