Tag Archives: solicitors

ClaimsHeaven.co.uk Online Game Highlights Issues with Personal Injury Claims Marketing

Entertaining online consumer siteClaimsHeaven.co.uk has added a new free online game that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the personal injury compensation industry in the UK to their array of claims resources.

If you’ve ever wondered about the personal industry claims market, and whether those adverts promising massive payouts if you have “been injured in an accident at home, at work or on the road” actually encourage a culture where people see being injured as a chance to cash in, then ClaimsHeaven.co.uk has a lot of interesting information and resources that can explain the way this controversial industry works, and help those who need to make genuine compensation claims avoid being ripped off or seduced by the promises of unscrupulous companies.

The latest tool the site offers consumers is a new free online game called Train 2 Claim that “trains” the player to become a better personal injury claimant. It involves the player’s character walking down a typical street with manhole covers and loose paving slabs, and having the ability to move to avoid these potential trip hazards. If you step on them, you’ll fall over, getting more and more injured the more times it happens. When the timer is up, you go and visit a compensation claims company to see how you’ve done. You then get a chance to try again, helping you learn what you need to do to get a bigger payout!

The game, and the supporting information can be found at:

www.claimsheaven.co.uk/games/train2claim.php

As well as being entertaining, it is intended to illustrate the problems in the personal industry claims market in the UK right now, and highlight the methods companies use that could potentially persuade people to make claims. The site is all about supporting legitimate claimants and helping people to understand the pitfalls and scams that exist in the UK claims industry, and aims to present its information through insightful, fun and interesting methods like this game.

Train 2 Claim is free to play through any popular internet browser, and users don’t need to submit any personal details to get access to the game, or any of the other information or games and resources on the site.

Via EPR Network
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Access Legal Helps To Launch New Pro Bono Law Clinic

Access Legal, the consumer brand of national law firm Shoosmiths, has helped launch a pro bono law clinic in Northampton. The joint venture, called the Northampton and District Citizens Advice Bureau pro bono clinic, provides clients with free legal advice from Access Legal experts.

The new clinic is the result of a joint effort between Access Legal, Northampton and District CAB, the University of Northampton Law School and LawWorks, all of whom recognised the immense public value of free legal services. These organisations understand that many people across the UK cannot afford to hire solicitors despite urgently needing legal advice.

More than 30 attendees joined Access Legal and the other organisations involved in the pro bono clinic to celebrate its official launch during National Pro Bono Week.

Paul Morrison, Partner at Access Legal, said: “We’re delighted to have had the opportunity to be involved with such an excellent cause.

“The opportunity to work alongside well respected and dedicated groups such as the CAB, the University of Northampton Law School, and LawWorks has been fantastic; it’s given us the chance to use our professional knowledge and expertise for the benefit of those in the community who find it hard to otherwise access legal advice.”

Together, Access Legal and its partners at the clinic will provide members of the community with legal services that are completely free of charge. Some of the legal services provided by Access Legal’s experts include: legal advice on employment disputes, landlord and tenant issues and consumer rights.

The chief executive of the Northampton and Distract CAB, Martin Lord, echoed Paul Morrison’s sentiments, saying: “This is a significant development for us. It ushers in what we hope will be a new era of cooperation with the legal community.”

Lord went on to say that all of the bro bono support involved in establishing the clinic represents an untapped resource for the community. He expressed his gratitude to the University of Northampton Law School, LawWorks and Access Legal for their efforts in developing the clinic and setting a positive tone of collaboration for the future.

The pro bono clinic is one of many charitable endeavours that Access Legal has taken part in. The company also recently raised more than £30,000 for one of its charity partners, Aspire, which provides practical support for individuals with spinal cord injuries.

Via EPR Network
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Osbornes Solicitors LLP Receives Quality Mark From Law Society’s Quality Conveyancing Scheme

Osbornes solicitors, based in Pratt Street in Camden, is pleased to announce that our application to become a member of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme has been successful. The Law Society’s Transaction Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) is a quality standard for residential conveyancing practices.

The Conveyancing Quality Scheme was launched in January 2011, since when over 900 law firms have applied for the quality mark. Out of these firms fewer than 300 have been admitted thus far.

The CQS is a scheme designed to give clients (buyers, sellers and lenders) confidence in the standard of conveyancing work they will receive by providing a recognisable kitemark for accredited conveyancing firms. It is based on a new Law Society Protocol which aims to achieve consistent standards across the sector in order to speed up the conveyancing process and provide more certainty for buyers and sellers.

Jan Atkinson, Partner and Head of the property law Department at Osbornes commented:

“Receiving this quality mark from the Law Society strengthens the existing reputation that our property team has of providing high quality advice and service to its clients. This independent quality mark from the Law Society demonstrates that the members of the property team at Osbornes provide an expert service to their clients.”

For further information about this quality mark and to find out what property services we offer clients please contact Maria Elliot or Justine Simms on 0207 485 8811. Alternatively you can e-mail on mariaelliot@osbornes.net or justinesimms@osbornes.net. You can also visit our website at www.osbornes.net.

Via EPR Network
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Collins Benson Goldhill Assists Innovative Online Money Transfer Business To Raise Seed Capital From Investors

Collins Benson Goldhill LLP’s business services team, David Morrison and Edward Harris Hughes, acted for the innovative online money transfer business, WorldRemit Ltd in connection with its raising of circa £350,000 of investment capital. WorldRemit Limited’s CEO and founder, Dr Ismail Ahmed had been offered the investment following his success in winning a business plan competition at the London Business School.

Ismail Ahmed “ Securing investment for our business with the help of CBG has allowed us to put in place technology that provides a secure online user experience and a world class money transfer platform, which together will make money transfers much more convenient for our customers.”

David Morrison, a Partner in the Business Services Department of Collins Benson Goldhill LLP said “CBG enjoys working with people who are establishing new businesses. Taking care of the legal aspects of starting business allows our clients to concentrate on their ideas and growing their businesses. WorldRemit has made a great start and we wish Ismail and his team every success for the future.”

WorldRemit is an online money transfer system which enables families to transfer funds quickly, securely and easily from any home or office based computer using their credit or debit cards. The money can then be either collected from agents or credited to a bank or mobile phone account. Further information is available at www.worldremit.com. The business started operating in 2010 and now serves customers in over 25 countries. Dr. Ahmed recently won an entrepreneurship award at the Somali Achievements Awards ceremony – the service provides a much more convenient way for Somalis to send money home, With transfers directly to mobile accounts, recipients can save time and money as they no longer need to travel to agent locations to collect cash– and as transfers are usually for sums of less than $100, the travel costs can be a significant proportion of the sum that is being collected.

Collins Benson Goldhill LLP is a Lexcel accredited firm of west end solicitors* based on Great Portland Street (just off Oxford Circus) in Central London, which has been established for 21 years specialising in providing affordable, practical and professional advice in connection with all aspects of commercial law such as Leasehold Enfranchisement and unfair dismissal. Its business service team is experienced in advising start up and growing companies in all aspects of their business, including shareholder agreements, investment agreements, employment agreements, and commercial contracts. Further information about Collins Benson Goldhill LLP’s services can be found at www.cbglaw.co.uk.

Via EPR Network
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Schillings Assist Earl And Lady Spencer In Winning Libel Action

Schillings solicitors has won their libel action against the Sunday Express on behalf of Earl Spencer and his daughter Lady Kitty Spencer.

The judgement has meant Earl Spencer and his daughter Lady Kitty Spencer have won an apology, Statement in Open Court as well as substantial damages and their legal costs from the Sunday Express after bringing a libel action in the High Court.

The Sunday Express article of 30 August 2009 entitled “The It girl making the Spencers glamorous”, made various false allegations concerning Earl Spencer’s divorce from his wife Caroline and was critical of his behaviour and that of Lady Kitty in connection with the divorce.

The Sunday Express has accepted that the allegations complained about were false. In an apology to be published on Sunday 6 December 2009 the Sunday Express will say:

“On 30 August 2009 in an article “The It girl making the Spencers glamorous” we published several false allegations about Earl Spencer and his eldest daughter, Lady Kitty Spencer. We regret the suggestion in that article that either of them acted improperly in any way in connection with Earl Spencer’s divorce from his wife Caroline, or in relation to the division of the family assets.

We would like to apologise to Earl Spencer and Lady Kitty Spencer for the distress and embarrassment we may have caused.”

The Sunday Express also joined with Earl Spencer and Lady Kitty Spencer in making a Statement in Open Court whereby Express Newspapers accepted that they should not have published the article as they did and formally apologised. Express Newspapers has also paid substantial damages and legal costs in full.

About Schillings
Schillings is one of Britain’s top law firms dedicated to reputation management and safeguarding the rights of international corporations and brands, high-profile business people and those in the public eye. The firm’s 25 year track-record in defamationprivacy law and copyright cases together with family law, matrimonial and commercial dispute resolution is second to none, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a “spectacularly efficient media law firm”.

Via EPR Network
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Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP Has Reported The Recovery Of £405,750 Settlement In Erbs Palsy Case

Law firm, Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP, has reported the recovery of £405,750 to a nine-year-old girl, who was injured in 1998 whilst under the care of the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; the highest reported settlement in an Erb’s Palsy case of its type.

The claimant was injured during birth as her head was delivered but there were difficulties in delivering the shoulders, known as shoulder dystocia. Field Fisher Waterhouse acted for the claimant in the case that the antenatal care was negligently managed, and there was a failure to deliver by caesarean section. There were further negligent acts and omissions in the obstetric management, including inter alia – the application of strong traction to her head.

As a consequence, she suffered a severe traumatic injury to the nerves supplying her right arm, causing paralysis. She underwent four extensive surgeries to attempt to improve function in her arm in the first seven years of her life. Despite this the claimant has been left with a permanent disability and the right limb remains for all practical purposes, functionless.

The claimant’s mother brought the clinical negligence case against the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust. Samantha Critchley, a solicitor in the Personal Injury and Medical Negligence Group at Field Fisher Waterhouse, acted for the claimant.

The hospital accepted that there were elements of the management of the labour, which were not appropriate and admitted negligence in the claimant’s care and invited proposals for settlement. After a lengthy negotiation the amount of settlement was agreed, in principle, between the parties.

At an Infant Settlement Hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on 28 July, the terms of settlement were approved. In addition to the substantial damages recovered by Field Fisher Waterhouse for the claimant, the hospital was also ordered to pay the claimant’s legal costs.

The claimant’s parents said: “We now know that our daughter will have enough money to help her get through the rest of her life. We would encourage any parent to be very patient in a case like this and not to jump at the first offer they are given.”

Samantha Critchley said: “I am delighted to achieve such a significant award on the claimant’s behalf. She is a delightful and brave little girl who will be affected by her disability for the rest of her life. I hope that the compensation will allow her to obtain the necessary support, now and in the future, to ensure she reaches her full potential in life.”

The claimant was represented by Henry Witcomb of 1 Crown Office Row.

About Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP:
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP is a full-service European law firm with offices in Brussels, Hamburg and London. With 119 partners, over 200 other lawyers and nearly 300 support staff, we assist a wide range of international clients, advising across a full range of legal issues.

The main areas of practice are corporate and commercial, IP and technology, banking and finance, regulatory and real estate. Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP also have particular expertise in competition & EU law, dispute resolution, employment, personal injury and clinical negligence, public sector and tax.

Via EPR Network
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