Specialisms

Bicycle and motorcycle personal injury claims.

Paul  has been winning challenging cases for twenty years.

When the ITAI was formed under the presidency of Tony Foster he took the opportunity to enroll as affilliate member,so receiving training at the various test days and conferences which the institute organised. This enabled his department to make a prompt assessment of a given accident situation and permitted the collection of relevant evidence from the scene which allowed subsequent formal instruction of an expert witness.

Paul understands how the the Police progress their investigations and so is able to interview the collision investigation officers on their own terms.

He has reconstructed accidents even where the road layout has been revised. Claims dismissed by other lawyers as lacking reasonable prospects of success have been turned around. A selection occupy a 'rouges gallery' of an exhibition display.

Paul  has even been summoned to northern Sweden in midwinter to analyse a collision involving a British driver preparing for the Swedish International car rally. Hunting for pieces of indicator glass and other lenses in temperatures as low as 20 degrees below freezing indicates a certain committment.

The purpose of all this is to establish primary liability and then to reduce any proportion that might attach to the client. A 5% swing on a £250000 claim justifies the effort.

Motor vehicle road traffic accidents.

Selecting a representative to pursue a claim for compensation is not completely straightforward. As this is a one off decision it is vital to make it correctly.

Whatever happens, look beyond the dreadful Yellow Pages type advertising. Anyone can call themselves a 'specialist' or 'expert'.

On the basis that the learning process never stops, the only true experts are dead ones.

So far as injury lawyers are concerned, membership of the Law Society's Personal Injury panel is a reasonable starting point. Membership of the Society's Accident Line is even better, because these individuals have convinced their governing body not just that they have a level of ability and experience, but have some business organisation and acumen too.

 A readiness to travel to scene, hospital or home ought to be readily apparent. If it's not, look elsewhere. Beware the 'I've seen it all before' type who seems 'wire locked to transmit' rather than listen. One terrible old rascal in the North West, ostensibliy committed to the cyclists' cause, exuded a Mr Toad type of confidence, perhaps to mask his two drink driving convictions and a Police caution for assault of a minor.

Empathy with the claimant is essential. Fate has dealt Paul this gift due to visiting upon him at various times a spinal dislocation fracture (T12/L1), fractured clavicle, disruption of the acromium process, fractured ribs and a non-intrusive head injury. It is only when one has experienced various degrees of incapacity that the most relevant information can be obtained from a similarly incapacitated client.

Potential clients are frequently wary of members of the legal profession ; 'distant', 'aloof', 'detached'; it's vital to build a bond in the first contact and so win confidence. Paul has engineering in his genes and quickly connects with those working in industry and artizans in manual  vocations.

Special damages

As the level of damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (injury damages) is capped at £250000, the serious claims depend upon well researched and prepared schedules for loss of earnings and care. Imagination and attention to detail are the key requirements. Re-designing property or rehousing the victim are nothing new. Including an element for hire of  a motorhome to permit  an incontinent spinal injury victim to take holidays is a little more creative...maybe not the sort of input provided in a claim run on an academic or financial budget.