Don't Get Captured!

Your case could be under settled, you could be charged a fee and you could lose compensation.


Article by
Chris Lucas

It’s an unfortunate reality that accidents happen. Car accidents, accidents at work, accidents in public places: the one thing that they all have in common is that they can cause injury, create inconvenience and in some cases change people’s lives forever.

If you suffer as a result of an accident which is not your fault, you will usually be entitled to claim compensation from the liable party. For this, you will often need a solicitor. Many people will already know this, perhaps from information they have read on the Internet, adverts they have seen on TV or their basic knowledge of English law.

What you may not know is that many personal injury law firms, particularly larger ‘factory’-type firms, buy their cases from third party companies known as referrers. A referrer could be your own insurance company: for example, if you have a personal injury claim and legal expenses cover as part of your policy, your insurer may refer your case to a panel firm of solicitors. Another type of referrer is a claims management company (or CMC for short): these companies buy and sell data and they make their money by obtaining information from injured clients and selling their cases to panel firms. The access some CMCs have to data can be surprising and they will often bombard clients with calls and put a lot of pressure on them to sign up as their representatives will often be working on commission.

The panel firms which pay referral fees for their cases are typically costs-driven, they churn over high volumes of work (much of it low value) and they often implement standard practices across the board. The culture of these firms is therefore much like a factory rather than a traditional law firm, which is why we refer to them as ‘factory’ firms.

My first job in a law firm...

Article by
Amanda Carron

I was 18 years old when I attended my first official interview for employment at Garden House Solicitors in which I successfully achieved a job as a trainee legal secretary. I had gained some background knowledge of the legal world at college, however my colleagues at Garden House Solicitors helped me gain more in-depth knowledge and skills to become the best legal secretary I could be!

Now two years on I have been promoted to a fully qualified legal secretary within this firm, I am learning new things and gaining more experience each day. My roles keep extending and therefore my skills are increasing. 

Garden House Solicitors has provided me with many challenges and hard work and it’s a pleasure being a part of the great GHS team!

www.gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk

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Tel: 01992 422 128

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Email: info@gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk

The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.

What is a Mutual Will?

A Mutual Will is when two or more testators (the legal name given to someone making a Will) make separate Wills or a Joint Will, and agree to give each other reciprocal benefits.  Alternatively, they can agree to confer benefits to the same named beneficiaries. 

For Wills to be mutual, there must be an express agreement between the two parties that both Wills will remain irrevocable and unaltered.  Normally, this agreement is incorporated into the Wills so as to avoid confusion and problems at a later date.

What is the effect of a mutual Will?

If one testator dies, and the deceased testator had not revoked or altered his Will then the surviving testator will be bound by the mutual Will.  They will hold the property and assets of the deceased person “in trust”.  If they try to revoke or alter their own Will, they would be committing fraud and a Court would be unlikely to grant permission for the change to be made. 

PyroTITAN Humeral Resurfacing Shoulder Implant Recalled

Article by
Kevin Timms

Integra LifeSciences is voluntarily recalling one lot of its PyroTITAN Humeral Resurfacing Arthroplasty due to the belief that there might be a manufacturing defect which may lead to premature failure of the shoulder implant.

The recall has been made following the notification to the PyroTITAN Humeral Resurfacing shoulder implant manufacturer that and implant was found with a fracture when it was being revised.

The manufacturer is recalling all products within the same lot so that additional testing and investigation can take place to determine is a manufacturing defect exists with this lot. PyroTITAN Humeral Resurfacing shoulder implants with the lot number 09-2119 are effected by the recall.

If your PyroTITAN shoulder implant has failed prematurely it may be as a result of a manufacturing defect and you may be entitled to make a compensation claim. For further information please contact Kevin Timms on 01992 422 128 or email Kevin at Kevin@gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk. 

www.gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk

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Tel: 01992 422 128

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Email: info@gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk

The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.