Injury Solicitors Back New Bid To Boost Fatal Accident Compensation24th Sep 2013
Coles Miller Solicitors are backing renewed action to raise the limit for fatal accident compensation and make it fairer across the UK.
The Dorset law firm is writing to its MPs in support of a campaign by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).
New research by APIL has revealed that fatal accident damages across the UK are a postcode lottery with claimants in Scotland paid far more than relatives of victims south of the border.
Accident compensation payments in Scotland can run to tens of thousands of pounds but the limit in England and Wales is still just £12,980 despite legal changes that came into force on April 1.
Compensation paid in respect of people who have died aged under 18 with no dependents is even lower. It covers merely the cost of a funeral and headstone.
Coles Miller described the present accident compensation limits as a “travesty”.
“The current system is outrageous,” said Coles Miller Partner Adrian Cormack, a UK Legal 500 recommended solicitor who leads the firm’s team of personal injury lawyers.
“The hardest conversation I have with any of my clients is with the parents of a child who has died. The law at present provides them with virtually no compensation.
“It is not fair, it is not right. The government must change the rules and increase the limit to a more realistic level.”
The current limit of £12,980 was still completely inadequate despite the recent increase, he added.
“Somebody who has suffered a broken arm could obtain more in damages than somebody who has been killed.
“When someone has died, whatever the payment is, it will never be enough but the present figure is insulting. It is derisory,” said Mr Cormack.
Coles Miller has offices in Bournemouth, Poole and Wimborne but takes on personal injury and medical negligence cases from all over the United Kingdom.
The firm’s road accident solicitors have been called on to deal with an increasing number of compensation claims following a spate of crashes over recent months in Dorset.
Many of the accidents have involved fatalities.
The firm also helps motorists to recover uninsured losses following road accidents. These can include policy excesses, loss of vehicle use, hire charges and loss of earnings.
A significant number of motoring cases handled by the solicitors involve motorbike accident claims against car and lorry drivers, other road users and also local authorities.
Coles Miller’s work accident solicitors act for victims injured by unsafe factory machinery, hazardous chemicals, falls, slips and trips, vibration, stress and repetitive strain.
Some of the most complex claims - be they motoring, workplace-related or due to clinical negligence - involve spinal, head and brain injuries.
Claims for head injury compensation can require extensive litigation and take years to be resolved because of the complex medical evidence involved.
After compensation has been paid, the solicitors continue to work with the victims’ families, running the legal trusts needed to administer the payouts.
For further details about claiming compensation for personal injury, please contact Coles Miller Solicitors Partner Adrian Cormack, 01202 673011.
This document is not intended to constitute and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice on any specific matter. No liability for the accuracy of the content of this document, or the consequences of relying on it, is assumed by the author. If you seek further information, please contact Managing Partner Neil Andrews at Coles Miller Solicitors LLP.
