News

Successful Outcome in Hairdressing Claim

A personal injury solicitor at claimssolicitors.co.uk secured a payout of well over £6000 as compensation for injury and distress caused by a hairdressing accident at her local hair salon. Mrs Z attended the salon to have her hair highlighted. The lack of a strand or skin test beforehand and negligent application of the highlighting solution resulted in very unpleasant injuries to her scalp. Severe itching, bleeding and scabbing eventually lead to a bald patch.

The skin damage eventually healed with the application of medically prescribed creams however the hair was permanently damaged and thus will not recover until entirely new growth appears over time. This was very distressing for Mrs Z and affected her self esteem as a result.

The solicitor was able to prove that poor technique such as applying the solution directly to the scalp (not solely in foils), repeated applications, and leaving the preparation on for too long, all constituted negligence and so a personal injury and hair claim was successful.

ClaimsSolicitiors call for regulation of hairdressers to prevent hair accidents

Stockport, UK, Dec 08, 2009 - A Stockport personal injury solicitor is calling for all hairdressers in the UK to be subject to regulation.

Nigel Barrowcliff of claimsolicitors.co.uk is a specialist in professional negligence claims and has observed an alarming increase in clients coming forward with injuries to their hair and scalp as a result of hairdressing malpractice.

The problem has been highlighted by a campaign by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and has also received recent media attention on breakfast TV and on BBC Radio Two.

Modern hairdressing involves the use of powerful bleaching, colouring, straightening and perming solutions. If a patch test is not performed beforehand or if the chemicals are incorrectly applied serious burns to the scalp can result leading to pain and discomfort, bald patches, hair loss and even permanent scarring. In cases of extreme allergic reaction victims can suffer anaphylactic shock.

"The hairdressing profession is completely unregulated and anyone can open a salon and call themselves a hairdresser" says Nigel. "This does not happen elsewhere in the EU where a professional qualification together with schemes for registration and monitoring are compulsory. Many experienced hairdressers are themselves advocating regulation of this kind. Hopefully such legislation would lessen the number of hairdressing injuries in the future. Unfortunately we are not just seeing cases of failed haircuts or minor burns but serious and permanent injuries on occasion necessitating surgery or inducing permanent allergy."

'Claimssolicitors' success in car claim controversy

Stockport, UK, August 24, 2009 - claimssolicitors, the online division of Davies and Company, are pleased to report their recent success on a criminal damage claim resulting in full compensation.

In this case an insurance company judged the use of a private car for travelling to work as business use and therefore declined payment of the claim after the car was written off subject to criminal damage.

Many people use their car to travel to work every day, and don't imagine that should something happen to their car their insurance company may try to bypass responsibility due to terms of use. It is important to read the small print in any policy and to seek legal advice if such a loophole is found.

In this case the injured party approached claimssolicitors who represented them. The case ended up in Court - and when presented with claimssolicitors' case the insurer conceded to pay - not a portion of, but the full loss, plus interest and indemnity costs.

"You'd be surprised what insurance companies will try to avoid paying a claim," says Philip Davies of claimssolicitors. "In this case the client wouldn't settle and neither should you - seek legal advice from claimssolicitors who can advise you and negotiate on your behalf."

For more information about ClaimsSolicitors, visit www.claimssolicitors.co.uk or

DNA Evidence Could Help to Resolve Industrial Illness Claims

Researchers in the USA have developed a technique that could provide important evidence in workers' illness claims in the future. The Courts in California have heard 20 cases in which DNA evidence was used to establish whether or not exposure to toxic chemicals at work was the cause of the claimants' conditions

The new technique, called "msds1" can determine how human cells and their individual DNA respond when exposed to chemicals. It was developed at the University of Illinois and has been recently been endorsed by the US equivalent of our Law Society - the American Bar Association.

There are thousands of industrial injury claims in the UK each year and many of these relate to incurable diseases such as mesothelioma caused by working in an environment with harmful substances.

Nigel Barrowcliff, of personal injury specialists ClaimsSolicitors, which successfully handles many claims for injury compensation each year, said of the use of the new DNA evidence:

"Any innovation that can help claimants establish the cause of their illness is of course most welcome." However, whilst I would expect such evidence to be admissible in our courts there are concerns over the costs involved which could be a problem. Whilst expert evidence is often important it does not determine the outcome of a case on its own."

Million Pound Month for Clients of ClaimsSolicitors.co.uk

The personal injury solicitors at ClaimsSolicitors.co.uk recorded one million pounds in personal injury compensation payments for their clients last month.

July saw specialist solicitors at the Cheshire law firm successfully conclude the claims of dozens of clients after detailed investigation work, negotiation with insurance companies or Court action. None of the firm's clients had to contribute any of their legal costs.

Personal injury solicitor Nigel Barrowcliff of the firm commented; "We are pleased our clients had a just conclusion to their claims. Whilst no amount of compensation can turn back the clock or truly reflect the pain, suffering or inconvenience caused by a personal injury, these clients can draw a line under the claims process and get on with their lives. It is satisfying for us to deliver rehabilitation, good service and a fair financial result for our clients."

Nigel Barrowcliff is a Member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel and a Member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

Victory in Battle With Insurance Giant in Fight for Justice After Tragic Death

Solicitor Nigel Barrowcliff successfully challenged Legal and General and secured a £100,000 out-of-court settlement on behalf of widower David Webb, whose wife was killed when a suicidal driver deliberately crashed into their car.

The case revolved around the small print in Mrs Webb's life insurance policy. They had been refusing to pay out because of an entry on Mrs Webb's medical records which implied she was a smoker, even though this had no bearing on her death. Nigel Barrowcliff also handled a fatal accident claim and against the other driver's insurers.
For the full story please see Claims Solicitors win £100,000 out-of-court settlement

Village Green Events Saved!

The Court of Appeal decision in Cole v Davis-Gilbert (April 07) relating to liability in the case of a person who suffered serious leg fractures from a hole left by a maypole means that traditional May Day celebrations can go ahead with less worry for the organisers.

This ruling, together with the enactment in April 2007 of Section 1 of the Compensation Act 2006, will encourage the courts to consider the deterrent factor of too readily finding liability against the organisers of community events such as fetes or school trips.

Travellers Who Suffer Injuries

A recent decision by the European Parliament should mean good news for travellers who suffer injuries in Europe.

Up until this ruling, travellers seeking compensation could find themselves time-barred from making a claim without even realising it. The standard 3 year compensation claims limitation in the UK does not apply elsewhere.

The decision is the first step towards all EU member states harmonising the limitation period for personal injury compensation claims to 4 years. The move was the result of successful lobbying by an MEP and PEOPIL (Pan European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers).

Claims Solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority