Trampoline parks are increasingly popular and new ones are regularly launching across the UK – undoubtedly fun places, these parks are also fueling numerous trampoline injury compensation claims.

As more trampoline parks open, personal injuries resulting from a fall from height accident or from colliding with another jumper are on the rise.

“There are two trampoline parks locally, near to where our offices are based, and we’re already handling claims for individuals who’ve suffered injuries at these parks,” says Trevor Morris, Solicitor at and Director of Bartletts Solicitors.

“Trampoline parks are often located in converted warehouses on industrial estates and feature wall-to-wall trampolines and sometimes have split levels or feature big pits full of foam pieces that people can dive into. At the moment, there is no regulatory body to clearly define safety rules in these places – something that is no doubt contributing to the increase in personal injury compensation claims.”

Safety Matters At Trampoline Parks

Trampoline parks should be vigilant about health and safety, and take extensive measures to keep all jumpers safe while they jump – and many are.

Trevor Morris comments: “The difference between a good and a bad trampoline park is frightening, as the possibility for injuries when jumping at height is naturally fairly big. This is why visitors expect there to be an array of measures in place to keep them safe, and why individuals who suffer an injury are often entitled to claim compensation.

“Every participant is asked to sign a waiver form, or adults are asked to sign on behalf of their children, in case of injury. The trampoline parks are all about having fun, for young and old alike, so safety is not usually at the forefront of people’s minds, and many assume the venue is safe. However, even simple procedures such as keeping the trampolines fault-free, running age-specific sessions, especially for younger children, or limiting the number of people allowed on at any one time, isn’t adhered to by many parks.”

Common Types Of Trampoline Injuries

Personal injuries at trampoline parks usually happen because of faulty trampolines, poor safety measures at the venue, or from people landing in an awkward position during a jump.

The most common types of trampoline injuries, include:

• Head injuries
• Facial injuries
• Back, neck or spinal injuries
• Leg or arm injuries

Making A Trampoline Injury Compensation Claim

Your experience at a trampoline park should be a fun and positive one but if it isn’t due to personal injuries you or a loved one suffer while jumping, you may be able to make a claim for compensation.

“If your accident was caused by insufficient safety measures, overcrowding, faulty equipment or a general lack of supervision, you most likely have grounds for a claim,” adds Trevor Morris.

“It’s advisable to let a member of staff at the trampoline park know about your accident or a loved one’s injury at the time, if possible, and to get in touch with one of our personal injury specialists as soon as possible so we can provide you with tailored advice and guidance.”

For free and impartial legal advice regarding your personal injury, please contact Bartletts Solicitors on Freephone 0800 988 3674 or Chester – 01244 405 399 or from a mobile on 0333 200 4465  or email advice@bartletts.co.uk

When a young child was injured due to badly maintained playground equipment, Bartletts personal injury solicitors in Wrexham helped him get the compensation he deserved from the local authority.

The five-year-old boy was enjoying a well-deserved play in his local park after school, with his parents close by to supervise. He was swinging on the swing, when the seat unexpectedly gave way. He fell to the ground with great force, and was in considerable pain.

The little boy was taken to the accident and emergency department of his local hospital where he was examined and x-rayed. He was diagnosed with a broken ankle and needed to have a plaster cast fitted to provide support for healing.

His broken ankle took nearly six months to recover, during which time he had restricted mobility in his everyday activities and was in a lot of pain. He was also unable to do many of the things he enjoyed like going swimming.

 When the schoolboy’s parents decided to investigate what had happened at the playground, they turned to Bartletts specialist personal injury solicitors in Wrexham for help. We made enquiries with the local authority who could not provide any evidence that the park had been properly maintained. They should have regularly inspected the park to assess public safety risks and repaired any dangerous equipment.

Bartletts secured a considerable sum of compensation for personal injuries on the boy’s behalf, which was to be held and invested by the court until he is 18 years old.

Bartletts personal injury solicitors in Chester recently helped a mother of two make a claim for personal injury against her landlord after the woman and her daughter became ill as a result of damp in their rented accommodation.

The 31-year-old woman lived with her partner and daughter in rented accommodation for three years. Over this period, failure by the landlord to properly maintain the property caused it to fall into a state of disrepair, allowing significant penetrating damp.

The dampness of the property caused the woman to have a number of chest infections and exacerbated her asthma, which became more severe during the winter months. The daughter also developed asthma and bronchiolitis as a result of the damp, which was so severe that she had to be admitted to hospital on various occasions.

The mother was able to self-medicate for her symptoms but went to see her GP about her asthma and chest infections. Her GP was able to identify the cause of the problems as the dampness in her property. The daughter had to have hospital treatment on two occasions and was given antibiotics and an inhaler.

The woman came to see Bartletts experienced personal injury solicitors in Chester, our lawyers quickly set about establishing a claim for personal injury compensation. Bartletts organised for a surveyor to inspect the house to establish that the dampness was penetrating rather than condensation dampness. With this evidence, and support form an independent medical expert in relation to the illnesses suffered, and records from the woman’s GP, our personal injury solicitors successfully brought a claim against the landlord for personal injury and rent and deposit reimbursement.

Bartletts then skilfully negotiated out of the tenancy agreement with the landlord so the woman and her family could move house. Since moving house, the mother and daughter’s health problems have disappeared.

If you are injured at work due to lack of training, you may be able to claim compensation for personal injuries against your employer. This is especially the case, if your job involves any form of ‘manual handling’. This term includes lifting, pulling or pushing and an injury can happen in many ways.

This was the case for a factory cleaner who came to see Bartletts specialist personal injury solicitors in Wrexham after she injured her back trying to move some machinery at work.

The 40-year-old lady had been working in the factory for some time and had the same cleaning routine every day. She routinely moved heavy pieces of machinery so that she could clean underneath, but one day she felt sharp pain in her back while trying to shift some equipment.

The lady went to her GP and was examined and diagnosed with a soft tissue back injury. She was advised to rest and was prescribed painkillers to relieve her pain. She was unable to work for two months following the accident, and needed physiotherapy to help her regain mobility. She continued to suffer from intermittent discomfort in her back, on an ongoing basis after two years.

Even though she was required to move heavy equipment to do her job, the lady had never received any manual handling training from her employer. On discovering this our experienced personal injury solicitor quickly helped the lady make a claim for compensation for personal injuries, and compensation for lost earnings from her employer.

The employer’s insurance company argued that as she had not been required to lift the equipment, the employer was not obliged to provide training. Our experienced personal injury lawyer successfully asserted that the definition of manual handling does not require lifting, but can include moving and secured the compensation she deserved.

Bartletts personal injury solicitors negotiated a significant amount of compensation for personal injuries, compensation for loss of earnings and reimbursement of travel expenses.

When a council tenant started suffering from illness caused by damp living conditions, Bartletts personal injury solicitors in Chester helped her claim compensation from the council.

The 54-year-old lady had been living in the council owned property for over 15 years. During this time the property fell into disrepair due to lack of maintenance by the council. The lady reported the problems to the council many times, but her requests were ignored. She had been left to endure living conditions with significant penetrating damp around the house.

The poor conditions of her accommodation had exacerbated the woman’s asthma and caused her to have a number of chest infections. To treat the illness, the lady was given antibiotics and inhalers by her GP and also had to self-medicate.

The lady came to see Bartletts experienced personal injury solicitors in Chester to help her to get the council to carry out repairs at the property.  Our personal injury lawyers arranged for a surveyor to inspect the house and issues of penetrating dampness were found.

Bartletts successfully made a claim against the council for compensation for personal injury and compensation for damages to property and the cost of repairs. The claim also made the council inspect the property more thoroughly and undertake work to make it more habitable. As the surveyor also found evidence of condensation dampness in the property, the woman was referred to social schemes to help with living choices and how to make the house less susceptible to condensation problems.

If you are involved in a road traffic accident and the driver of the other vehicle fails to stop, you will still be able to make a claim for compensation if you have suffered any personal injuries.

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau untraced drivers’ agreement offers protection to victims of uninsured or untraced drivers to help them to claim for compensation. This is what happened when our expert personal injury solicitors were recently able to secure compensation for personal injury for the victim of a hit and run.

The 35-year-old groundworker was driving his car when another vehicle collided with him head on.  Instead of stopping to check if he was injured and to exchange insurance details, the driver of the other car sped off from the scene of the accident.  The accident left the groundworker with severe ongoing pain in his neck and elbow.

When he came to Bartletts expert personal injury solicitors in Wrexham he had been suffering from pain to the neck and elbow for over two years, despite receiving a course of physiotherapy.  The pain had been making it difficult to work so the self-employed groundworker had been forced to hire assistance.

Our solicitors successfully made a claim through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau untraced drivers’ agreement for compensation for personal injury, the cost of care and assistance, the cost of hiring assistance at work and travelling expenses for journeys to and from physiotherapy and medical appointments.

When a factory worker broke his elbow in an accident at work, ruining the enjoyment of his holiday, Bartletts personal injury solicitors in Wrexham helped him to win the compensation he deserved.

The 30-year-old factory worker was busy at work when he slipped on some liquid that had been spilled on the floor.  As the liquid was clear, the man had not noticed it, and there were no wet floor signs to warn of the potential hazard.  The man fell to the floor, landing on his arm.

He was rushed to the accident and emergency department of his local hospital where he was assessed and given an MRI scan.  The scan revealed that his elbow was broken and he was treated accordingly, including extensive physiotherapy.  He also needed cognitive behavioural therapy treatment to help him to overcome accident related anxiety.

When he came to see Bartletts expert personal injury solicitors in Wrexham, the man had been unable to work for some time and was still suffering from ongoing symptoms of the injury.  The accident had also ruined a holiday he had been on as his broken elbow had stopped him for being able to fully enjoy a number of activities.

A slip or trip accident can happen anywhere, but if it happens at work your employer could be held responsible.  Wherever you are working, your employer has a duty of care to ensure your work environment is safe.  Accidents at work can happen for a variety of reasons, but when health and safety procedure is not correctly followed, you may be in a position to make a claim for compensation.

Our expert personal injury solicitors in Wrexham established that the man’s employer had failed to ensure health and safety procedures were followed properly and made a claim against the employers insurance.  We successfully negotiated compensation for personal injury, loss of earnings, care and assistance and loss of enjoyment of a holiday.

 

We all need to use a solicitor at some point in our lives – the tricky part is choosing the right one, and there are many benefits of using a high-street solicitor rather than an online lawyer.

By using a high-street solicitor, you get to really choose who works for you – after all, you’ll meet the individuals at the firm in person and decide if you want to entrust them with the task. You’ll be using a local firm you like, undoubtedly with a proven track record of handling legal matters and a reputation for being trustworthy, efficient and dependable.

Solicitors are needed for a wide variety of reasons, from small matters through to life-changing issues. And regardless of whether you’re choosing a qualified conveyancer to help with your house purchase or looking for a solicitor to make a claim for compensation due to an accident that wasn’t your fault, or need help from a solicitor to help you prepare a will or assist with probate matters you want the same thing – a reliable, capable, experienced professional who is going to work hard for you.

Five Benefits Of Using A High Street Solicitor

1. Personal Matters

When you use a high-street solicitor, you deal with your lawyer on a face-to-face basis and build a relationship as a result. There is a personal investment and you receive a tailored approach – after all, your solicitor will get to know you, recognise your voice when you call and greet you in person when you make an appointment or simply pop into the firm’s office with a question or some documents.

2. Local Matters

By being on the high-street, a legal firm has to work extremely hard to maintain a good reputation. People talk and word of mouth can make or break a company – when you deal with a local solicitor, you can easily establish what past clients think of the company and quickly get a feel for how professional it really is. The solicitors will also have local knowledge, which can prove invaluable for many matters.

3. Size Matters

The high-street can be a more expensive location than out-of-town premises or the internet, and because of this most high-street solicitor firms are medium sized rather than big or small. The size usually means the company is able to handle larger, more complex cases as well as the smaller legal matters, all without losing the personal touch.

4. You Matter

Ultimately, it is you that really matters when it comes to the benefits of using a high-street solicitor. You meet the solicitors at the local firm in person, talk to them and really understand how they work and what their range of experience is – as well as whether you think the particular lawyer will represent you well and work hard to resolve your issue. With a high-street solicitor, you don’t need to put your trust in just words on a website, you can ensure these words are true by getting to know the company yourself.

5. It All Matters

As a result of being in a prominent local location, where word of mouth is key and potential clients can really judge for themselves whether they want to use the particular firm or not, high-street solicitor firms have to work hard – not just on each and every client’s case but with staying up-to-date with legal knowledge and ensuring all staff have regular, relevant training, as well as making sure their prices can compete with bigger or internet-based competitors. In turn, the service delivered is usually professional, friendly, efficient, good value for money and personal.

Bartletts Solicitors is proud of its high-street presence in Chester and Wrexham with 4 offices in these areas, as well as 3 further offices in Liverpool and Wallasey. Clients know they will receive an individual approach from highly qualified and trained solicitors and won’t be just “another client”. All our solicitors take the time to get to know clients so they can truly understand them, their circumstances and desired outcomes for each case, which means they can deliver a better service as a result, and one that is driven by people not profit.

To speak to one of our solicitors today about a legal matter, please feel free to visit us in our high-street offices in Chester City Centre, Hoole and Wrexham or call us on 0800 988 3674 or email advice@bartletts.co.uk

 

 

Bartletts Solicitors has seen a growth in the number of inheritance claims in recent years – but just what has triggered this rise?

“Claims are brought under The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, which makes financial provision for those who have not been adequately provided for when someone has passed away. This might involve estates where there is a Will or on intestacy (where there is no Will). We have definitely seen an increase in these types of claims, especially during the past few years,” says Nina Sperring, Solicitor from the Hoole office of Bartletts Solicitors.

“This increase is likely because of the complexity of the law and the fact reasonable financial provision rulings are not solely about money. Whether the reason is having been disinherited, a family dispute, or an unexpected inheritance, when someone feels a loved one’s Will is not right they may decide to make a claim under the Act.

“In our experience, it’s important to seek professional legal advice in the first place, to ensure a Will is properly worded as well as legally watertight, and to seek advice should you ever want to make an inheritance claim.”

High Profile Inheritance Claim Case

“The Ilott v Mitson case is often cited when it comes to making an inheritance claim and whilst it is not ground-breaking – as it simply applies long-standing principles – it is unique on it’s facts. It is also relevant as it highlights the range of cases covered by the Act – nothing is straightforward when it comes to inheritance matters and this was the first time a case under the Act has been heard by the Supreme Court,” says Nina Sperring.

The estranged daughter, Heather Ilott, challenged the Will left by her mother, Melita Jackson, who died in 2004 and left her almost £500,000 estate to three animal charities.

The court battle has been ongoing since 2004. A judge initially made an award to Mrs Ilott before this decision was subsequently appealed and the Court of Appeal ruled to increase the award to the daughter, to a third of the mother’s estate. The charities have since been granted permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court and final judgement is expected in 2017.

Nina Sperring adds: “The court’s decision will definitely have an impact on future claims made under the 1975 Inheritance Act – whichever way the ruling goes. The judgement is expected in the early part of this year so we wait with anticipation to see what the final decision is.”

Making An Inheritance Claim

Nina Sperring adds: “The Ilott v Mitson case is fascinating because the estranged daughter, Mrs Ilott, was not only cut out of her mother’s Will but her mother, Mrs Jackson, had specifically stated in her Will that her decision was not to be challenged by Mrs Ilott.The daughter has however been able to challenge the terms of her mother’s Will despite all of this.

“At this stage, we can’t say what the final decision by the Supreme Court will be, but one thing we do know is the decision will affect future claims made under the Act.

“Here at Bartletts, we have handled inheritance claims of every level of complexity and always provide each client with legal advice that is relevant for his or her situation. When the law is as complex as it is, you need to focus purely on the individual circumstances to make sure the case is fought for that person alone – there is no one-approach-works-for-all when it comes to inheritance claims.

“If you’re considering making a claim under the 1975 Act, whether because you’ve been excluded from a Will, received less than what is deemed reasonable financial provision according to the rules of intestacy or dislike how the Will was made, we’d strongly recommend you speak to your solicitor first who will be able to advise you and provide you with the necessary support throughout your case should you decide to pursue your claim.”

For free and impartial legal advice regarding your situation, please contact Nina Sperring in person at Bartletts Solicitors Incorporating Matthew Lewis, Martins Bank Chambers, 31 Hoole Road, Chester CH2 3NF or call her on 01244 311 633 or freephone 0800 988 3674, or email advice@bartletts.co.uk