How A Solicitor Values a Personal Injury Claim

When you have been injured in an accident one of the first questions you may want answering from your solicitor is ‘how do you value my claim?’ This will depend on the type of injury, the severity of it and how long you suffer for.

At the outset, we usually instruct a doctor to prepare a report into a client’s injuries. This will detail the injury suffered and advise how long it will take the client to recover. The expert may advise that the injury needs further examination from an expert from a different discipline e.g. Psychologist/ Pain Management Expert. If that is the case, then we will obtain further medical evidence as it is important that the injury is fully investigated before the case is settled.

If the client has not made a recovery, we advise that the case is delayed to see whether the client does make a recovery in line with the expert’s predictions. There is always the danger that if the client does not make a recovery within the timeframe then by settling too early the client has been under-compensated. However often clients just want to press ahead and settle their case. If they are the client’s instructions, then we are happy to do that albeit with the warning that it is against our advice!

Different injuries are valued differently. Solicitors use a Guide called The JSB Guidelines to help value a claim. This sets our various types of injury and the common awards made under each type of injury. The Guide has brackets and the more serious the injury the higher up the bracket and more the client is likely to receive in compensation.

If the client has several different injuries, then they will be calculated separately. So, for example today I had the opportunity to value a claim for a client who was involved in a head-on collision when he was a passenger in a vehicle.  He had a number of discrete injuries including a chest injury, pelvis injury, back injury, permanent scarring and headaches. According to my calculation his injury claim alone would be valued at around £25,000.

However, valuation is not an exact science. The reason for this is that each injury is unique in terms of its impact on the client. We do rely on the JC Guidelines and also case law but valuation can never be exact. As solicitors, we give the clients a guideline bracket as to what their injury will be worth. The case usually settles within that bracket.

As solicitors acting for clients, our aim is always to obtain the maximum amount of compensation for clients. We have tactics and techniques to do this. At Nayyars we are known for getting the highest settlements and we know how to do this.

If you come to Nayyars you can be rest assured that we will get you a high level of compensation.

Juggling Life Doing The LPC and Full Time Working!

After university, I never thought I would have the time to maintain a full time job, whilst striving for further education. However this was possible whilst working at Nayyars Solicitors.

No sooner had I finished university, I found myself in full time employment. With the legal field being a competitive industry, I wanted to enter the world of legal practice and get my foot in the door. I was granted this opportunity with Nayyars Solicitors.

Within three months of my employment, I began the Legal Practice Course (LPC) for 18 months on a part time basis. The LPC, is the next recognised step by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority to becoming a fully qualified Solicitor.

After working five days a week, I would go to study the LPC in Manchester on a Saturday and Sunday once every three weeks. Occasionally, I found this difficult and tiring, as not only were my Saturdays and Sundays taken up by the LPC, but I also had to do work for this in the evenings during the week. It was a massive commitment but one I was prepared to do because the end goal was going to be worth it!

Whilst the above workload was challenging, I found the best coping mechanism for myself was to have the right balance between my work at Nayyars Solicitors and my LPC work. I would ensure in my working hours at Nayyars Solicitors, that my workload remained a high standard whilst maintaining a high standard of client care. This left me with enough time in the evenings to complete my LPC work to an identical quality.

Making sure my work was the best it could be was made possible by the help of Nayyars Solicitors. This was accomplished through Nayyars Solicitors, as they gave me entitlement for a number of study days. This enabled me to prepare accordingly for exams and workshops. Having this time really benefited me, as it kept my desire to succeed in law fresh.

Having a full-time job, as well ongoing further education was inevitably challenging.  From my own personal experience, if you have passion, commitment and dedication to succeed in law, that will supersede the hardships you may encounter whilst working full time and studying for further education. Along with the backing and help of your employer, anything is possible!

Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare

I recently handled a case that would have been every parent’s worst nightmare. When we send our children to school we expect them to be safe. It is worrying enough to send them on their own with the school teachers as you are trusting the most precious possessions in your life into someone else’s care. We often stress until they return home. Nayyars Solicitors are experts in handling cases that involve children. As parents, ourselves we know how important it is to handle these cases in the right way.

The case I have recently acted for involved a 12-year-old boy who was injured when on a school trip. His parents got a call late one evening confirming that their son had been involved in a very serious accident and was on his way to hospital. You can imagine the fear the parents suffered knowing he was in pain and they were not there. He had been in the care of his teachers whilst on a camping trip.  He was taking part in an exercise where he was around a camp fire. The group were boiling water on the fire base. They had used a large pot that as it boiled, splattered the boiling water onto our client.

As a result, he suffered horrific scalding to the right arm and stomach. He was in absolute agony. He suffered 1^st and 2^nd degree burns to the right arm and abdomen area and received immediate medical treatment at the local hospital in the middle of nowhere! He had the required treatment but then remained badly burned and had hospital outpatient treatment for a period of time. He remained scarred for life.

Worryingly he suffered severe psychological injuries and needed psychiatric help to get over the trauma. He was left suffering from sleep disturbance, loss of confidence when taking part in school activities and describes being paranoid around boiling water.

The school admitted the accident was their fault and agreed to compensate him. The client successfully received a high value amount of compensation for his injury.

We have dealt with many accidents that have taken place at school. These are often very difficult cases to deal with as it ends up being the child’s word against the teachers. At Nayyars we are not afraid of a fight. If you believe your child, then we do too.

If you believe that your child has been at risk in the education system, we are happy to fight with you to get your child the compensation they rightfully deserve. Contact our Personal Injury Team today.

What is a Concertina Collision?

What is a Concertina Collision?

Cars make up 78 per cent of all traffic driven in Great Britain. Vehicle traffic levels increased by year on year which means there are more and more people on the road. We deal with a lot of accidents where more than 2 cars have been involved.

A concertina collision is a collision commonly involving three or more vehicles in which one vehicle shunts into another with such a force that the same vehicle is in turn forced into the one in front. In this situation if you are the vehicle in the middle or front you should not be at fault for this accident. In most situations the vehicle at the back will be found at fault as the stationary vehicle has been shunted forward into the other vehicle.

The most important thing is to always know how many shunts you felt as this will determine who was at fault for the accident and whom you are entitled to compensation from.

Concertina Collision are always most common on the motorway as all vehicle as travelling at high speeds and it can get very hard to come to a stop.

It is always important to see if anyone has witnessed the accident if so always make sure you obtain their details which includes;

• Name
• Address
• Contact Number

These details are always important to obtain so you can get in contact with the witness and get their version of event.

It is always best to contact the police and report the incident. They will attend the scene of the accident if necessary and they will provide you with a log number whether they attend the scene or not. You will then need to give the police details to your insurance if you need to obtain a police report if it is ever needed.

The incident should always be reported to your insurance with 48 hours and give them as much as detail you can give.

We have recently settled an accident claim where there were 6 cars involved in a multiple vehicle pile up on the motorway. Our client was one of the middle vehicles and he did not know who had actually caused the accident. All he knew was that he had been hit in the rear. We were able to recover damages from the end vehicle who it was shown to have caused the accident.  We obtained witness statements and a copy of the police report to ascertain this.

If you have been involved in a concertina collision then contact one of Team today.

Life as a Trainee Solicitor

In April 2014, I secured the one thing that most prospective law students leaving university aim to obtain, a training contract. This was the first step in the path of becoming a qualified solicitor and a training contract is a crucial period of time in which I would learn all the skills, gain the necessary experience and mould my character into that of a qualified solicitor. Prior to being offered a training contract at Nayyars I had worked for them for approximately 18 months. My goal was always to secure a training contract and I knew Nayyars was the type of firm that encouraged progression. My advice to anyone looking to obtain a training contract is to get a foot in the door at a law firm and then work hard to try and prove yourself. I was always confident in my ability would be recognised and it was.

Becoming a trainee solicitor requires lots of enthusiasm, a hard work ethic and a willingness to learn new things. Each day brings its own challenges such as in my first week, I was given the task of issuing court proceedings, which I had never done before. As a trainee, I have travelled up and down the country attending trials which has given me valuable experience of the process in court and the etiquette which is required in a courtroom. I have met numerous clients and been able to handle myself in a variety of situations. At Nayyars I was thrown in at the deep end and it was a sink or swim situation. Thankfully I swam!

I have learnt many different areas of law as a trainee. A trainee has to learn in 3 distinct areas of law but can often cover more. Wills and Probate, General Litigation, Personal Injury and Conveyancing are the main areas I have covered so far and in the remaining period of my training contract, I have the opportunity to explore several other areas of law. Nayyars as a Firm have branched out in a number of different legal disciplines and as a trainee I will be working in all of them. I have been given the chance to work at a different firm of solicitors which practice in Conveyancing. This secondment is on a one-day-a-week basis and it has been a good learning curve for me as it has helped to develop my organisational skills as I have juggled my own files at my current firm with working elsewhere.

Overall, the life of a trainee is a stressful one yet rewarding if you apply yourself effectively and are ready to face different challenges. I have been very fortunate to be given the opportunity of a training contract which in the legal profession, is not easily given. I am due to qualify in April 2018 and with the knowledge and skills gained over these 2 years will be ready to face the world as a qualified solicitor!

Life As A Family Law Solicitor

As a Family Law Solicitor you need to be quick to think on your feet, as this area of law can be very challenging, complex and is always subject to legal changes. I have been practising in the area of Family Law for 4 years. Nayyars Solicitors deal with a range of family law cases.

The main role of a family lawyer is to aid people through a difficult time in their life and assist them on the issues that arise during this difficult time. A good family law solicitor will have the skill to deal with people who are in a problematic situation, at all given times a solicitor should be able to deal with clients in a professional manner without losing empathy for the client and sometimes a client can be in a very bad state due to the problems they have faced during their relationship as a spouse, partner, parent or child.

There will never be a time in family matters, when two families or relationships will be the same. You will always encounter something different and challenging. At times, you will feel like you are fulfilling the role of a counsellor but at all given times you must maintain the clarity and commercial acumen of a lawyer and aim to remain detached to achieve the results your clients need.

You should be ready to put your negotiation skills in to practice and look forward to making strategic decisions in the best interest of your client. Given the nature of your job there will be times, where you will need to thick skinned, as clients may shout at you due to stress and anger but you have to rise to a challenge and keep your cool and remain clam in order for you to effectively do what you are best at doing. You should always try and achieving the desired outcomes which will give your clients a good night sleep and peace of mind.

An unforgettable experience was dealing with a contact case for a father, who was refused contact by the mother due to personal relationship issues. After one and a half years of fighting back with the harsh allegations alleged by the mother, I managed to get my client contact with his 3 year old daughter. It was touching when the client hugged me outside the court room and said that the outcome would have been completely different if I had not been there. This result was only achievable by the hard work I put into fighting for my client and at all times I maintained my never-giving-up-attitude.

To sum up, persistence, understanding and empathy are a crucial set of skills which must be attained by a family solicitor without becoming emotionally involved in your client’s life. The key to success is based on your organisational skills and the ability to think on your feet, along with multitasking.

Our First Blog!

After much discussion we have finally decided to start a Nayyars Blog. I often say the amount of action on a daily basis at Nayyars Solicitors is worthy of being a fly-on-the-wall documentary! Honestly there is never a dull moment and the pace, energy and vibe in the office if it could be bottled and sold then we would all retire rich. Until the major TV networks come knocking at our door, the next best way of interacting and filling you all in with the goings on is a weekly blog.

For those of you who don’t know us (where have you been) let me introduce us. I am Ayesha Nayyar, the Senior Solicitor at Nayyars who has been qualified for 18 years (yikes) and been in the industry for 21 years. I started out in the days of big law firms where everyone wore suits and we addressed our senior Partners as though they were school teachers (no first names allowed!). My career progressed rapidly and I became a Partner at the same Firm I trained in. I left to head up the Dispute Resolution Team of a large training company delivering training courses for solicitors up and down the country. I was rapidly making a name for myself and the natural next step was to develop a law firm that embodies all of the values that I had learnt over the years. Fast forward to today and having founded Nayyars in 2011 I remain as passionate and focused as I was on day 1.

Nayyars Solicitors specialises in various areas of law. We apply the same principles of getting results to every case we have. Whether you are being refused access to your children, been sacked at work or have an immigration issue then our legal team can help. We promise to handle every case with a no-nonsense approach aiming to get you to your goal quickly with the minimum fuss.

I may be biased but we have the best team around. Each day we get better and stronger developing tactical strategies to make sure we win. We never give up. We are not afraid to take risks. We want results. If I was a client then Nayyars would be the only law firm in my phone list. The legal fields that we cover are family law, employment law, personal injury, immigration, debt actions, flight delay and civil litigation however this list is not exhaustive. We offer competitive prices and fixed fees packages.

We are based in Cheadle, Stockport but have clients in all the major cities as well as abroad. We provide a friendly service and are happy to make home visits to see you. We have grown by word of mouth recommendations and aim to have happy clients.

The weekly blog will be written by different members of our Team giving you an insight into our success stories, complex cases, current legal issues, changes in law, social events and general legal gossip! Stay tuned.