Published in CV Driver November 2011.

This month we chat to CV Driver Magazine regular contributor Steven Hinchliffe of personal injury specialists Hinchliffes Solicitors.  So, over tea and toast we talk about the personal injury claims business and how important it is to seek proper and sound advice – and the process of actually making a claim.

Steven qualified as a solicitor in 1978 and formed Hinchliffes Solicitors as a specialist claimant personal injury firm in 1999 in Malvern, Worcestershire.

As Steven explains, the firm has an extremely good reputation in this specialist field, with a large proportion of the claims coming as referrals from other satisfied clients.

In relation to road transport, as a legal practice they fully understand how the industry operates and in particular how the wide variety of equipment works and how people can get injured in the work place – for example, a poorly loaded forklift truck causing injury or a depot littered with debris causing a trip when pulling a loaded pallet truck.

Published in Truckstop News September 2011.

This month Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury Compensation firm Hinchliffes Solicitors considers the GOVERNMENT PLAN TO DENY INJURED VICTIMS THEIR RIGHT TO BE COMPENSATED.

This article outlines the current rules about who pays the legal costs in making a claim for personal injury compensation following an accident, but warns that the clock is now ticking as the Government plans to change these rules.  This could drastically affect how much of the compensation an injured person may be allowed to keep.

Currently, there are a variety of ways to fund an accident claim, but the most frequently used (and the one most advantageous to the innocent victim) is a “No Win No Fee” agreement.  This is a phrase that many people are probably very familiar with, but the way the agreements operate is not always fully understood or appreciated.  This type of arrangement is more correctly described as a Conditional Fee Agreement (“CFA”), the present form of which was introduced in 2000 by the previous Government.  At that time the aim was to ensure that full access to justice was made available to all injured people, so that even if they could not afford to pay a solicitor, they would still have the opportunity take legal advice and make a compensation claim.

In 2011 I wrote an article for Truckfest to go in their visitor show guides for the May and July shows.  Since it covers some practical points I thought it might be helpful to reproduce it below.  To see it in full glossy colour click the pdf link below.

Truckfest Article 2011 – pdf

I’VE BEEN INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT AND NEED SOME ADVICE

Steven Hinchliffe of HINCHLIFFES SOLICITORS answers your questions about compensation claims.  His firm has years of experience in helping injured lorry drivers, their families and members of the public get their lives back on track following accidents.

Published in CV Driver July 2011.

This is the seventh in a series of articles written by solicitor Steven Hinchliffe, who is the owner and Principal of the specialist Personal Injury firm HINCHLIFFES SOLICITORS.

In these articles he will consider various issues relating to the accidents commonly suffered by professional drivers and the sometimes devastating injuries they sustain.  The firm has many years of experience in handling accident claims on behalf of injured victims – not only recovering millions of pounds in compensation, but also securing medical and other rehabilitation treatment to aid their recovery and return to normal life. 

This article outlines the main procedures that your solicitor should comply with to protect your position and achieve the right result when dealing with your accident compensation claim.

Published in Truckstop News July 2011.

This month Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury Compensation firm Hinchliffes Solicitors gives a REPORT OF HIS EXPERIENCES AT THE SHROPSHIRE TRUCK SHOW.

Unlike the previous articles I have written dealing with the Personal Injury Claims process, this month I reflect upon my observations after having had an exhibitors’ stand at the Shropshire Truck Show at the Oswestry Showground on 14^th and 15^th May.  If you were there you may have seen me on my firm’s stand, together with my Business Manager Nicky Hodges.

This was our first experience of exhibiting at this type of event and I was not sure what to expect.  In fact, Nicky and I were a little nervous as we had not done anything like this before.  Our worries were not helped by having to set up our stand in a howling gale during the late afternoon of Friday the 13^th!

Published in Truckstop News April 2011.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury Compensation firm Hinchliffes Solicitors will consider how “YOUR ACCESS TO JUSTICE IS IN JEOPARDY”  

I was recently involved in a financial transaction and received very poor service from a high street bank.  As a result I incurred several thousand pounds of expenditure I had not bargained for.  I made a formal complaint and claimed my losses, but the bank refused to deal with the matter.  I therefore involved the Financial Services Ombudsman and although I do not know what the outcome will be, there is now an independent party considering the merits of my complaint, and if it is upheld they will require the bank to compensate me.

How is this relevant to someone wanting to make a claim for personal injury compensation?  Let me explain.  If you are injured in an accident and the party responsible refuses to pay compensation, you can put your case before a Judge at a trial (ie an independent party).  If they find in your favour they can assess the amount you should receive for your injuries and financial losses, and require your opponent to pay this, together with your legal costs.

Published in CV Driver May 2011.

This is the fifth in a series of articles written by solicitor Steven Hinchliffe, who is the owner and Principal of the specialist Personal Injury firm HINCHLIFFES SOLICITORS.

In these articles he will consider various issues relating to the accidents commonly suffered by professional drivers and the sometimes devastating injuries they sustain.  The firm has many years of experience in handling accident claims on behalf of injured victims – not only recovering millions of pounds in compensation, but also securing medical and other rehabilitation treatment to aid their recovery and return to normal life. 

This article outlines the current rules about who pays the legal costs in an accident claim, but warns that the clock is now ticking as the rules are soon to be changed.

Published in Motorcycle Monthly April 2011. 

It’s happened.  You’ve had a road accident.  But what do you do now?  MCM has the answers…

In the second of a two-part feature, solicitor and biker Steven Hinchliffe outlines when and how to make claims for any personal injury and property damage following a road accident, and considers the basic elements that need to exist for the claim to be successful.

WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCIDENT?

For a compensation claim to be successful, you must show that the accident has occurred because of the negligence or fault of the other driver or road user.  If their “duty of care” to you is breached and as a result you are injured, then it is highly likely that you will have grounds to recover compensation.

Published in Motorcycle Monthly March 2011. 

It’s happened.  You’ve had a road accident.  But what do you do now?  MCM has the answers …

In the first of a two part feature, solicitor and biker Steven Hinchliffe outlines some of the issues that should be considered following the unfortunate event of a road accident, plus offers guidance on the initial steps to take.

WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT

Before you think of anything else, switch off your bike and get away from any fuel spill.  Then take a note of relevant details: it’s useful to keep a pen and paper under your bike seat, together with a copy of your insurance certificate, for this type of situation.

If you are injured or in shock you may not be able to obtain all the information you need, or maybe overlook things in the immediate aftermath, but it is important to record as much of the following as possible:-

Published in Truckstop News March 2011.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury Compensation firm Hinchliffes Solicitors will consider more “READERS’ SUCCESSFUL WORK RELATED ACCIDENT CLAIMS”  

Continuing his review of successfully completed accident injury claims, Steven Hinchliffe looks at 2 completely different types of accident experienced by readers of Truckstop News, both of which occurred while they were doing their job.  Each claim ultimately lead to an award of personal injury compensation.

All of the accident victims mentioned in this series of articles are clients of my firm, Hinchliffes Solicitors.  They have kindly given their permission for the disclosure of their details, and in particular of their real life experiences of incidents resulting in personal injury claims, and the steps taken to make a successful accident compensation claim.  All of these clients contacted my firm after seeing our details in Truckstop News – and some of the names referred to may be familiar to you.