Justice for injured people
In her first speech as president for the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), Kim Harrison, said that injured people should be at the heart of policy-making, instead of so often being the victims of policy-making. The General Election now gives us the opportunity to reach out to all those new MPs.
Kim recently wrote to APIL members asking us to lobby our MP's and ask them to support justice for injured victims of negligence.
People who have been injured, suffered illness, or lost a loved one because of negligence, are at their most vulnerable. They need to be able to rely on the law to help them get their lives back on track.
I deal with claims for people who have suffered life changing, catastrophic injuries and those who have lost their loved ones. The effects can be devastating. One client, was unable to pursue her dream career in the police force due to the injuries she experienced whilst giving birth. As a result of not receiving an appropriate standard of care she was left doubly incontinent.
Another client had to stop working in his 40’s when a routine knee operation left him with life changing injuries.
I have helped a family who lost their home when the main bread winner died as a result of negligence.
The law is a fragile thing, subject to erosion by those who have been influenced by false myths and ignorance about the needs and motivations of injured people. This has happened before, and as a result it is now more difficult for some injured people in England Wales to receive appropriate compensation for an avoidable injury.?
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There can often be a misunderstanding about compensation. Outsiders may liken compensation to a lottery win. However, whether the amount is ￡50,000 or ￡15 million, compensation is never a ‘win’ or a ‘prize’. It is calculated very carefully to ensure it meets an injured person’s practical needs, often for the rest of that person’s life, as well as the pain and suffering caused because of the injury – no more, no less.
Victims of negligence need MPs who will defend their rights to have access to justice. You can show your support for justice for injured people by posting the attached image on social media, using the hashtag #Justice4InjuredPeople and by lobbying your MP.
The law does support many injured people, but for some victims of negligence it falls woefully short.
You can find out more about how the law can be improved to support bereaved families, sufferers of asbestos-related lung cancer, and survivors of childhood sexual abuse, by reading APIL’s Justice for Victims of Negligence booklet, which can be found at
?#Justice4InjuredPeople