Much of the country including the North West and even Manchester City Centre where MPH Solicitors are based has been under a blanket of snow for days.

The AA have reported that Monday night was its busiest for 25 years.  The President of the AA, Edmund King has pleaded with Local Authorities and the Highways Agency to do more to combat the roads which are treacherously covered in snow and ice.

Mr King reports that some key roads have not been gritted at all.  Although the Highways Agency and Local Authorities claim that they have plenty of grit for the road it does seem that many roads have gone untreated.

Personal Injury Solicitors at MPH have had a busy time over the last few days fielding lots of calls from people injured on the roads and pavements.  Mostly, we have been dealing with broken legs, wrists and elbows.  Although these injuries are not life threatening they are certainly painful and its unpleasant to spend Christmas day in pot, or worse, hospital.

We would urge all road users to go carefully on the roads this Christmas and Local Authorities to redouble their gritting efforts, particularly on the pavements.

As Britain has been plunged into an icy winter wonderland children who are breaking up for the Christmas holidays this week will be sledging whilst there parents trudge through shopping centres and high streets in the snow and ice in search of Christmas presents.

Solicitors at MPH have seen a massive increase in claims over the last few days due to the icy weather.  Many people do not think they are able to claim damages for personal injuries if they have been injured due to falling and slipping on snow and ice.

In many cases, this is simply not the case.  The Highways Authority as well as supermarkets and other shops have a duty to ensure that the surface of the roads are safe for cars and pedestrians.  All to often, they fail in their duty to properly grit with the consequence that people slip causing a variety of injuries from a broken wrist to a dislocated ankle or even more serious injuries.

At this time of year these injuries mean that Christmas is ruined for the whole family.

If you have been injured in the recent icy weather you should contact us and we will quickly tell you whether you will be able to make a claim for compensation for your injuries.

In a recent survey of nationwide hair salons it was found that a staggeringly high proportion of hair salons do not require allergy skin tests before hair dye chemicals are applied to the hair.

Hair dye manufacturers advise that a small amount of dye should be applied to the skin approximately 48 hours before the customer has their hair dyed in order to test for a reaction.  Unfortunately, Solicitors at the Manchester branch of MPH all too often see the devastating consequences of the failure of hairdressers to do this.

It would surprise most people to find that anyone can pick up a pair of scissors and apply strong chemicals like bleach to someone’s head without any qualifications.  I have a number of cases at the moment where people have suffered horrendous burns to the scalp and hair loss due to the negligent use of these strong chemicals by staff who often lack any qualifications or experience.

If you have been injured at the hairdressers recently and are considering making a claim for compensation you should telephone our specialist team of personal injury lawyers who regularly deal with accidents relating to the negligent application of health and beauty treatments which include hair treatments.

I have previously blogged the case of the crane driver whose cab fell some 40m onto the roof of a hotel due to the negligence of his employer.  The Claimant suffered serious multiple injuries after the incident in 2007 which included a fractured skull, bruised lungs and cuts and bruises.  The Claimant is still only able to walk a short distance and can no longer live at home without assistance.

The health and safety executive brought a prosecution against Select Plant Hire the crane driver’s employers.  The company was recently found guilty of exposing the Claimant to risks and was find £100,000 at the Old Bailey.

It is understood that Solicitors for the Claimant will now pursue a claim for personal injuries in the Civil Courts.

Manchester has one of the highest incidents of uninsured drivers in the UK. 

Latest figures show that Greater Manchester has one of the highest proportions of uninsured drivers in the UK, beaten only by London and Merseyside.  10% of those driving in Greater Manchester were not insured to do so.  West Yorkshire and West Midlands were also high in the uninsured driver league table.

According to the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) a staggering 50% of all vehicles registered in the BD3 postcode in Bradford West Yorkshire were uninsured.

Overall about 1.7 million motorists drove whilst being uninsured last year.

Solicitors at the Manchester office of MPH all too often have to deal with the unfortunate consequences when uninsured drivers have RTAs with members of the public.  The MIB’s scheme is in place to help compensate drivers who are in accidents with those who do not have insurance.

The MIB scheme is complex and needs Solicitors with specialist knowledge who are well used to dealing with it to ensure that the injured party gets the maximum compensation they deserve.

If you think you have been involved in a road traffic accident with an uninsured driver then you should contact our specialist team of Manchester Solicitors at MPH who deal regularly with this type of claim.

As Christmas fast approaches many of us are tempted to brave the chilly weather and have some fun on the outdoor ice rinks which seem to be popping up in many cities around the country.

However, all to often what looks like a tempting “winter wonderland” has in fact many hidden dangers.

Solicitors at MPH Solicitors have seen a dramatic increase in the number of ice skating related accidents in the last few weeks.  Due to the extremely mild and wet weather the outdoor ice rinks have not been able to freeze properly.  Unfortunately, this leads to puddles forming on the ice.  Many people do not realise that this is exceptionally dangerous as ice skates do not work properly unless they are skating through frozen water.

It is not just outside ice rinks where problems can occur.  Over the last week or so lawyers at the Manchester branch of MPH have dealt with a number of cases where people have broken arms, legs and noses whilst skating on indoor ice rinks. 

Many people do not think they will be able to claim compensation for injuries they sustain whilst slipping on ice skating rinks because they are by their very nature slippy.  That is partly true however, if the reason why you have hurt yourself is because of standing water on the ice then it is often the case that you can make a personal injury claim.

Enjoy ice-skating this winter but watch out for puddles on the ice or you just might end up spending Christmas day in pot!

If you have hurt yourself whilst ice-skating you should contact the specialist team of Manchester Solicitors at MPH who can deal with your ice skating related injuries.