Hints & Tips

Personal Injury

Personal injuries may be caused as the result of an accident at work, faulty goods or services, tripping over pavement slabs or by being the victim during a crime.

If you have sustained a personal injury of any kind, or if you are acting on behalf of someone who has died because of a personal injury, you may want to:

• Tell the police
• Report the injury to your doctor; you should do this even if the injury appears small as it could get worse. If the claim arrives in court your doctor could also be requested to provide a medical report
• Gather evidence at the scene of the injury. For example photographs and a written account
• Make a note of all witnesses, their names and addresses
• Consider making a complaint. In some instances, there may be an official complaints procedure that you can use

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Employment Disputes

Before an employment disputes becomes an expensive claim, it could be avoided with three simple steps:

1. Write a letter concerning the problem
2. Have a meeting to discuss the dispute
3. Have an appeal meeting if needed

This three-step process shows that you understand the facts and can talk to the other person or people involved and let them reply

However, if your complaint does turn into an employment dispute claim, Castle Cover Legal Protection can help as an annual premium of just £17.95 provides up to £50,000 towards legal proceedings.

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Consumer Disputes

It is important to know how to deal with consumer disputes should the least expected happen and your supplier or service provider lets you down. Castle Cover’s hints and tips show you the options available before a consumer dispute becomes a court case.

• Firstly always negotiate with the trader or supplier, keeping a record of all conversations, photographs for documented evidence and correspondence
• As a last resort if negotiation fails, consider an Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR), which is a method of sorting out consumer disputes without the need to go to court or face your opponent in person, but relies solely on documented evidence.
• See if the company you are unhappy with offer an ombudsman scheme to act as an impartial mediator. These services are free.
• If the consumer dispute is with a utility company, consider contacting the regulators through their watchdog, which is a free service.
• If the company or service in dispute is a member of a trade association, they must follow the association code of conduct, which could mean that you will be entitle to free arbitration or ombudsman services
• A third party called a mediator could help both sides to reach a solution, but it will up to you and the party in dispute to decide what agreements are to be made.

Lastly, proceedings for a civil legal action in the County or High Court can be made. Of course should this be the case, Castle Cover Legal Protection will go a long way towards easing your financial burden in a time of crisis.

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Neighbour Disputes

Disputes between neighbours can be exhausting. If you find yourself caught up in a disagreement over boundaries or damage caused to your property, knowing that you are covered will be a huge weight off of your mind, but you can also follow Castle Cover's useful hints and tips before it reaches court:

• In any dispute, approach the neighbour before registering a formal complaint. This can be made in writing if you do not think it will be an amicable situation in person
• If this fails to work for a boundary dispute, look in legal documents to discover who owns the land and, if the boundaries are not defined, consult an impartial advisor such as the Citizens Advice Bureau or a local mediator.
• With anti-social behaviour, a group of upset neighbours making their feelings shown by representation may be advisable
• If first negotiations do not work, there are several options available to you: Consider a local mediator to help ease the matter on your behalf or contact their landlord, the planning department or environmental health department depending on the dispute.
• If none of these options are open to your dispute, consider a solicitor's letter as it may make your neighbour understand that your complaint is serious.

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Medical Negligence

If you have been the victim either privately or on the NHS of medical negligence, it is important that you have the financial piece of mind to be able do something about it. Castle Cover can help with the costs of claiming, but it is important to get the right support and resources to make sure that you handle the unavoidable well:

• Gather all documentation possible. This may include photographs, written accounts and conversations
• Get a medical certificate as quickly as possible after the injuries have been received
• Ask the doctors, nurses or managers involved to talk your complaint through with you. A complaint can also be taken to the complaints manager in your health authority
• To pursue a complaint about the NHS, a free and impartial service is available called the Information Complaints Advocacy Service
• You can also request an independent review or appeal to the health ombudsman

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Accidents at Work, Industrial Disease & Deafness

We know how debilitating and upsetting accidents, industrial disease and deafness can be. Of course Castle Cover Legal Protection is always on hand to help and you, but you can also follow some of our helpful hints and tips before you make a claim for compensation too.

As soon as you have realised that you have received an injury at work, you should:

• Report the accident to your supervisor, workplace first aid and union representatives
• Make sure that your accident details are entered into the workplace accident book, but only sign the entry if you agree with all of the details given
• Seek medical attention
• Help the workplace supervisor investigating the incident - the more accurate the report, the stronger the claim
• Any absences due to the workplace accident must be told to your employer as health and safety executives must be informed of over three days sickness
• Keep a diary of symptoms
• Retain receipts and make records of any expenses due to your industrial accident

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Road Traffic Accidents

We know that road traffic accidents can be amongst the most traumatic times of your life. So that you do not end up accidentally breaking the law, Castle Cover has compiled some of the practical things that you can do to help should the worst happen:

If you are the driver responsible for the collision and you have either caused damage to property, injured another person or an animal you must:

• Stop and stay at the scene for as long as necessary
• Give your registration details to people who have reasonable grounds to ask
• If the details are not collected at the time, report to a police station within 24 hours.

If someone other than yourself is injured, including the above, you should:

• Produce your insurance certificate at the scene, if you do not have it in your immediate possession;
• Take it to a police station within 24 hours of the road traffic accident or;
• Nominate a police station and produce an insurance certificate within seven days
• Report the accident to your car insurance company as it will be a condition of your motor cover.

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