Month: July 2020

What can I claim beauty treatment compensation for?

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Hannah Fletcher - Blog, Cosmetic Claims, Covid-19, Work Place Accidents

Beauty treatment compensation can protect you from any injuries you may have received whilst undergoing cosmetic treatments. This could be in nail salons, tanning salons, make-up parlours or a massage parlour. On the 13th July 2020, the UK allowed nail salons and beauty parlours to re-open after the lockdown. New safety measures are in place to help protect people from catching and spreading Covid-19, however accidents can still happen. That’s why it’s important to know precisely what you can claim compensation for if you are the victim of an injury or some form of “loss”. That way, when you reach out to a solicitor for legal guidance, they can let you know an estimated pay-out amount.

Gowing Law Solicitors are here to help you if you do suffer from a beauty treatment injury. Make sure to check out our beauty treatment page for more information:

What safety procedures should be in place at a salon?

If we are thinking about Covid-19, some of the main safety procedures in place should include:

PPE (i.e. Facemasks)
Screens and socially distanced work stations
Socially distanced queues
Clean and germ free surfaces

Whether you are going to a hairdresser’s or a cosmetic salon, remember to follow Government social distancing advice in order to protect yourself and the others around you. However, outside of Covid-19, a beauty salon should also have trained staff who know how to take care of their clients and provide them with treatments that are safe and effective. However, this is not always the case.

Did you know that whilst the beauty treatment industry does have a turnover of £6 billion a year, the amount of negligence claims against different salons have also been growing? These claims could have occurred due to one of the following:

As you can see from our infographic, there are a lot of hazards when it comes to salons that you need to be aware of. It is the duty of the employees of the salon to keep you safe. This is known as a “duty of care.” When you step into the property of a business, they must look after you and make sure that you do not get hurt due to their services. If you do, and it was no fault of your own, this could mean they are liable. This means that you could be due compensation that can help you recover.

How do I protect myself from Covid-19 in a salon?

If you are going out in public, including going to work or shopping, you may be wondering what kind of safety precautions you can take to stop the spread of Covid-19. This is a great move, as if you do end up in an accident, you can prove that you took precautions to try and lessen the risk. Therefore, you are not liable for catching Covid-19 from a specific salon or cosmetic business.

You may want to consider:

Wearing a mask at all times.
Carrying hand gels or wipes to stop the transfer of germs.
Avoiding touching surfaces with your bare hands.
Keeping a social distance from other customers of 2 metres.
Staying at a reasonable distance from any beauty technicians.
Using electronic payments instead of physical money.

How do I know that I am not liable for my accident?

Liability for an accident falls on the party that caused the injury in the first place. So, for instance, if you went to a hairdressing appointment and it went wrong, you were not the one that put the bleach on your hair. Your hairdresser did it and they did not test you to see if it would cause you any problems. That means they are “at fault” for your accident. Have a look at our example below if you are still have any queries about whether or not you could make a claim:

As you can see from our example, Ruby was not asked about if she was allergic to any products. She was also not required to sign a consent form to prove that she understood the risks of her treatment. That meant that she had no knowledge of what was being put on her nails. There was no way that she could have been aware that her skin would react unless there had been a warning in advance.

Has anything similar happened to you when you had a beauty appointment?

Your technician should show you the products they intend to use in advance. That way you can understand the products in them and know if any of them could cause you any potential harm. They may have also tried to a patch test on you, where a certain product is tested on a patch of skin. That way if a product reacted negatively, it would only affect a small area of the skin. It could then be avoided in the future whenever you came back for a treatment.

If you went through these precautions and still demanded service, a negative reaction to a product or an injury would be your own fault. That would mean that you are liable for your own injuries. A salon can only do so much to product you if you agree to the risks before treatment happens.

What to do if you have been injured at a salon?

One of the things you need to think about is your own safety. Consider how bad your injury actually is. If it requires medical assistance, for it may be a bad burn or chemical injury, then you should go to hospital or ask if anyone has had medical training in the salon. You should also ask for your injury to be recorded in the salon’s work accident book. That way you can prove it happened. Just make sure that you have a copy of it for yourself. The salon is legally required to give you one.

So, now that you have registered the injury/accident you will have to start looking for evidence to prove that you were not at fault for your injury. The more evidence you have, the more likely it is that you will have a stronger claim.

Evidence may include:

Photographs of the environment, your injuries and the products used
Videos of the environment, your injuries and the products used
Witness statements
Police reports
Medical reports
Diary record
CCTV footage

Make sure to keep this evidence filed away so that you can provide it to your solicitor for your case. You should also take care to write down in detail any information about communications you have had with the other party’s insurance firm, medical/rehabilitation firms or any other firm that could have a connection with your accident. That way, if the other party makes a settlement agreement with you, you will always be prepared to speak with your solicitor. You can also make notes made about the agreement.

Special Damages & Beauty Treatment Compensation

If you have suffered from any type of physical injury then it is likely that this will fall under ”general damages”. However, if your injury has made you suffer more than physical damages, then these are known as “special damages.”. For instance, if you beauty treatment has caused such a bad injury that you cannot go to work, that means you have incurred financial losses. You may have also damaged some of your property in the salon due to the negligence of the staff. Worse still, if a staff member has been violent or aggressive towards you then it is likely that you have incurred emotional damages.

These additional damages can add up to give you a larger compensation claim. Make sure to keep a note of them and try and include any witnesses that may have seen how your suffering increased. For instance, you could have a worse quality of life if you feel bad about your appearance. You may avoid being seen in public if you are embarrassed about your appearance. You may have even paid for clothing to hide the injury.

Make detailed notes about each of these losses and present them to your solicitor. They can calculate whether these additional losses will add to your compensation claim.

Employees & Beauty Treatment Compensation

Now, not all paying customers make compensation claims in nail salons. Instead, an employee of the company may want compensation. The employer of any of the beauticians in the store may be taking unnecessary health risks or not be providing safe working conditions for workers to do the best job they possibly can. However, instead of this being beauty treatment compensation, this would fall under a work accident compensation claim. Make sure to check out our blogs on accident at work compensation. They should give you some assistance on how to move forward with your claim:

Keep in mind that employees can experience the exact same thing as injured customers. Make sure to document your injury in the work book. Then you can collect evidence and prepare for your case.

Gowing Law Solicitors can help you with your beauty treatment compensation claim

Here at Gowing Law, we understand that it can be devastating to have your beauty affected by any sort of accident. It can leave you feeling unconfident about your appearance and may even make you feel less inclined to go outside and enjoy yourself. You should not take on this sort of claim on your own. Instead, Gowing Law Solicitors is here to make sure that you get the compensation that you deserve. As experienced professionals, our lawyers are happy to give you free advice and consultations. These can be done remotely to make sure you are safe during the pandemic. Video calls and phone calls can easily keep you in contact with your solicitor.

If you decide to work with us, we can offer you our services on a “no win-no fee” basis. That means even if we do not win your case, you will not need to pay any fees. Just remember, you may need to put your claim in quickly. The UK court system already has a back up due to the pandemic. That means that you may have to wait longer than you would like to when pursuing a claim.

Contact Gowing Law Solicitors today by calling 0800 041 8350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by using our direct messenger located on our contact page. One of our team members will get in touch as quickly as possible to answer any additional questions you may have about your claim. They will then help you set up an appointment to get you in touch with one of our specialists.

Want to read more about beauty treatment laws?

If you have a beauty treatment compensation claim, you may want to read similar blogs. That way you can keep up with the latest UK laws about what you could be owed. Gowing Law’s blog contains detailed articles about a range of topics. This includes personal injury claims, accident at work claims, cosmetic injury claims and financial mis-selling claims. Reading our blogs can help you get up to speed with the basics of your claim. By the time you speak to one of our solicitors, you will already know what you can claim for!

We update our blog every week, so make sure to keep an eye on it to see our latest articles. You can also write in to info@gowinglaw.co.uk to let us know what topic you would like to read about. We also have a weekly newsletter that covers similar themes. We can sign you up to it. Just let us know!

We look forward to hearing from you in our next blog. Happy reading.

Gowing Law Solicitor’s work with Botched!

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Hannah Fletcher - Blog, Covid-19, Uncategorised

Botched! is the type of reality show that shows the consequences of cosmetic injuries. As beauty, hair and nail salons open around the country re-open after 5 months of lockdown, it is important to take a moment to reflect on the safety procedures that now make them accessible to the public. Yes, we should celebrate that these businesses have managed to survive the pandemic, however there is always the chance that these procedures could go wrong. A nail salon technician could damage one of your nails or you could get an infection. In a hairdressers, you may suffer a burning accident or be cut with scissors. There are lots of potential hazards that you need to keep aware of.

This is where Gowing Law Solicitors can step in to help you. As specialists in personal injury, beauty & cosmetic negligence and hair damage and medical negligence claims, we want to help protect you from anything that goes wrong. We support claimants from all over the UK in getting their money back if an accident does take place during these treatments. That is why we have paired with the American smash-hit TV show, Botched!, to advertise our services all over the country. Make sure to tune in, that way you can catch our advertisement at the beginning and end of each episode.

Botched! What is it?

Botched! is a fantastic TV show that demonstrates what can go wrong with cosmetic surgery. You won’t be able to look away from the shocking states that some doctors leave their patients in! It’s amazing some of these victims have not tried to claim compensation for medical negligence already. Either way, they are helped by two of the best surgeons in California: Paul Nassif and Terry Dubrow.

Both of these surgeons carry out complicated corrective procedures to help their patients to, according to The Hollywood Reporter:

“remedy extreme plastic surgeries gone wrong.”

This includes:

Scar correction
Breast and nipple correction
Rhinoplasty fixes
Tummy-Tucks
Cement removal
Saggy Skin

The surgeons will talk to the patient about their experiences with their previous doctors and the losses they suffered due to their previous treatments. It is Gowing Law’s mission to help patients like this recover their dignity and regain their confidence about their appearance. These sort of surgeries can be devastating and can really impact a person’s quality of life. That is why we have chosen to sponsor Botched! to ensure we can help people in similar positions get the compensation that they deserve.

Gowing Law sponsors Botched!

Gowing Law has had the pleasure of working with many big names throughout our years in business, including working with Michael Owen on our advertisements and charity works:

Of course, we think it is incredibly important to support young people of all backgrounds, and we cannot forget about our own roots in medical and cosmetic injury claims. This is why we decided to work with Botched! in order to give our clients examples of what they could claim for. Of course, a lot of the cases on this show are very extreme. However, whether you have suffered from a small hairdressing accident or perhaps something more severe, we will be here to support you throughout your legal claims process.

Having reconstructive/corrective surgery is only the start of your journey. If you want to get compensation to help you with these treatments, or perhaps to help keep you comfortable as you recover, having a trained solicitor on your side can help take the burden from you. Gowing Law solicitors are here to support you.

Work with Gowing Law on your cosmetic injury claim

Here at Gowing Law, we understand that cosmetic injuries can have an extremely negative effect on the lives of the victims. That’s why you may be feeling a little worried about going out to your local nail & beauty salon even though they have just opened. But don’t worry, if anything goes wrong then Gowing Law will be here to have your back.

Our team of cosmetic negligence experts are here to help you with your claim, no matter how small it is. So, why not give us a call to discuss it today? We can offer you free advice and consultations. If you do decide to work with us, Gowing Law’s expert advisors work on a “no win no fee” basis. That means you will always come out on top.

Call 08000418350, email info@gowinglaw.co.uk or use our direct messenger located on our contact page. Our staff will then be in contact with you as quickly as possible.

What sort of accident at work compensation claims are there?

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Hannah Fletcher - Blog, Uncategorised, Work Place Accidents

Accident at work compensation claims can be difficult to handle on your own. Not only are you injured and are trying to recover from your wounds, but you will have to gather evidence from your work environment. This is where an experienced Gowing Law Solicitor can help you. We can handle your claim whilst you recover. However, before you get in contact with us, you may have some questions about work accident claims in general. Today is your lucky day! Gowing Law has recently interviewed our operations director, Elaine, about work accident compensation claims. Today we start with one of the most common questions: ”What sort of work accident claims are there?”

The different types of work accident claims

As you can see from our interview with Elaine, there are many different types of accident at work claims. This is due to the fact that there are a wide variety of different kinds of workplace. For instance, the accidents that could happen in a retail store and an office space are different. Before, work accident claims would mainly depend on the environment and whether there were any potential hazards that could cause accidents.

A construction site may have had faulty wiring and machines laying around, whilst an office may just have had a spill on the floor. But nowadays, Covid-19 may have ushered in a new type of accident at work claim. If someone got sick with Covid-19 due to an unsafe work environment, could the liability fall on the employer? It depends on the amount of evidence you have and whether you are remotely working. Speak to our solicitors today if you think that you have a claim.

Common Work accidents

Some of the most common accidents are normally things that have not had specific training set out for them. They can cause minor and major injuries that may even require time off work with SSP (aka. sick pay). Here are some examples of the most common injuries that you may be forced to endure if you are involved in an accident:

A lack of manual training

One of the most common accidents comes from a lack of manual training. When you get a certain job, there are expectations that come along with it. You know what duties you are going to fulfill and you should receive training to help you achieve your daily goals. However, sometimes you may be asked to help out with activities that you may not have any training in. This includes manual tasks like lifting up heavy objects and loading/unloading different objects before carrying them to your workspace. Now, most workplaces will not provide training about how to handle this sort of thing. It’s not a part of your normal duties, so why would you ever need to know safety measures about it? This is why you may end up getting hurt.

If it does happen then it is the responsibility of your employer to pay compensation for your injuries, especially if you are forced to take time away from work to recover from lifting something that was too heavy.

The lack of help for manual jobs

Everyone should know their rights when it comes to being safe at work. However, in some cases, it is impossible to maintain safety. This is because equipment in the workplace may not be in the best condition. If it does present a danger, this could injure someone. For instance, if there is a spill on the floor and no one has marked it as a danger, someone could slip over and hurt themselves. Another example is that a store front may have had its stock irregularly put away by customers. That means there is a high chance they could fall down and hit someone.

It is important that the workplace has protective measures in place to protect employees when they are injured. Different work environment present different hazards. That means that they need to identify these hazards and make them obvious to employees that they must be avoided. That way businesses can avoid liability.

Are there any other types of work accident claims?

Of course there are! Each work accident claim is extremely different as they depend on the circumstances behind the accident. Any sort of big or small injury could have an effect on your life. Your compensation depends on the extent of your losses. This could include:

Physical injuries
Emotional damages
Financial losses
Medical expenses
Broken products/ personal items

Claiming compensation should build you back up to the position you were originally in before you experienced these losses. That’s why you should wait around 2 weeks before you get in touch with your solicitor about your injury. That way you can make notes on what losses you have suffered and bring these to your solicitor. The more evidence you have to back up these losses, the better.

Gowing Law Solicitors can help you with any accident at work claims!

If you have suffered an accident at work, contact Gowing Law Solicitors to help you with your compensation claim. We would be happy to work with you to get the pay-out that you deserve. Gowing Law offers free advice and consultations to help you get started. These can be done remotely to ensure that you are protected against Covid-19 whilst you pursue your claim. Should you decide to work with us, we can offer you services on a “no win-no fee” basis. That means there is no risk when you make your claim. You will only need to pay us a fee if we win your case. Therefore, you will always come out on top.

Contact us now by calling 0800 041 8350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by using our direct message feature on our contact page. Our friendly staff team will get in contact as quickly possible and will help you.

If you received a PPI payout, you could be owed PPI tax from HMRC!

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Hannah Fletcher - Blog, PPI Tax refunds, Uncategorised

PPI tax is automatically taken away at 20% from your PPI payout. This means there is a high chance that you have not been awarded the full amount of what you have been owed when you made your compensation claim. You may be feeling a little cross that you were even charged tax in the first place on your refund. That is completely understandable. No one likes thinking that they are entitled to a large compensation fee, only to find that it has been taxed. This is why Gowing Law Solicitors are here to help you get your money back. PPI tax claims can be extremely complicated. That is why we have created a helpful self-assessment form to get you the support that you need. Start your PPI tax journey now with Gowing Law Solicitors and claim your PPI payout:

The basics of PPI

To understand the basics of PPI tax, you need to understand Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) itself. PPI was sold alongside financial lending schemes in order to protect people if they could not pay back the money due to emergencies, such as death, illness and unemployment. This was included in:

Credit card schemes
Mortgage schemes
Lending plans
Catalogue payments

However, a lot of PPI schemes sold were not actually suitable for the people who purchased them. For instance, if someone was self-employed, why would they need PPI to protect them since they were paying their own wages? Or, what if they were planning on moving abroad to start a business in a different country? These schemes were not personalized to suit the owner. Therefore, most people wasted money purchasing these protection schemes. This is why so many people claimed compensation for these losses until the deadline in 2016.

Why did HMRC take tax away from my PPI payout?

Your PPI pay-out/compensation is made up of three elements:

A refund of the amount of PPI you paid in.
Whether the bank added an extra loan to your pay-off of your PPI. This would have charged you interest.
You received statutory interest (8%) on both of the previous sums for each year you got PPI.

Only your statutory interest can be taxed. If it is taxed then this will be displayed on your PPI pay out statement. This tax was taken off your PPI pay-out because the statutory interest was intended to get you back to your original financial position if you had not been mis-sold PPI. Therefore, it would count as saving’s interest, aka. Interest that has been created from your saved money.

How much time could it take to make a PPI tax claim?

This depends entirely on how complicated your PPI tax claim is. For those who work with Gowing Law, it can take around 5-6 weeks after you have submitted your details. Whether you have been rejected by HMRC before, or perhaps have never made a claim before, Gowing Law’s expert solicitors will get your money returned to you as quickly as possible. That way you can save your funds for a rainy day or you can use it to enjoy the summer. The more information you provide about your PPI tax and previous pay-out, the more likely that you will have a successful return.

Gowing Law Solicitors can help you with your PPI payout!

So far, Gowing Law Solicitors has been able to reclaim over £10,000 in rebates for our customers all over the UK. So far, all of our customers have been extremely happy with our services. Many of these clients did not even know that they were due back £100’s. All you need to do is use our online submissions form to get started. Fill in your personal details, claim details and then submit the form. Our friendly team will then get in contact with you as quickly as possible to discuss your claim and to get started.

You can also contact us by phoning 0800 041 8350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by visiting our contact page to use our direct messaging feature.

The Top Ten Signs you have been mis-sold a pension

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Hannah Fletcher - Blog, Pension Claims, SIPPs, Uncategorised

If you have been mis-sold a pension then you are going to want to know about it. After all, you have spent all of your life trying to build up your savings. That way you can get to your golden years and live comfortably. However, if you have been scammed out of your pension, or perhaps have unknowingly invested your money in high-risk SIPP, then it is likely that your funds may be drained before you even realized it. You may have been promised a large reward in return for your investment. However, an unregulated pension scheme can return very little on your initial sum.

As a victim of a mis-sold pension, you are entitled to compensation. This is where the experts at Gowing Law Solicitors can move in to help you. There are a number of warning signs that could demonstrate that a pension has been mis-sold to you. These signs can make those who sold you the pension scheme liable for your damages. An experienced mis-sold pension lawyer can help you provide evidence so that you can make a claim. Take a look at some of the signs below to see if you could be owed mis-sold pension compensation.

What is a mis-sold pension?

Now this may seem like a bit of an obvious point, however you would be surprised how many people do not actually know the basics of a mis-sold pension. Usually, if you have a mis-sold pension it means that you have been given “unsuitable advice”. So, for instance, if you were advised to move your pension from a work-scheme to a SIPP scheme, after being promised a larger return than what you standard pension would give you, this was unsuitable advice. Mainly, this is due to the fact that you did not receive the return that you were promised.

A “mis-sold pension” does not just rely on the investor’s advice. In fact, it can be due to the investments themselves. If you were not told about the cost of these payments or the amount that would come with the losses, this is an example of how you were unfairly persuaded into investing. Worse still, you may have even ended up with unregulated investments that you had no idea were part of the deal. This may include:

You did not know about these unregulated investments until it was too late. That is why you ended up losing your pension funds. Make sure to check out all of the details that come along with you pension scheme, especially if you are investing in a SIPP scheme. That way you will always know where your funds are going.

What should I do if I am mis-sold a pension?

Unfortunately, if you have been mis-sold a pension, it is very likely that you will not be able to get back the full amount of your investment. However, you can claim compensation for your losses. Now, according to the UK government website, to claim compensation, your claim must fall into one of three categories:

As you can see, these are the main ways to distinguish whether or not you have a claim. However, if you invested in a SIPP, you may want to look carefully at their policies and keep updated about any news about them. This can tell you whether or not your investments may not be going as well as you hoped. Make sure to keep any correspondence between you and your advisor. If they are lying about any facts surrounding your pension scheme, this can be used as evidence.

How to tell if you have been mis-sold a pension?

As lawyers, Gowing Law strives to help as many people around the UK with their claims as possible, whether they are work accidents or mis-sold mortgages, it is extremely sad to see someone who has had all of their savings taken away. That’s why we want to provide as much support as possible during this stressful period. If you have recently invested in a pension scheme such as a SIPP, or perhaps are considering it, make sure to look at these ten signs of being offered an unsuitable pension scheme:

1. You were cold-called

One of the biggest red flags when it comes to pensions is being offered a scheme through cold calling. Cold calling is when an advisor/investor will contact you out of the blue and offered you a way to increase your pension fund. Usually these type of calls will be from numbers you do not recognize. The investors on the other end will not know anything about your own personal situation. Instead, they will be trying to see who will “bite” at the opportunity to make more money. Usually, these types of calls end up being scams.

2. Your Investment adviser lied about their experience

Now, when you reach out for investment help from a pension specialist, you expect them to have the right qualifications. This can include a qualification in pension essentials, calculations and administration. They may also have taken courses about the best investment opportunities and how to apply them to different people. That way they can provide you with an appropriate pension scheme that can support you throughout your old age with the financial returns.

However, this was not the case. Some investors do lie about their experience in order to bring in more clientele. They may have claimed to have qualifications or worked in investments for longer than they have. In order to help you avoid this in the future, make sure to ask for a copy of your investor’s qualifications or evidence of their prior experience. These should be readily available if they do not have anything to hide.

3. Your investor did not provide you information about your pension

Did you know that at least 49% of mis-sold pensions happen because the pension holders were not provided with specific information about their investment? Most people are told about the positives of their pension. However, your investor may have left out some of the risks involved in the scheme. This meant that you invested your hard-earned pension without knowing what was fully involved. There could be small details that were not mentioned, worse still it may have been invested in high-risk products. This is what happened to SIPP investors that were convinced to put their money into The Dolphin Trust and Harlequin Properties. However, SIPPs are a little different to mis-sold pensions, so make sure to visit our SIPP page for more information:

4. Lack of Paperwork

How could you possibly make any sort of investment if you do not have the appropriate paperwork to back it up? Any investment should come with paperwork that details what you are investing in, how much you should expect to make out of your investment and how long it should potentially take. It should also list any potential risks that may make you lose money. Having the appropriate paperwork will help you distinguish whether or not you actually want to invest in the pension scheme or if you want to look around for alternatives. If a pension investor comes to you and claims to not have any paperwork to make things “simpler”, this is a red flag that something underhanded may be going on. Do not invest in this sort of “get rich quick” scheme.

5. Pressurized Investments

Now, in some cases, it may be likely that the investor you are working with may be making a commissioned profit off of your investment. This is because they get paid for every person they pull into the scheme. Of course, they will not tell you this, but it definitely gives them incentive to try and get you to invest. You may find that your investor starts to pressurize you in to the scheme by saying:

Your contract has a time limit
The investment is only going to be this cheap for so long
They are going to offer your investment to someone else
Other schemes require larger payments to invest

If you feel like you are being forced to invest, rather than you are being given a genuine choice, this is a sign that it may not be worth it. Make sure to tell your investor that you do need time to consider your options and that you cannot be forced into a pension scheme without careful consideration. If they do not back down then clearly it is time for you to find a different pension scheme.

6. Guaranteed Returns

If you have been mis-sold a pension, it is likely that it is due to the fact that your investor promised you a lot more than what they could actually deliver. An investor can provide you with case studies and evidence of how well a certain pension scheme has delivered for other people, however, they cannot ultimately say that any sort of pension scheme has a 100% chance of a guaranteed return. An investor saying this to you is clearly a red flag. It may also indicate that they do not know or understand the type of scheme they are trying to get you to invest in. Make sure to do your research if your investor is not telling you all of the facts about your potential pension scheme.

7. Fees & Charges

When you enter a pension scheme, the last thing you want to hear is that there is a joining fee or hidden commission fee that is required by your advisor to proceed with the investment. This should not happen if you are transferring your funds in to a pension scheme. Paying for anything that is outside of your initial investment is always a bad sign. After all, it is shows that your advisor solely wants to make money off you rather than help you retire in comfort.

8. Tax Avoidance Schemes

Now, this is completely illegal and normally is a sign of a scam. You have to pay tax in the UK or else you could be scamming vital services out of money. If you were unaware that this was happening, or that your funds had gone anywhere near this sort of scheme, you could be owed a lot of compensation. Make sure to provide evidence that you were not knowingly involved in this sort of scheme, including mis-leading documentation and communication between you and your advisor.

9. You were pressurized to leave your work pension

Normally, if you have had your funds placed into a work-place pension, they usually use a standard pension scheme that can ensure you get a comfortable amount once you retire. Those who are used to making investments may actively choose to leave this pension scheme. This is because they have a basic understanding of how investments work and how they can make a profit off them. However, if you are not used to investing, it is likely that you will stick with the pension provider of your firm. This is why it may have taken some convincing to try and get you to invest your funds in to a different type of pension scheme.

Did you find that your pension advisor recommended that you leave your work’s pension scheme? This act of pressure may have made you feel uncomfortable or like you were being bullied in to a scheme. You may have lost out on a good sum of money due to this bad advice. That’s why you could be due compensation.

10. New Unregulated Schemes

Even now, there are a number of unregulated investment schemes that are being marketed to vulnerable people. Around 19% of schemes that are judged as “dodgy” tend to get that title because they have not been adequately evaluated. Some advisors spend as little as 15 minutes checking over each scheme to make sure that each scheme is appropriate for their clients. It is the advisor’s duty to make sure that they understand that each scheme is personalized to their client’s needs. A good advisor will do diligence processes to ensure that each investment is not a scam scheme. Make sure your advisor does this as well or else you may have been accidentally mis-sold a pension.

Gowing Law Solicitors can help you with your claim!

Here at Gowing Law Solicitors, we think it is disgraceful that someone would try to scam you out of your hard-earned pension. If you are the victim of a mis-sold pension then you deserve compensation. That way you can reclaim some of the funds that were stolen from you. Gowing Law has experienced mis-sold pension solicitors that are ready to help you. They can offer you free consultations and advice to get you started. This can all be done from the safety of your home. Gowing Law is more than happy to help you remotely. If you decide to work with us, our solicitors work on a “no-win, no fee” basis. That means there is no risk to you making a claim. You will always come out on top.

Speak to a professional solicitor today about your claim! Call 0800 041 8350, email info@gowinglaw.co.uk, or use our direct messaging feature on our contact page. From there, one of our helpful team members will be in contact with you as quickly as possible.

Pedestrian Safety & Covid-19: What you need to know

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Hannah Fletcher - Accidents in Public, Blog, Covid-19, Traffic Accidents, Uncategorised

Pedestrian safety is a big issue nowadays. Not only do pedestrians need to worry about being involved with accidents with traffic but there is always the threat for non-drivers of Covid-19 on public transport and in crowded areas of cities. Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users as they can dart out on to the road without much warning, especially if they are trying to avoid coming into contact with groups of people. That’s why if you are vehicle driver, you need to keep an eye out for them. If a collision does happen, it is very likely that the pedestrian involved could sue for pedestrian accident compensation.

It is important that pedestrians feel safe if they are crossing the street, even if they are socially distancing from others on the street. However, if you have been involved in an accident whilst crossing a road, Gowing Law Solicitors can help you. Read our blog below to learn more information about pedestrian safety during the pandemic.

Pedestrian Safety & Road Traffic Risks

As a pedestrian, you are always at the risk of being involved in a traffic accident. Even if you are following the pedestrian rules of the road. According to a study in 2015, on average 14 pedestrians are seriously injured every day. Think about it this way. A pedestrian is not protected by a vehicle shell, similar to motorcyclists and cyclists, and therefore if they are hit by a vehicle, it is more likely that they will sustain greater injuries that could potentially be life threatening.

Pedestrian traffic accidents may include:

Hit and Run
Speeding vehicles
Darting out during changing traffic lights
Drunk Driving
Vehicle left hand turns
Reversing vehicle
Being “Doored”
Being pushed in to traffic
Illegal vehicle manoeuvres

As you can see, the roads can be extremely dangerous for pedestrians. That’s why, if you are a car driver, it is important to keep an eye out for them. This is because you have a duty of care towards everyone who uses the road. Pedestrians will need to cross the road, therefore you need to look out for them as well. That way you will to get yourself involved in a collision or a future pedestrian accident compensation claim.

Covid-19 & Pedestrian Safety

Now, Covid-19 has turned the world upside. Not only has the UK been through a lock down period, but now that it is easing, there is still a likely chance that a second wave will hit the country. People are going back to work and are creating social bubbles to try and reintegrate themselves in to society. That’s why it is more than likely that more people will be going outside and using public transport to get to quieter areas. If you are a pedestrian, you need to make sure to follow strict social distancing regulations to ensure your safety, as well as the safety of others around you.

To avoid catching Covid-19, you may want to consider following some of these safety regulations:

These are only a few of the examples of how you could socially distance as a pedestrian. In some cities they are considering putting up social distancing signs in crowded areas. Other places may even change the speed limit of their roads in order to promote bicycle and pedestrian use. One of the biggest changes is also in relation to traffic lights. In order to alleviate fears of spreading germs by touching a crossing button, the traffic light system may even become automatic or have a touchless feature installed to help pedestrians cross.

Active Travel & Pedestrian Safety

Another thing that drivers will need to be aware of is “active travel”. According to the BBC,

‘Transport Secretary Grant Shapps ordered English local authorities to make “significant changes” to give more space to pedestrians and cyclists. He said he would be setting up a £250 million emergency fund to encourage what he called “active travel”.’

This emergency fund was created in order to encourage more pedestrians to use the city streets for cycling and walking. This includes using the money to create temporary traffic orders that can install cycle lanes, create zebra crossings, close streets to traffic, and widen the pavement. Basically, it is to encourage more people to actually use the public space for walking. In turn, that means you are going to have to be aware of more people crossing roads. You do not want to be the reason behind an accident due to these changes. Instead, you will have to be aware of pedestrian safety measures.

Keep aware that the pandemic is going to change how we travel, as well as the use of cars and motorised vehicles on the road. The more pedestrians use the street, the more likely it is that a collision may happen. That is why you need to stay alert when driving.

Pedestrian vs Driver Negligence

If you are a pedestrian that has been involved in a traffic accident with a vehicle, one of the most important things that you can do is prove that you were not at fault for the accident. Many pedestrians believe that traffic accidents are solely caused by the driver. This is because they are more protected and so have more “responsibility” whilst they are on the road. Well, this is certainly not the case. Not all pedestrian accident claims result in the driver being at fault. In fact, there are a number of case outcomes where a pedestrian may be at fault for the accident. This is the sort of case where the pedestrian will not be awarded compensation even if they have suffered from injuries.

Examples of pedestrian negligence may include:

A pedestrian being distracted by their phone
A person crossing the road trying to beat an oncoming vehicle
People distracted by talking to each other and not watching the road

So, should you make a claim, it is important to know whether or not you were the main cause of the accident. If you were at fault for the traffic collision, it is unlikely that you will be able to get compensation.

What should I do if I have been in a traffic accident?

If you have unfortunately been involved in a car accident as a pedestrian, you may have experienced injuries that need to be looked at by a medical practitioner. These may only be minor, but in other cases you may also have sustained broken bones or traumatic head, spine and brain injuries. Make sure to focus on your injuries before taking down any evidence of the accident. Your health is what really matters, so get examined as quickly as possible.

With that said, there are a number of ways you can strengthen your case against any other party if they are liable for your injuries. The most important thing you can do is find evidence to prove you are not at fault:

Take photographs and videos of the scene. You may want to take pictures of the environment to detail where you were and what time it occurred. That way the driver who hit you cannot dispute it.
Images and videos of your injuries can help detail the severity of how badly you were hurt. These will be crucial in determining the amount of compensation you are awarded.
Information about the other driver’s insurance details and images of their vehicle.
Take witness statements and contact details from people who saw your accident.
CCTV footage may have captured your accident. Ask your solicitor to help you collect this evidence.
Call the police to get a police report taken of the accident. You can collect a copy of this report.
Save all receipts that have come from your expenses (i.e. medical and lost wages).

What can I claim for?

Now that you know how to handle an accident that you are involved in, do you know what you could actually claim for? Pedestrian traffic accidents can get complicated, especially if you solely set your mind on claiming for physical damages.

A solicitor can help you consider other options of compensation that include:

Emotional damages
Financial damages
Broken goods/property
Medical expenses

Your financial expenses may include wages that you have lost due to being away from work or the time you have spent in hospital. You can also claim for any medications that you have had to pay for or even recovery therapies (such as physiotherapy).

Make sure to look at everything that has happened in your accident. You need to consider cause and effect, as well as how has your daily life been impacted. These are what damages actually are. From these, a compensation tally can be totalled.

How much money can I claim?

Pedestrian safety is extremely important when it comes to sharing the road. However, if you have become the victim of a car collision then you may be considering how much money you could claim. Now, the first thing you need to know is that each traffic accident claim is different. Some people who have experienced life changing injuries may be able to claim thousands. However, others may get hundreds. It entirely depends on the extent of your injuries, whether the other party admits liability and the evidence of your losses. The more you can prove, the more likely that you are going to get a higher pay-out.

How long do I have to make a road traffic accident claim?

From the day of your accident, you have exactly three years to make a claim. We would recommend waiting at least two weeks to see the extent of your injuries and to process any evidence. Once you have sufficient evidence and know the extent of your injuries, this is when you should get in contact with a trained road traffic accident claims solicitor. They can help you understand the claims process and take the stress off you. This can really help if you have suffered severe injuries and are trying to recover. You may simply not have the time to make a claim on your own, especially if you have to balance work with your hospital appointments and work commitments. We can help you balance your schedule and make your claim.

Gowing Law Solicitors can help you with your claim

Here at Gowing Law, we understand that pedestrian safety is key to helping people feel safe in public areas. It is not easy to recover from a collision with a car or any other type of vehicle. That’s why our trained solicitors are here to help you get the compensation that you deserve.

All of our experienced team in Manchester work remotely and so would be happy to assist you all from the comfort of your own home. They can offer free advice and consultations about your case. If you decide to work with our team of specialists, they can work with you on a “no win-no fee” basis. That means that you will not need to pay any fees if we do not win your case.

If you are interested in learning more about how we can help you with your RTA claim, please get in contact as soon as possible! All you need to do is call 0800 041 8350 , email info@gowinglaw.co.uk or contact us directly through our live chat. This is located on our contact page. One of our staff will then get in contact with you as quickly as possible.

Learn more about RTA claims!

If pedestrian safety near roads is something that you are passionate about, you will be delighted to know that we cover more about them in our blog section! This contains articles about different law issues, including safety and accident claims on the road. Take a look at some of our suggested reading below:

We also cover other topics about financial mis-selling, personal injury and accidents at work. Please let us know if you would like us to write about a question you may have. We would be happy to know your suggestions. If you message info@gowinglaw.co.uk we can also sign you up to our weekly newsletter.

We look forward to seeing you in our next blog!

What could make me eligible for a PPI Tax Reclaim?

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Hannah Fletcher - Blog, PPI Tax refunds, Uncategorised

A PPI tax reclaim can get more complicated that you may originally have thought. That’s why it is always helpful to have a trained solicitor on your side to help you understand them. One of the main question you have is probably about whether or not you are actually eligible for a PPI tax reclaim. You may be self-employed or may not be a tax employer in the UK, but that’s okay! Gowing Law Solicitors has helped so many people in your position. Claimants who may have been turned away from HRMC are more than welcome to come to Gowing Law for help. We can help you understand how you can move forward with your claim and get your money back. Check out our PPI self-assessment form for more information.

The basics of a PPI reclaim

Before we jump into PPI tax and whether or not you are eligible, let’s start with the basics of PPI in general. That way you can fully understand why your bank/lender may have taxed your PPI pay-out. They are a bit different from making a work injury or traffic accident claim, so make sure to read this carefully:

As you can see from the description above, many people took out PPI in order to protect a financial scheme they had invested in or needed to pay back. This included:

Credit Cards
Visa Cards
Credit Schemes
Mortgages
Loans

Unfortunately, when PPI was sold it was usually not suitable for the person who owned it. For instance, it may have been sold to someone who owned their own business. Why would they need it if they got ill? After all they were the one who paid their own wages. Therefore, they did not need any financial protection if they got sick. This meant that the PPI scheme was not suitable to be added to their loan. Many people became victims of this scheme because it was simply not suitable for their needs. That is why the deadline was set for the 29th August 2019 to ask for their money back.

Why was tax taken off your PPI pay out?

Now, when a loaner/ bank returned your money it is very likely that they automatically took away 20% of your pay-out. This is because the main aim of your PPI claim is to return you to that original financial position you were in before you made a loss. If you suspect that this happened to you then you need to check either your tax statements or the PPI pay-out statement. According to Becky O’Connor, a financial specialist from Royal London,

“If you have received a payout for PPI compensation, it is worth checking the statement for details of any tax paid on the interest element of your refund. If it was and tax was not due because the interest income was within your personal allowance or you are a non-taxpayer, you may be entitled to request a refund.”

This leads us on to another point about why you could be due this tax back. It is important to understand the amount you paid out in relation to your own personal allowance. Your PPI payment should have included an annual interest of 8% every year. This was to compensate other claimants who may have lost money due to their mis-sold PPI policy. You should be able to have this interest returned to you alongside your tax. This is what is known as PPI interest. It’s important to understand that this PPI interest could have also been taxed, meaning that it is likely that you should be able to get more money back.

Could you be eligible for a PPI tax reclaim?

Normally, if you have had tax taken off your PPI claim, you can have it returned to you if you have kept within your own personal savings allowance or are a non- tax payer. This is because the interest was not necessary for you to make up the amount you paid in. If this has happened to you then you may be considering filling in a R40 form. However, there are some other ways that you could be eligible for a PPI tax reclaim.

Job Changes

Covid-19 has changed the world as we know it. As people in the UK have currently just come out of lockdown, and most are considering how they can safely go back to work, it is very likely that the tax you pay from your work or the amount you receive through your wage is going to change. Before the pandemic, you may have simply been trying to change jobs or you may have unfortunately lost your job. These job changes have affected the amount of income you have brought in, therefore you may have been paying too much in to your PPI payments. That means any interest that was added to your payments was unnecessary and can be reclaimed.

Redundancy Payments

Paying for your PPI through your job wages is one thing, being made redundant and using your redundancy payments pay is completely different. If you were made redundant by your employer, your redundancy wage should have been used to sustain you until you found a different job. Instead, you wasted the money on a policy that you never actually needed. That is why you are eligible to get this money back.

Pension Payments

Another thing that could affect the amount of income you bring in, and therefore the tax you pay on it, is your pension. Now, here at Gowing Law we do deal with mis-sold pensions that have robbed people of their life savings. But in terms of a normal pensions, this is different. You will have 25% of your pension tax free. However, you will pay 75% through income tax. This means that your own personal savings allowance should be around £12,500. If you go under this allowance then you should be allowed to pay some of the tax back. If some of your pension payments have gone in to paying for PPI then you should be allowed to get this money (and the tax) back. You could also be eligible if you have used income from a life or pension annuity.

Previous Tax Assessments

If you have previously filled out a tax assessment then you may have seen that you were eligible for PPI tax reclaims. This is because it tallied up all of your income and will display what taxes were paid on what payment. You may see additional payments that you originally did not realize you were paying in accordance to your PPI agreement. If you believe that you have paid too much on different taxes on your income, you can ask for it to be returned to you. You can write a letter of grievance to your lender/bank to let them know of your intentions and that you do require information to move forward with your claim.

Payments from abroad

Not everyone has stayed in the UK between 2016 and the present day. Some people may have taken out PPI and then moved abroad to pursue a business in a different country. They may have learned about the basics of PPI and then used their financial loan to try and work elsewhere. Additional interests may have been put on the tax and the PPI because the person was no longer in the UK. You will have to check with your solicitor to see if this has happened to you. If it has then you may be in for a higher pay-out. It entirely depends on your own personal circumstances.

PPI Plevin Case

Now, this is a bit different from getting tax on your PPI, but it is still something that you may want to consider doing. A PPI Plevin case is where you were paying an unreasonable amount of commission on your PPI to the loaner or your bank. You may not have been aware of it and so only found out when you tried to make your PPI claim. Make sure to check your tax statements carefully. That way you can see if anything underhanded has happened without your realizing it. You should never have been put in to this position in the first place, therefore you are due compensation.

If you pursue this type of case, you will not be allowed to claim tax on your PPI claim. So make sure to discuss it with your solicitor before you decide what legal battle you want to pursue. Gowing Law Solicitors also help clients with PPI Plevin cases, so make sure to get in contact with us to let us know how we can help you!

The evidence needed for a PPI tax reclaim

It is extremely likely that you are eligible for a PPI tax claim. If that is the case then you need to start considering legal action. You can fill out the R40 for on your own, but this can get very complicated, especially if you need to figure out what sort of evidence you have to prove that you are owed PPI tax claim compensation. Take a look at our infographic below to see some examples of how you can prove you are owed your tax back:

One of the most important things you need to remember is that you need to keep as much documentation as you can. Whilst some of it may not be useful in the long run, each communication or legalized loan document can show how much you have paid over the years. In turn, this can demonstrate why your tax should never have been taken off your PPI claim in the first place.

Make sure to keep these safe for your solicitor. That way they can be used to strengthen your case when you fill out your R40 with the help of your lawyer.

Gowing Law Solicitors can help you with your PPI tax reclaim!

So far, Gowing Law has managed to receive £10,000 in rebates for our customers! This includes helping customers who have already been turned down from HMRC. That’s why it’s time for you to get in contact with Gowing Law Solicitors. We can start working on your PPI tax reclaims case ASAP. All of our customers are impressed with our experience and our useful online submissions system. You could be owed £100’s back from HMRC. So, why not have our experienced lawyers start working with you? That way you can earn some extra money. This can be spent over the summer or saved for a rainy day.

If you are ready to work with Gowing Law Solicitors, feel free to fill in our submissions system to get started. This will let our solicitors know all of the basics information they need to get focused on your claim. The average turnaround time, once this is completed, is around 5-6 weeks. So you should have your tax repaid in no time.

You can also contact Gowing Law directly to talk about PPI tax claims. Call 08000418350, email info@gowinglaw.co.uk or use our DM system located on our contact page. A member of our team will then be in contact to talk about your claim. Let us know if you have any questions! We would be more than happy to help you.

Want to learn more about PPI tax reclaims?

You can do this by following our blog page! We are proud to keep our blog page updated regularly. This is with information about the latest UK laws and present issues (like Covid-19). However, we also cover information about personal injuries, traffic accidents, accidents at work and immigration. Please let us know if there is a topic that you would like us to cover. You can send it in to info@gowinglaw.co.uk. We can also sign you up to our weekly newsletter. This newsletter discusses our services in detail and covers specific law topics. They are informative and may make you think about getting in contact with us. We would always be happy to help you with any questions you may have!

We look forward to seeing you in our next blog!

The top reasons why you need a solicitor to help you with PPI Tax Claims

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Hannah Fletcher - Blog, PPI Tax refunds, Uncategorised

PPI tax claims solicitors are extremely helpful when it comes to helping you reclaim the money lost on your PPI pay out. Many people think that the deadline for PPI reclaims have passed, therefore there is no point in trying to claim any more money back. You have been awarded for your losses. That should be the end of it. However, did you know that if you submitted a claim before the 29th of August 2019, you could claim back any tax that has been taken off your pay out? A trained PPI tax refund solicitor can help you collect this refund.

Tax reclaims can be complicated. That’s why you need the help of a trained professional to make sure your claim is not invalidated. This blog will help you understand the basics of PPI tax claims, as well as how a trained PPI tax claim solicitor can help you get the money that you are due back.

Did you get a successful PPI claim?

Before we talk about PPI tax claims, let’s start off by talking about PPI in general. That way you can understand whether or not you are eligible to get your tax back. PPI is short for “payment protection insurance”. PPI was a “protection” policy sold by the banks that would cover anyone who had a financial policy taken out. This included policies for:

Credit Cards
Loans
Mortgages
Credit Schemes

If you had PPI you would usually pay extra in order to protect yourself if you could not pay back your financial plan. For instance, you may have been ill and so did not go to work, therefore you did not have the funds to continue with your monthly payments on your financial obligations. This PPI would ”supposedly” cover this period of time until you got the funds to continue with your payments.

However, in most cases PPI was mis-sold to people who did not need it, such as those who were self-employed. That’s why so many people have now put in PPI claims to get their money back. Over £34 billion of PPI has been repaid so far. However, that does not mean that the tax has also been repaid. If you have successfully been able to get your PPI back, you should be able to get your tax back as well!

Exceptional Circumstances for PPI claims

Honestly, there are only a few reasons why you should be able to make a PPI claim now that the deadline has passed. Each of these cases will be judged individually, so you will be required to provide as much information as possible to help them judge your case. Here are some examples of where you may be allowed to file a compensation claim:

A serious illness that stopped you from making a complaint
The death of a loved one/ a bereavement that stopped you from making a PPI complaint
Caring for a sick family member or relative
A technical difficulty with the website when you tried to submit your claim

Speak to your solicitor if you think you may have an exceptional circumstance that could validate your claim.

Why did they take tax off my PPI pay-out?

As you can see, there are three main factors behind the overall pay-out you will receive. The only factor that can be taxable is your statutory interest, which should be around 8% per year. If you see that your PPI pay-out has been taxed, it is usually because statutory interest has been created to return you to the position you would have been in previously if you had not taken out PPI. Should this tax be due on your pay-out most banks and firms will take it out automatically at around 20%.

You should be able to see the deduction of tax on the bottom of the confirmation of your PPI pay-out. If you have noticed this tax deduction then there is still a chance that you could get it back. This is where a trained PPI tax reclaim solicitor can help you make up the difference. They can make a rough estimate to see how much you could be owed. Make sure to provide them as much information as possible to make sure you know what you are owed.

Will I be automatically refunded for my PPI tax?

Unfortunately, most banks and lenders will not just automatically refund any tax that you may have. Instead, you will have to fill out a complicated R40 form to get a refund. These can be quite difficult to understand, but a solicitor can help you with the self-assessment and understand what interest you had on your PPI. That means the PPI tax should be refunded to you.

What should you do if you have been rejected for a tax reclaim?

The first thing that you do is calm down. There is still a way that you could claim the tax back on your compensation. A solicitor can help you appeal if you are unsure or have been rejected for a refund of the tax that was taken from you. This includes:

If the bank has told you it needs more information
If you have been rewarded an unfair amount of compensation

Normally, when it comes to PPIT, the deduction is taken off automatically from the banks or your lender. Therefore it should not be an issue to request for this to be returned to you. A trained lawyer can help you sort out a “subject access request” form to help you get more information about your PPIT. This should give you all the information about your involvement with your lender over the past 6 years.

If you do not think you have been awarded the fair amount of tax for your PPI claim, you should consider the different factors behind your claim. For example, did you owe the bank money when you made a claim on your policy? Your bank may have also made assumptions about your own policy that you will have to rectify. Make sure to look at any pay-out letters carefully to see where any mistakes could have been made. Your solicitor can then advice you on what to do going forward.

How much could I get from a PPI tax pay out?

Now, this depends on how much money you put in to your PPI payments in the first place and how much you received when you received your payment. The first thing you need to consider is your tax allowances. For instance, under the marriage tax allowance you could be owed over £1,000 for a PPI tax. You will also need to consider whether you have a PPI Plevin case, however keep in mind you cannot claim tax if you do go to the court system with your case.

Now, if you need an example of how much you could earn from a PPI tax reclaim, Martin Lewis, a PPI claims expert, gave an example of one of his own clients. Geraint tweeted at him:

As you can see, Geraint showed that his partner managed to claim hundreds in pounds as well as get a little extra with the tax rebate. Most people who paid the 20% basic rate of tax could claim over £1,000, whilst others who paid 40% rate of tax could claim around £500. The majority of people are owed money back and don’t even know it! This is why they need a trained solicitor to help them get the pay out that they deserve.

How can a solicitor help me with my PPI tax claim?

If you are interested in pursuing a PPI tax reclaim, you can try and fill out a R40 form on your own. However, this may be more complicated than you realize. Not only are there different versions of the form (i.e. for the self-employed or those living abroad) but you may not know how to fill it in. That’s why you need the help of an experienced legal solicitor to help you get your money back.

Here are some examples of why having a solicitor help you reclaim your PPI tax is so useful:

As you can see from our list, having the experience of any sort of PPI tax solicitor can help you avoid small mistakes that could invalidate your claim. They will schedule you and help you understand a rough estimate of how much you could be due from your claim. A PPI tax lawyer can also help you hit deadlines and explain why they have been put in place. Even if this has to be done through remote communication, due to the effects of Covid-19, this can be managed.

Make sure to give your solicitor as much evidence as possible to support your claim. That way they can manoeuvre your case with precision and help you get the pay out that you deserve.

What evidence do I need to help my PPI tax claim?

Evidence for PPI tax claims are a little different to evidence you might find for a traffic accident or a work injury. Instead of photographs and videos, you need to show communication that you have had with your bank or lender. You may decide to write a letter of grievance to them, or perhaps you can show PPI statements or officially documentation about your lending scheme. This can show how much you have spent on your PPI and how much tax you should be able to receive in return.

Collect as many documents as possible that you think are relevant. Your solicitor can then order them and let you know which ones will be relevant to your case. They can also use them to help fill out the R40 form.

Gowing Law Solicitors can help with your PPI tax claim!

So far, Gowing Law has received over £10,000 in rebates for all of our customers looking for a PPI tax reclaim. This includes helping customers who were already turned down by the HMRC. Not only have we developed our own online submissions system but we have worked with clients all over the UK. A huge number of these clients did not even know that they were owed £100’s from the HMRC. If you are one of these people, these extra funds could really help you over the summer, especially if you are struggling with funds due to Covid-19. Our trained solicitors can help you get the payout that you deserve in around 5-6 weeks. Our services are fast, easy and efficient. All of the lawyers at Gowing Law know exactly how to help you. We are ready to listen to your case!

Feel free to use our submission system to get in contact with Gowing Law about you PPI tax claim. If you want to talk to our team of experts, feel free to call us on 08000418350, email info@gowinglaw.co.uk or use our direct messaging system located on our contact page.

Please get in contact as soon as possible! Covid-19 has brought about a backlog of cases in the UK legal system. That means there is a higher chance that your case could be delayed if you do wait. So, get in contact with Gowing Law Solicitors. We can help get your PPI tax returned to you as quickly as possible.

Want to read more about PPI tax claims?

If you have claimed back your PPI then you could be owed the tax. That’s why it’s essential that you keep up with our blog page. Here we talk about the latest information about PPI taxes, financial mis-selling and personal injury claims. Check out our basics of PPI tax claim blog and our blog about self-employed PPI tax claims. We also talk about recent news topics about Covid-19 and the recent updates about UK law. If you want to suggest a topic for our blog, feel free to write in to info@gowinglaw.co.uk. We would be happy to write about your suggestions. Gowing Law also has a newsletter that gets sent out every week. Let us know if you’re interested and we can sign you up.

We look forward to hearing from you soon

Car Accidents & Whiplash: How much compensation could I claim?

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Hannah Fletcher - Accidents in Public, Blog, Covid-19, Traffic Accidents, Uncategorised

Whiplash is one of the most common injuries that comes from car accidents. According to the BBC, the UK is known as the ”whiplash capital of Europe”. Apparently, for every traffic accident that is reported in the UK, there are around 2.7 claims made to insurers. This means that there are around 8 in 10 personal injury claims made for traffic accidents compensation in relation to your injuries. If you wore a seat belt, and were struck in a collision, it is very likely that the impact caused injuries to your back, neck and spine. Whiplash claims may sound simple, but with the amount of fraudulent claims made about this type of injury, you may feel a little nervous about making a claim of your own.

Here at Gowing Law Solicitors, we are here to support you with any sort of road traffic accident (RTA) claim. That’s why this blog is going to discuss whiplash compensation claims in detail, as well as what to do if you have recently been involved in a traffic accident.

What is Whiplash?

If you have suffered from whiplash, most people will assume that you have merely suffered from a minor injury. However, this type of RTA injury can have lasting effects that could make you feel uncomfortable throughout your life.

Whiplash is caused when your vehicle experiences a sudden jolt or movement (aka. a collision with another car. This causes the ligaments in your neck to suddenly stretch, damaging them in the process. This sort of injury does not have to occur due to a high-speed collision. Instead, it can be low speed and doesn’t need to actually take much force to occur. Normally, the average speed for whiplash to occur is between 5-10 mph. So, as you can see, it does not take a lot for any sort of driver or passenger to suffer from whiplash injuries.

Whiplash: The Detailed Description

Should you have gone to hospital to deal with an injury, you may be experiencing severe pain in your neck and upper spine. During your accident, the impact of the other vehicle hitting your own will cause your body to jolt forward. This sudden movement causes a sprain around your spine that can quickly become inflamed. Your symptoms may include:

Headaches
Dizziness
Limited mobility
Soreness
Jolts of pain
Overly stretched moments
Lack of flexibility
Muscle damage

Whiplash can also occur outside of a car accident. Keep in mind that it could happen to anyone who suffers from slipping over something. For instance, if you suffered from an accident at work, you may have slipped on an unmarked puddle, your fall could have damaged your spine and caused you whiplash. Keep this in mind when you make your compensation claim.

What vehicles do whiplash accidents usually happen in?

Honestly, a whiplash accident can happen to any sort of driver or passenger. Think about it this way, usually the type of injuries you sustain in a vehicle depend on the size of the vehicle, the amount of protection it has and the severity of the impact. Therefore, if you had a motorcycle accident or an accident on public transport, you could have been thrown to the ground or perhaps hit a different hazard when you fell. This combined with the jolt and the lack of safety restraints (aka. seat belts) may have made your injuries worse.

So, make sure to speak to a solicitor about the vehicle that you were in during the accident. It could make a different to the type of RTA accident compensation claim you are proceeding with to court.

What will affect a whiplash injury accident claim?

One of the main things you need to know about compensation claims is that they are all unique. This is because there are so many different circumstances that can affect the accident. What you need to prove is that you were not at fault for your accident, i.e. that you are not liable for the other person’s injuries. This is what will determine whether or not you are due compensation. However, the amount of money you receive will also depend on:

Whether or not the other person involved in the accident accepts blame
How severe your injuries are

Medical evidence will be needed to prove how bad your injuries are, that means that it is more likely that your case will be drawn out in order for your doctor to accurately present your physical losses. You may want to wait around 1-2 months to see the extent of your injuries. That way you can know exactly what you want to claim for.

What is the claims process like for a Whiplash injury?

Normally, when it comes to a whiplash claim, there are four stages to make sure that your claim goes through without being invalidated. Working with a Gowing Law Solicitor can help you avoid any potential pitfalls and prove why you deserve compensation to help you recover from your injuries. Here are the basics of what you should expect if you want to go through with a road traffic accident compensation claim:

One of the most important things that you can do for any claims solicitor is to provide them with evidence. Whilst it does not matter whether or not anyone witnessed your traffic accident, if you do have evidence then this could show that you abided by the rules of the road. Instead you were forced to make emergency car manoeuvres to protect the people around you. That’s why evidence is crucial when it comes to proving that you were not at fault for your accident.

What sort of evidence do I need to prove I was not responsible for more injuries?

As you can see from Cathy’s case study, she suffered whiplash at the hands of a negligent driver. All drivers have a duty of care towards other road users. If they put them in danger then they have responsibility to help with their recovery through compensation.

If you want to prove that it was not your fault then you are going to need evidence. Once you have taken down the other driver’s insurance details, make sure to call the police to make sure that a police report is made. These police reports will detail the environment of the accident and take down both participant’s statements. This should show an unbiased perspective on the accident itself.

Additional evidence that can help your case may include:

Photographs
CCTV/Dash Cam/Video Footage
Witness Statements
Medical Reports
Diary Entries (Made on the same day)
Letters of Grievance
Reports made from witnesses about your future losses

What sort of losses can I claim for with a case of whiplash?

Before you think about your compensation claim as a whole, you need to consider what sort of losses have happened due to your accident. This can be more than just physical injury. Instead, you need to think of how the accident has impeded your daily life. How has it been negatively affected? That way, your solicitor can estimate what could help you return to your previous situation before you were hurt.

Losses may include:

Financial losses (aka. medical bills or lost wages)
Physical losses (aka. disabilities or injuries)
Emotional losses (aka. PTSD)
Vehicle losses (aka. a car that has been written off)

Your compensation costs will also cover any rehabilitation or therapies that you need to heal. Note down all of the potential losses you have made and the evidence to back them up. This will strengthen your case and show that you need financial assistance (aka. RTA compensation) to get back on your feet.

How long do I have to claim compensation for my whiplash?

Usually, we would recommend that you wait at least 2 weeks before you make your claim. However, you should claim RTA compensation within three years of the road traffic accident. The faster you make your compensation claim, the more likely that your solicitor can help you gather evidence to support you. Make sure not to rush your legal counsel. Whilst you may want to receive compensation as quickly as possible, if your compensation claim is complicated, it may need careful thought and a strategy put in to place to help you with your case.

How much compensation could I claim from a whiplash injury?

Now, this is where you have to be careful. Whiplash tends to be one of the most common accident claims there are when it comes to traffic injuries. That’s why in 2017, there was a crackdown in the UK about fraudulent whiplash injury claims. If your claim is genuine that means that you have every right to make a compensation claim. However, you do need the proof to show that you are telling the truth.

With that said, each RTA claims case is different. That means that the amount of compensation you receive will also depend on the extent of your injuries. If you can prove that you have been severely injured and that you do require compensation to help you with your recovery, you may get a bigger claim. If you have also experienced other injuries that could have caused you losses combined with whiplash, then again, you could be due a large amount of compensation.

Speak to your solicitor for more of an accurate estimate about your claim. Once they have your evidence and know all of the information of your case, they would be happy to give you a rough pay-out amount.

Gowing Law Solicitors can help you with your whiplash injury

Whether you want legal counsel or advice on rehabilitation centres, Gowing Law Solicitors is here to help you with your RTA compensation case. Whiplash injuries can have severe consequences on the human body. Some people can get away with having minor pain, others find it extremely difficult to move around. That’s why our experienced team is here to help you get the pay out that you deserve.

We can offer you free advice and consultation services. If you are worried about Covid-19, these can all be conducted remotely or through communication devices. If you do decide to work with our experienced solicitors in Manchester, we can offer our services on a ”no win, no fee basis”. That way there is no risk to losing money with your claim. Instead, you will always come out on top and get the result that you want. Any fees required by your solicitor will always be upfront.

Are you ready to get your compensation? Contact Gowing Law Solicitors now by calling 08000418350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by using our direct messaging feature on our contact page. A member of our team will be in contact with you as quickly as possible to answer any additional questions you may have about your RTA claim.

Please get in contact with our teams as quickly as possible. Due to Covid-19, the courts may have a back up of cases that they will need to sort. That means that your case may take longer than you initially expected. The faster you let us know how we can help you, the better!

Ready to read more about RTA accidents?

Gowing Law is proud that we keep our website and blog updated with the latest content about UK legal matters. Covid-19 has caused the world to turn upside down. That’s why we will make sure you know exactly what to expect from any sort of claims case. Whether you want to find out more about road traffic accidents or perhaps want to know about financial mis-selling, like mis-sold PPI tax reclaims. We can help you get the pay-out you need to get you back on your feet. Keep an eye on our blog to check out the latest legal topics.

We are also accepting requests for content topics and have a weekly newsletter that goes out to our clients. If you want to learn more about any of these, or perhaps want to see a certain topic covered, feel free to email info@gowinglaw.co.uk. We would be happy to write about exactly what you want to hear!

We wish you a fast recovery with your whiplash injury and look forward to seeing you in our next blog.

Work Accident Compensation Claims: Your Questions Answered!

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Hannah Fletcher - Blog, Employment, Uncategorised, Work Place Accidents

Work accident compensation claims are some of the most common legal cases that solicitors have to deal with in their careers. People spend around 1/3 of their lives at work. That means they rely on their employers to provide them with a safe, secure and pleasant environment to work in. Covid-19 has changed the way we think about working and has proven that many of us can work remotely. However, for those who cannot do their job from home, it’s important to know how to keep safe on-site. That’s why if you do suffer from an accident at work, or perhaps have already been injured before the UK lock down, you may have a lot of questions about how you can go about dealing with compensation claims.

The button above will take you to an interview with Gowing Law’s operations director, Elaine, but you may want to just understand the basics of work accident compensation claims. That’s why in this blog, you will find 5 of the most common types of questions about work accident claims. If you have any additional questions, don’t be afraid to ask our trained solicitors. They would be more than happy to assist you and help you get the compensation that you deserve.

What is a work accident claim?

Before we jump into 5 of the most common questions asked by our clients, let’s start off this blog with a basic definition of what work accidents entail. As you would expect, a work accident means that you are injured at work. This could include:

Slips/Trips
Unmarked wet floors
Faulty Electrics
Messy environments
Untrained employees
Heavy Lifting
Repetitive tasks
Violent colleagues or customers

These are only a few of the accidents that could happen at work. That’s why, if you do end up returning to your workplace, you need to note down what sort of safety routines your employer has in place. If they do not have updated regulations to protect you from Covid-19, or you notice hazards that could cause an accident, you need to send a letter of grievance to your employer or let them know via a meeting. If they do not take action to rectify these problems, and they do cause an accident, this could mean that they could be liable for the injuries of their employees. That means that they will have to pay compensation to help their employee recover. The request for an injury payment is known as a compensation claim.

The most common questions about work accident claims

All compensation claims can be quite daunting if you have never had to file one before, especially if you have been injured and are trying to recover. You need to think carefully about all of the losses you have made, including financial hardships, emotional stress and physical injuries. Another problem you have to overcome is whether or not your company will take responsibility for your injuries or whether you will have to see them in court.

This is why Gowing Law has interviewed our Operations Director, Elaine, about work accidents. We understand that there may be a few questions in your head that you may want answers to. Most websites will simply list out the simple questions about work accidents. However, as we understand that each case changes on an individual basis, we have decided to use this blog to focus on some of the more niche questions that may leave you feeling a bit nervous about claiming compensation.

Please see our top 5 most common questions below:

1. Can my employer sack me if I make a compensation claim?

No, your employer cannot fire you if you make a compensation claim. You are not making them experience any losses as your employer should have employer’s liability insurance. That means that they will not be paying out of their own funds, instead they will be using their insurance. All employers must have employer’s liability insurance once they employ workers. If they do fire you for making a claim, you will need to seek the help of an employment law solicitor. They can help you prepare for a tribunal and help you get the justice you deserve.

2. My workmate caused my injuries, not my boss. Who pays my compensation?

This is more common than you might realize. Your workmate may have been messing around and you were accidentally caught in the crossfire. This means that you were injured because of their actions, not because of a hazard that was left out thanks to your employer’s negligence.

You may think that this can be quite tricky, especially if you do not want to involve your friends from work. These sort of difficult situations are where a trained work accident solicitor can help you with your compensation claim. A situation like this is also known as vicarious liability. Your employer is responsible for any employees and their actions on the premises. That means that if the employee was negligent, it can be proven that they were simply acting in relations to the duties asked by their employers. Overall, it will still be your boss that is responsible that needs to pay for your compensation. But remember, it will be their insurance that is paid to you and it will not be paid out of their own money.

3. How much money can I get from a compensation claim pay out?

This depends on the extent of damage and losses that have happened because of your accident. Remember, the point of compensation claims are to get you back to your starting point before you experienced any sort of losses. That means you could claim thousands or even a 7 digit amount. However, the higher the compensation amount, the more likely that the injury or losses changed your life or were extremely severe.

Each payout depends on your own circumstance. You can claim for any sort of injury, but it would be best to get an estimate from a trained work accident solicitor. They can take a look at the evidence you have collected, including any work accident book copies, witness statements, videos, photos and medical documents, and let you know what you could be owed.

4. A friend/loved one died from a work accident. Can I claim for them?

If you do know someone who has died from a work accident, the administrator or executor of their estate could bring compensation claims on behalf of the deceased. The same thing could be done if the party bringing the claim is a dependent. This includes a spouse, civil partner, children, parents or other members of the family. However, it will still require evidence to do so and will need medical evidence to show the extent of their injuries. If the claim is successful, this can get a pay-out even after the death of a loved one.

5. Will I need to pay any fees?

This depends on the type of solicitors you sign up with to help with your case. Gowing Law Solicitors offers a “no win, no fee” service. This means that if your case is not won then you will not need to pay any fees. Make sure to ask your lawyer about their potential fees before they start. Usually, you will have an agreement in place for a fee depending on whether or not you win your case. Usually this will be around 25%, however it does depend entirely on the solicitor. Make sure you do your research before you pick the lawyer that you want to work with to help you claim work accident compensation.

How do I claim compensation from a work accident?

If you are satisfied with the answers to the previous questions, are you asking yourself how you can claim compensation? Well, the most important thing is to have your case documented. That means it needs evidence to prove that your employer was at fault. You may even want to write a letter of complaint to them in order to let them know that you intend to go forward with a compensation claim.

From there, you can bring your evidence to your solicitor and let them guide you through the claims process. They will ask you for specific information about your claim and will contact different parties (i.e. your employer and insurance company) on your behalf. If you do not feel confident about going to court, they can even represent you. This is why it is essential to have a trained solicitor on your side. That way you can feel confident and secure that you can get the pay-out that you deserve from any compensation claims.

Gowing Law Solicitors can help you with your work accident compensation claim!

Gowing Law Solicitors can offer you free help and consultations for your work accident claim. Our experienced lawyers are always available to let you know the best path forward. They will inform you of any pitfalls and requirements to make sure your claim is completely valid. Just make sure to make your claim within 3 years of the injury. As mentioned previously, we work on a no win, no fee basis. That means that you are taking no risk when it comes to making a claim. Instead, you can feel good that either way you will have a satisfactory outcome to your court case.

If you are ready to make a claim with Gowing Law, you can call us at 0800 041 8350, email info@gowinglaw.co.uk or use our direct messaging feature on our contact page. One of our specialists will then be in contact with you as quickly possible. Feel free to ask them any additional questions you may have.

Fill out the form to start your claim today!