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  • A message to MP's

    On 17th April, the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill returns to the Commons for consideration of Lords amendments.

    We urge MP’s to vote for Lords amendments 31, 32, 171 and 172.

    These amendments do not undermine the Bill. They ensure that access to justice is preserved for those who desperately need it and who would be denied their rights without these changes.

    Industrial Disease

  • Millionaire "Mr Bigs" win Legal Aid to protect illicit wealth and MPs spend only 21 days out of the next 75 working at Westminster.

    These two headlines, a few pages apart, in the London Evening Standard made the blood boil!

    Here are the facts; the Ministry of Justice is trying to steamroll through Parliament the Legal Aid Punishment of Offenders and Sentencing Bill.  It is a long Bill with lots of detail. It deals with both criminal sentencing and Legal Aid powers and huge funding reforms for civil litigation impacting all members of society.  Not speaking for the criminal law side of the Bill, the civil law reform is utterly flawed.

  • Bakers Personal Injury Solicitors secures accolade from The Law Society

    Bakers Personal Injury Solicitors has secured The Law Society's law management quality mark, Lexcel. The firm was awarded its original accreditation in 2008 and has, once again, been successful in gaining re-accreditation in February 2012.

    Lexcel is developed specifically for the legal profession. It is an optional, recognised accreditation scheme for law firms and in-house legal departments which gives assurance that a practice meets high client care and business management standards.

    To gain and retain Lexcel accreditation, a practice must undergo a rigorous initial then annual application and assessment process. This includes conducting background checks and an on-site visit from an experienced, trained Lexcel assessor.

  • Whiplash - The Facts

    There has recently been a huge discussion about whether whiplash (hyper extension of the neck) actually exists. To many of our thousands of clients who we have acted for over the years, this question seems absurd. If you believe liability insurers and their clear vested interest in arguing against it, or the government who continue to entertain commercial insurers at Downing Street, they would have you believe that it is somehow imaginary!

    It must be right that clients that suffer with indirect injuries causing neck sprain through a road collision should continue to be able to claim compensation.

    There are many factors that govern the extent to which you can suffer whiplash, including the weight and size of the vehicle you are in, whether you have properly adjusted the headrest etc.

  • The Claims Process

    We are often asked by a new client who has suffered an injury which was not their fault how long it will take for their claim to settle.

    We send out an explanatory leaflet at the start of every claim telling clients that compensation is not automatic and that we need to prove fault and breach of duty and then the process tends to take about 18 months or so resolve.

  • Make the pledge and help end dangerous driving.

    Drivers are at the coal face of road safety. What they do determines whether people live or die because most road carnage is caused by drivers failing to follow the most important and basic safety laws.

    Help BRAKE, the road safety charity put an end to the senseless deaths due to easily preventable causes such as speeding, drink and drug driving, drivers using mobile phones and tired drivers by joining our driver safety campaigns.

    Bakers Personal Injury Solicitors have made the pledge to drive safely – will you? 

  • Road Safety Week - shocking statistics

    Bakers Personal Injury Solicitors is delighted to be supporting BRAKE, the national road safety charity, to raise awareness about protecting vulnerable road users.

    A shocking 190 pedestrians and cyclists are killed or injured every day on UK roads. Now that it gets darker earlier, children are even more vulnerable.

    Support their campaign to improve road safety in five easy steps ...

  • Government Mistake

    The Government has admitted a mistake over the impact proposed cuts to the legal aid budget would have on the justice system.

    Initially, it was suggested the cuts would lead to around 45,000 fewer legal representations a year. But the Ministry of Justice confirmed that a new impact assessment found the figure is likely to be 66,200.

    The plans to cut the £2.2 billion-a-year budget by £350 million had already proved controversial, with widespread concern expressed that they would prevent thousands from turning to the justice system for help.

  • Ritz justice

    The Access to Justice Action Group have condemned the Coalition Government’s Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.

    AJAG co-ordinator Andrew Dismore said:


    “The Government do not care about the ability of ordinary people to enforce their rights. Their view of justice is based on the interests of big business insurance companies, not the person in the street. The winners under the Government’s plans are the insurance company major shareholders, the losers are ordinary people.

  • Insurers in line for a £4.8bn windfall

    Motor insurers stand to pocket billions in extra income a year if a recommendation to retain referral fees is acted on, a leading personal injury lawyer has claimed. The former Motor Accident Solicitors Society chairman and director at CS2 Lawyers, said the Legal Services Board report on referral fees published a fortnight ago spells good news for direct motor players that receive large sums for selling cases to law firms. His claim runs counter to the stance of the industry’s trade body, the Association of British Insurers, which has campaigned for their removal.

    It's estimated that insurers and brokers will receive up to £3.2bn in referral fee income and £1.6bn in ancillary services income in 2010/2011 alone. The figures are based on claims data from the Compensation Recovery Unit and the ABI’s before-the-event insurance data.

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