No win, no fee solicitors

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Erazor

Erazor

Erazor

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My Brother was looking outside a window on the 7th floor of a high rise college block in Manchester where he was studying law, and accidentally fell. The official bodies have crimed it off as a suicide :( I looked at the building and noticed that it had no barrier on the windows or a restrictor, and there was no air conditioning (hence the open windows). I spoke to a few no win, no fee solicitors and they say the case is too large for them and they mostly deal with RTA's and personal injuries. They say that getting a risk assessment alone will cost 6k, plus thousands to investigate the CCTV cameras etc. plus examining witnesses and estimate this case to be about 300k on their side and about the same on the other side. They say if I lose I will be liable to the costs of the other side though I can get insurance for this. Though they say if I win, the settlement will run into millions of pounds as he was planning to become a lawyer :cool:

Anyone know of anyone who will take on something like this?
 
I'm really sorry to hear about your brother :(

Not much use in the legal department I'm afraid, but most windows that high are difficult to open/have barriers. Our student flats only open slightly as to avoid accidents like that happening.
 
If you're serious about going with it don't mess about with the small RTA claims handling firms, they wont have the resources or experience to deal with that kind of case, you need to look at the bigger, more reputable firms - try Henmans in Oxford who are a good firm outside of London who do a lot of Health & Safety and fatal accident work.

http://www.henmans.co.uk/insurers_personal_injury.htm
 
Rich_L said:
If you're serious about going with it don't mess about with the small RTA claims handling firms, they wont have the resources or experience to deal with that kind of case, you need to look at the bigger, more reputable firms - try Henmans in Oxford who are a good firm outside of London who do a lot of Health & Safety and fatal accident work.

http://www.henmans.co.uk/insurers_personal_injury.htm
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Yup, will give them a try.
 
ok, very very sorry to hear about this.

i dont have a legal bakcground but here goes with my opinion...

firstly if the official bodies have decalred suicede then you i guess you will have to commision your own reports to dis prove them otherwise.

to me it sounds like you woudl need to go down the litigation route for your selves. get independant reports re safety etc etc. you would then have to fight a court battle. the question then falls as to who you woudl claim is liable. the developer (hard to claim against as i woudl assume its an old building) the freeholder (difficult again due to liability and obligations)

i suppose it depends what you want out of it. if you want compensation expect to fight long and hard. if you want closure and a verdict of misadventure or the like then it might be a shorter process.

good luck with it all.

my only advice is dont let it continue to trouble your life. things happen, good or bad, we cant help them or stop them we just need to get on with our lives and live them to the best.

take care.
 
platypus said:
Your brother was looking out of a window, and fell out? Er...right?
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That's pretty harsh. It going to nearly impossible to prove ether way and at worst I'd say it's an unfortunate accident.
 
Erazor said:
Though they say if I win, the settlement will run into millions of pounds as he was planning to become a lawyer :cool:

Anyone know of anyone who will take on something like this?
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I'm sorry to hear of your loss.

My opinion as a law student who has studied tort is that i seriously would not bother persuing this.

You will NOT get millions if you win, it has no consequence of what his earning potential could have been. The payout would be the same if he was planning on being a dustbin man or a brain surgeon. I honestly can't believe someone has told you this :confused:
 
gjrc said:
damn harsh. have some compassion for gods sake.
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Compassion? For someone's whose first thought after their brothers suicide is to contact a compensation lawyer?

I was just pointing out that the original post seems a little..weird.
 
platypus said:
Compassion? For someone's whose first thought after their brothers suicide is to contact a compensation lawyer?

I was just pointing out that the original post seems a little..weird.
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i would have thoguht it fairly normal to try and apportion blame after a tragedy like this.
 
Erazor said:
My Brother was looking outside a window on the 7th floor of a high rise college block in Manchester where he was studying law, and accidentally fell. The official bodies have crimed it off as a suicide :( I looked at the building and noticed that it had no barrier on the windows or a restrictor, and there was no air conditioning (hence the open windows). I spoke to a few no win, no fee solicitors and they say the case is too large for them and they mostly deal with RTA's and personal injuries. They say that getting a risk assessment alone will cost 6k, plus thousands to investigate the CCTV cameras etc. plus examining witnesses and estimate this case to be about 300k on their side and about the same on the other side. They say if I lose I will be liable to the costs of the other side though I can get insurance for this. Though they say if I win, the settlement will run into millions of pounds as he was planning to become a lawyer :cool:

Anyone know of anyone who will take on something like this?
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Hope I'm wrong but this smells very fishy to me....particularly your quote "Though they say if I win, the settlement will run into millions of pounds as he was planning to become a lawyer :cool: "
 
platypus said:
Compassion? For someone's whose first thought after their brothers suicide is to contact a compensation lawyer?

I was just pointing out that the original post seems a little..weird.
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Can I just point out that after reading all of your "humorous" posts of recent days that none have done so much as raise a smile. None have been quoted as funny so I can only guess that your humour is lost on everyone else and therefore not funny.

If your brother died in similar circumstances with no sign of being suicidal would you not try your best to prove that it was not a suicide but it was infact someone else's incompetence that caused such a needless death? I know I would, although you're probably the only child type person.
 
Serj said:
I'm sorry to hear of your loss.

My opinion as a law student who has studied tort is that i seriously would not bother persuing this.

You will NOT get millions if you win, it has no consequence of what his earning potential could have been. The payout would be the same if he was planning on being a dustbin man or a brain surgeon. I honestly can't believe someone has told you this :confused:
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If you are INJURED then they will look at what your earning potential could have been. For example, if you had entered the armed forces, and due to a tortious wrong you have to drop out, then the court will consider the level you were likely to get to, and the possible pension you would have earned out of it. That is a PRINCIPLE OF LAW. On death though - I am not sure if this has the same weight! I would have to look into it. But the deceased is not earning ANYTHING, so any compensation would be for grief/loss etc, in which earning potential has no relevance.
 
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markyp23 said:
If your brother died in similar circumstances with no sign of being suicidal would you not try your best to prove that it was not a suicide but it was infact someone else's incompetence that caused such a needless death? I know I would, although you're probably the only child type person.
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Seconded.

The 'compensation could run into millions' claim is ridiculous.
He wasn't working so he wasn't earning and he could have stopped his education at any time.
I used to be a Union Official and looked after Health & Safety and you'd be surprised how much people didn't get in claims although they always times it by ten to impress their mates.
 
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