S. J. EDNEY ARE SPECIALISTS IN ACCIDENT LAW - PERSONAL INJURY AND CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE
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The Accident Specialists - S J Edney

Legal advice should be sought as soon as possible after an accident.

S J Edney are Personal Injury Solicitors who have been established since July 1996. We only act for victims of accidents. We specialise exclusively in Personal Injury Accident Claims.
If you have been injured, either physically or psychologically, because of someone else's negligence (or fault), you may be able to claim compensation, even if you were partly to blame.

At S.J. Edney we have many years of experience in dealing with accidents and are happy to offer our advice at a free initial interview.

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Clinical Negligence / Medical Negligence

If you have been injured, either physically or psychologically, because of a health professional's negligence, you may be able to claim clinical / medical negligence compensation.

What if my problem was not caused by a doctor?
Medical negligence also known as clinical negligence does not just cover treatment provided by a doctor. You can claim for medical negligence against any health care professional who hasn't given you the right care or treatment, which has injured you. This includes for example:-

• Health Visitors
• Nurses
• Midwives
• Dentists
• Private Practitioners
• Physiotherapists or Osteopaths
• Opticians
• The Ambulance Service
  
  

What do I have to prove to claim compensation?
To make a claim for medical negligence compensation, you have to be able to prove two things. These are that:-

• the health professional acted in a way that no responsible or reasonable practitioner would have done ("negligence"): and
• you have suffered a physical or psychological injury as a direct result of the negligent act or acts ("causation")

You cannot claim compensation just because someone else has done something wrong. You have to be able to prove that this has caused you an injury .

How will we investigate your claim?
The main evidence you need for a medical negligence claim will come from independent medical experts. These are doctors or other health care experts who can give an expert opinion on your case. They will give their opinion on :-

• your medical records
• your statement about what has happened
• any other documents supporting your case.

If we cannot find any medical experts who will support your claim, your claim will not succeed.

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Claims for Accidents and Personal Injuries

What can I claim compensation for?
You can claim compensation ("damages") for any personal injuries or financial losses which you can prove were the direct result of someone's negligence. This includes compensation for:-

• Pain and suffering, including, for example ongoing treatment and further operations
• If you can't carry out hobbies or daily activities (called loss of amenity)
• Loss of earnings
• Cost of nursing care, special equipment, medical care or help that you need to carry out daily activities
• Costs of adapting you home, or
• Psychological injury

If the case is about someone who dies because of someone's negligence, you can claim:-

• "Bereavement damages" of £10,000.00 if your husband or wife, or your child if they were under 18, died
• Loss of dependency if you were financially dependent of the person who dies, or
• A claim on behalf of a deceased's patient's estate

When we first see you, we will probably only be able to give you a rough idea of how much compensation you might get.

How will my claim be funded?

• Public Funding (Medical Negligence only)
  If you are on a low income, you may be able to get help with the legal costs through the Community Legal Service (CLS). You will have to show that you have a reasonable chance of winning your case and that the possible value of your claim is enough to justify the costs involved. If the compensation you would receive is likely to be less than £10,000.00, you may not get help unless there is a clear admission of guilt.
• Trade Union help
  If you are a member of a trade union or similar type of organisation, it may be able to help with legal costs.
• Legal Expenses Insurance
  You should check your insurance policies (especially your house insurance policy) to see if they include legal expenses cover for personal injury claims.
• No Win, No Fee Agreements
  These agreements, officially called 'Conditional Fee Agreements', mean that you do not have to pay your solicitors fees if you don't win your case.You may also have to take out insurance (called "After the Event" insurance) to protect you against the possibility of having to pay the other side's costs if you lose. This insurance can be expensive in medical negligence cases. We will discuss the funding of your case at our first appointment.

How much time do I have to claim compensation?

You must bring a claim for personal injury compensation within three years (called 'the limitation period') The limitation period starts either from:

• When you had your accident/ treatment, or
• When you first realised that you had suffered an injury (called your 'date of knowledge')

In the case of children, the three year limit does not start until their 18th birthday. Also if the case involves a person who cannot manage their own affairs because of a mental disability, the three year limit doesn't apply. The courts can, in extreme circumstances, allow your claim after the three year limit.

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About Us

S J Edney are Personal Injury Solicitors who have been established since July 1996. We only act for victims of accidents. We specialise exclusively in Personal Injury Accident Claims.

We are members of:

• The Law Society's Clinical Negligence Panel
• The Law Society's Personal Injury Panel
• Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) Clinical Negligence Panel
• Association of Personal Injury Lawyers

We also hold a Legal Services Commission (LSC) Franchise in Clinical Negligence work. Only solicitors who have a franchise can take on publicly funded work (formerly known as Legal Aid)

The Team

Seamus Jude Edney
He is the principal of the practice and qualified as a Solicitor in 1985. He is a member of the Law Society's Clinical Negligence Panel and the Law Society's Personal Injury Panel. He is also a member of Action against Medical Accidents and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. He has over 20 years experience of personal injury and clinical negligence work and has dealt with a variety of claims, many high value; including serious head injuries and fatalities.

Andrea Hughes
She is a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives and a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers who have recently awarded her Senior Litigator status. She has been a personal injury lawyer for the past 7 years and in the last three years has specialised in serious injuries for clients who have, for example, suffered head injuries or multiple orthopaedic injuries many of whom have long term needs. She has a particular interest in dealing with children and young adults who have been injured in road traffic accidents.

Mrs Maggie Milsom
Legal Secretary

Mrs Maggy Edney
Book-keeper/Practice Manager

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Accidents and Accident Compensation

Accidents can happen anywhere, anytime:

• at work
• in a road accident
• by tripping on a pavement
• on holiday
• through clinical negligence
• by a product you purchased

If you have been injured, either physically or psychologically, because of someone else's negligence (or fault), you may be able to claim Accident Compensation, even if you were partly to blame.

We recommend you make notes about the circumstances of your accident and to keep a diary of events. This may include details of visits to your GP, and expenses incurred as a result (keeping receipts where possible).

At S.J. Edney we have many years of experience in dealing with accidents and accident compensation and are happy to offer our advice at a free initial interview.

Click Here to read about some of our past cases and the level of compensation that was awarded to our clients.

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WHAT CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT S J EDNEY

"Great service and I have already recommended someone to you"


"You are very professional......... and I would like to thank Mr Edney and everyone that dealt with my case"


"Very honest advice, easy to talk to and always made to feel at ease"


"Mr Edney was very easy to talk to and kept me informed at all stages".


"We have found the service very satisfactory with understanding for our
feelings".


"I felt as if I was treated as if my case was important" I have had dealings with solicitors previously and had been left feeling as if I was not worthy of their service".


"I found everyone very pleasant and professional".


"I was very happy with the services provided".


"I was very pleased with the way my case was dealt with...................the service I received was excellent".

Past Cases 2005

Some of the settlements which we concluded for our clients during 2005 include the following:-

• One of our clients worked at Honda’s Car Factory in Swindon. He was instructed by his employer to carry some car panels down some stairs. As he was attempting to do so, he dropped one of the panels, which cut his right forearm and damaged a nerve. This injury led to a loss of function in his right hand which sadly will be a permanent problem. He was however still able to work. The insurers of Honda initially argued that the client was 50% to blame for the accident but after negotiations they agreed to indemnify him in full. £55,000.00

• In what must be one of the most unusual accidents which we have come across, one of our clients, was helping a friend to promote a 6ft plastic ball which carried up to two people inside it. The ball rolled over whilst in motion. Unfortunately, our client was accidentally knocked over by this ball and suffered a number of fractures and had to give up his job and re-train doing something less physical. Proceedings had to be issued in this case and it settled shortly before Trial.

• In another case, our client was travelling as a front seat passenger in her husband’s motor car. They were both pensioners but her husband had a part –time job. There was a head on collision between their vehicle and a lorry and sadly her husband was killed. We represented our client at the Inquest and we issued proceedings as the insurers of the lorry driver delayed in settling the claim. The case eventually settled £70,000.00

• Our client was packing fan covers into a large box at work when they collapsed crushing her left hand. She developed post traumatic carpal tunnel syndrome which in turn triggered a complex regional pain disorder. She had to give up work and re-train to work in an office. Proceedings were issued and the case settled shortly before Trial. £50,000.00

• Another client consulted his GP complaining of pain and discomfort in his leg. His GP attributed his complaint to a muscular-skeletal injury. Sadly, he didn’t suspect that he had an infection and as there was a delay in our client being referred to hospital, the infection spread throughout his leg and he required additional surgery and his mobility was more impaired than it should have been. Proceedings had to be issued and this case settled shortly before Trial. 62,500.00

• Our client regularly attended hospital throughout 2002 complaining of chest infections. Her right lung was scanned and she was reassured that she only had a cyst and there nothing for her to worry about. Her health continued to deteriorate and she was re-scanned by the hospital in early 2004 when on this occasion they diagnosed lung cancer. This should have been spotted in 2002. She had to be admitted as an emergency to have the tumour removed but the delay in diagnosis by some 12 months sadly worsened the long term outcome for her. Proceedings had to be issued and this case was eventually settled £72,500.00

.

• At the other extreme, we acted for a client who had an unhappy experience whilst visiting his hairdresser. The Stylist accidentally nipped his hear whilst cutting his hair. This was very painful at the time but it has left him with no long term damage. £1,530.00

These are just a few of the many cases which we have concluded for our clients during 2005. 2006 also promises to be a very busy year for us.

• A failure on the part of a GP to treat a client's "frozen shoulder". She then went on to develop an infection after an injection had been administered inappropriately by her GP which left her with reduced mobility in her arm. £70,000.00

• An RNLI Volunteer who sustained an injury on a lifeboat whilst working in Cornwall due to the carelessness of a fellow volunteer leaving him with multiple fractures in his right arm. £55,000.00

• A client who sustained a soft tissue injury in an accident at work, who unfortunately, went on to develop chronic pain syndrome. Her future work prospects were much diminished. £250,000.00

• A failure on the part of a GP to diagnose or even suspect that a client may have had a melanoma (skin cancer) and as a consequence, there was a delay in her referral to hospital which resulted in treatment and surgery which could have been avoided with a prompt referral £20,000.00

• A woman who sustained a very minor injury in an accident at work but because of a pre-existing medical condition, she required extensive hospital treatment but unfortunately died not long after being discharged by the hospital for an unrelated reason. Her family instructed our firm to pursue a claim against her employer.£50,000.00

These are just a few of the many cases which we have helped clients with during the last two years. Some cases had to go to Trial where damages were awarded by a Judge but the majority of cases settled "out of Court". The damages recovered depends on the severity of the injury sustained and the injured person's "out of pocket" expenses and financial losses.

Past Cases 2003

2003 was a very good year for S J Edney's clients with a record number of high value clinical negligence and personal injury cases being settled including the following:-

• A Repetitive Strain Injury sustained by a client whilst she operated a keyboard when serving in the RAF. As a consequence, she was medically discharged. £450,000.00

• Failure on the part of a hospital to correctly interpret a cervical smear which led to our client developing cervical cancer with a much worse prognosis.£115,000.00

• A failure on the part of a hospital to correctly interpret a cervical smear which also led to a client (a young mother with two children) developing cervical cancer which tragically killed her. £250,000.00

• An injury sustained by our client in a road traffic accident whilst travelling as a passenger which unfortunately developed into chronic pain syndrome.£250,000.00

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