Personal Injury Specialist Solicitors

Adjustment disorder claim settles for £6,500

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Boyd Rice Solicitors were instructed to act on behalf of Mr W in relation to his injury claim. Our client instructed that he was stationary in his vehicle waiting for traffic to pass to enable him to turn safely onto Ridgeway street, Belfast when his vehicle was struck from behind by another vehicle.

The Police attended the scene and our client discussed the incident with them and provided a statement.

Our client developed pain in his left wrist immediately after the incident. The following day he developed pain across his neck, shoulders and upper back. He sought medical advice a few days after the injury and received painkillers from his GP. He arranged private physiotherapy which he paid for himself. The accident had a significant psychological impact on our client and we arranged for an assessment to be carried out by a Consultant Psychiatrist who diagnosed him as suffering from an adjustment disorder with anxiety symptoms.Broadly speaking an adjustment disorder is diagnosed when an individual is unable to cope or adjust following a particularly stressful situation or significant life event.

Our client instructed us to recover the cost of physiotherapy and loss of overtime earnings together with compensation for his physical and psychiatric injuries.

Court proceedings were issued against the at fault driver as the insurance company did not accept our client’s loss of overtime claim. The case was settled out of Court in Mr W’s favour in the sum of £6,500 plus costs.

Following the successful conclusion of his claim our client commented as follows;

“Neil took all the stress out of the claim by taking the time to explain everything at every stage. He was extremely easy to contact and was quick to respond to any queries that I had throughout the duration of my case.”

If you have been involved in a serious accident it is crucial that you obtain legal advice at the earliest possible opportunity. Please contact us by phone on 02890 387060 or by email claims@boydricesolicitors.com

Car accident claims solicitor

Pedestrian hit by lorry on Stranmillis Road, Belfast

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Boyd Rice Solicitors were instructed to act on behalf of Mr K in relation to his injury claim. Our client was walking in Stranmillis Village, South Belfast when he was hit on the back by the wing mirror of a passing lorry. He was knocked to the ground and became aware of pain in the mid back area and in the left hand at the base of his thumb. He attended the Ulster Hospital where he was diagnosed with a fracture at the base of his left thumb.  He was placed in a cast and required subsequent manipulation of the area around the thumb area.

Court proceedings were issued against the lorry driver. Liability was quickly established in our client’s favour. Following protracted negotiations the case resolved in the sum of £13,000 plus legal costs.

Our client was delighted with the outcome and commented as follows;

“Case handled very smoothly, Neil was a pleasure to deal with. “

If you have been involved in a serious accident it is crucial that you obtain legal advice at the earliest possible opportunity. Please contact us by phone on 02890 387060 or by email claims@boydricesolicitors.com

Personal Injury Specialist Solicitors

Road traffic accident on East Street, Newtownards

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Boyd Rice Solicitors were instructed to act on behalf of Mrs O in relation to her claim for loss and damage arising from a road traffic accident in Newtownards.

Our client instructed that her vehicle was parked on East Street when another vehicle collided with it and drove on. Thankfully our client witnessed the collision and recorded the registration of the other vehicle at the scene. She discussed the accident with an independent witness who was also present at the time and rang us for advice. Our client then reported the accident to PSNI.

Surprisingly liability was denied by the other driver’s insurance company. The other driver alleged that she was not involved in any accident whatsoever! Our client obtained an estimate for repairs to her vehicle and we were instructed to issue Court proceedings on her behalf so that she could arrange for repairs to her vehicle without going through her insurance company. The input of the independent witness proved invaluable. They confirmed that they had witnessed the other vehicle colliding with our client’s vehicle and the case resolved in our client’s favour. Importantly, her insurance was not affected and she was able to get her vehicle repaired at long last!

Following the successful conclusion of her claim our client commented as follows;
“I instructed Boyd Rice Solicitors to act on my behalf in relation to a hit and run accident in which my car was damaged. My case was dealt with quickly and I was kept up to date at every stage. The third party denied liability so unfortunately Court proceedings had to be issued. My Solicitor, Neil McGranaghan, explained what to expect at Court, made me feel at ease and the case was resolved in my favour. Thankfully my own insurance wasn’t affected and I received a cheque to enable repairs to take place. My car has now been repaired and is back on the road. I will definitely use Boyd Rice Solicitors again and would recommend them to anyone in similar situations. ”

If you have been involved in a similar accident please contact us on 02891 817715, or by email claims@boydricesolicitors.com and let us explain how we can help you.

Personal Injury Specialist Solicitors

Road traffic accident in Portaferry

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Boyd Rice Solicitors were instructed to act on behalf of Mr A in relation to his personal injury claim arising from a road traffic accident in Portaferry.

Our client instructed that he was driving his car when another vehicle pulled out in front of him and he collided head on with the side of the vehicle. As a result of the impact he sustained injuries to his hips and had headaches. He attended his GP where he was prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and sleeping tablets.

An early admission of liability was obtained from the at fault driver’s insurer and the case resolved in the sum of £4,000 without the need to attend Court.

Following the successful conclusion of his claim our client commented as follows;

“The process was quick and I was kept informed the whole way. Very friendly and supportive too.”

If you have been involved in a similar accident please contact one of the injury claims team on 02891 817715, or by email claims@boydricesolicitors.com and let us explain how we can help you.

Uninsured drivers

Claims involving uninsured or untraced drivers

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Being in a road traffic accident causes significant stress and anxiety. This is compounded when you are involved in an accident with another motorist and discover that they do not have insurance or even worse in a situation where the other motorist flees the scene of the accident.

The first step in these situations should be to phone the Police. Provide the PSNI with details of what happened and as much information as possible in relation to the accident circumstances. If you are injured ask the Police to attend the scene and wait for them to arrive. Always request a Police reference number. Take photographs of your vehicle and the other driver’s vehicle.

We would then advise that you call us. We will advise you in respect of what to do with your vehicle and also will take the following information from you;

  1. Date and time that your accident occurred;
  2. Location of your accident;
  3. Weather/ road conditions;
  4. Make and model of your vehicle;
  5. Your vehicle registration;
  6. Details of your insurer;
  7. Details of your passengers;
  8. Make model and vehicle registration of the other vehicle;
  9. Name and address of the other driver;
  10. PSNI reference number;
  11. A detailed account of the accident circumstances.

Thankfully the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) compensate victims of motor accidents involving uninsured or untraced drivers. The Road Traffic Act 1988 stipulates that all insurance companies must be a member of the MIB and contribute to its funding.

We will complete the MIB Application form on your behalf and will arrange for you to be medically examined by a leading Consultant. Cases involving the MIB are generally more complex and take longer to bring to fruition.

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau will also compensate cyclists who have been knocked off their bike by a vehicle that cannot be traced.

Boyd Rice Solicitors have significant experience in acting for clients who have been involved in an accident with an insured or untraced motorist.

Please contact one of the injury claims team on 02891 817715, by email claims@boydricesolicitors.com or complete our Online Enquiry and let us explain how we can help you.

keys to a new home

Ensure you get Mortgage Approval with 6 Simple Tips

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Before you begin searching for your dream home you should seek advice regarding your potential mortgage. This will give you a good idea of what you can afford and it will mean you can move quicker when you find somewhere you really like.

1. Use a mortgage broker

Not only will this save you hassle (you won’t have to check every lender yourself) but this will probably save you money. They will be able to recommend the cheapest and best deals for your available budget, and help prevent you making an application that could be rejected. This would adversely affect your credit score.

2. Manage your current account

You will need to give your lender copies of your bank statements for the last three to six months. You may need to tidy up your account in advance. Make sure here are no unpaid items, no regular deposits into online gambling accounts and that your rent is paid by direct debit instead of cash.

3. Employment

It goes without saying that if you’re not employed, you’re not getting a mortgage. However some will also refuse a mortgage if you have not been in a permanent job for at least twelve months. If you are still on a probationary period you could have trouble also. If you are in one of these situations your mortgage advisor may be able to advise you. If you are self-employed make sure you have the last three years’ accounts fully up to date.

4. What is your repayment capacity?

This is proof you can meet your future mortgage repayments. The best way to prove this is by showing you have saved, or paid rent, equal to the mortgage repayments plus 2 percent.

5. Income

Traditionally lenders have multiplied salary by four to get the maximum mortgage that they will lend to borrowers. Now many households have two incomes so there is sometimes an option to either; 4x the main salary plus the second salary, or; add the two salaries together and use a slightly lower multiple (e.g. three rather than four). The income multiplier is used as an absolute maximum but the lender will perform an affordability test to decide just how much they are willing to lend.

6. Deposit

You don’t need to have your deposit ready when you make your mortgage application. You can let them know you’re receiving a gift or however you’re going to obtain it and that will be fine.

If you are considering purchasing a new home and would like to discuss the legal process please give us a call on 02891 817715 or contact our property team by email property@boydricesolicitors.com

Building Control

Snag Lists for New Builds – What to look out for?

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Don’t get caught up in the excitement of buying a new home with brand shiny new kitchen, bathroom and all the rest – you need to make sure you compile a snag list of any defects with your property. A snag list is a list of any defects where faults are noted so that they can be rectified by the builder/developer.

Take a note of items which appear to have not been totally completed or which do not meet satisfactory standards. Include items that may be defective, may not meet building regulations or are not finished to a standard and condition that a prospective purchaser should expect when buying a new property.

Snagging can be broken down into two areas. The first is to do with functionality, does everything in your new home work? This can be assessed easily – do the doors close, do the lights turn on, does the toilet flush, etc. The second is aesthetic – is the quality of finish to an acceptable standard? This is subjective and will most likely be where disagreements with the builder arise. Check counter tops for cracks, plaster work and the paint job.

It’s very important that you make this list at the outset. If you put it on the back burner for a while and get round to it a little later it will be more difficult to get these issues addressed. Best practice would be to sort this all out before contracts are signed and you’ve paid over your money. However frequently this will not be possible and some new builds will not be finished until after contracts are exchanged. Check if snags are covered in your contract and discuss it with your builder/developer at an early stage.

Once the builder/developer has been given the snag list they should complete all the listed items.

If you are purchasing a new home and would advice in relation to any issues regarding the snagging list please give us a call on 02891 817715 or contact our property team by email property@boydricesolicitors.com.