Compensation culture - myth or reality?

Anyone reading the newspapers over the last twelve months will have come across a tirade about the so-called 'compensation culture'.

Politicians and journalists seem to have a bee in their bonnet about the subject, talking about everybody suing everybody else and prophesising the end of civilisation as we know it.

The myth
There have been claims that the British personal injury claim industry is going the way of our American cousins, with people unable to take responsibility for their own actions and making compensation claims for every minor infraction.

There is no doubt that some lawsuits are indeed bordering on the ridiculous. For example, in 2000 an ex-ambulance driver from the United States attempted to sue his former employers after he was sacked for stopping to buy doughnuts whilst transporting a critically ill patient to hospital.

In the same year, a California man made a personal injury compensation claim after suffering burn injuries whilst willingly attempting to perform a fire walk in the nude. Exactly what parts of his body the member of the American Association for Nude Recreation burnt is unknown, but what other outcome can be expected when tramping through raging flames in nothing but a birthday suit?

It is somewhat bizarre accident claims such as this that hit the headlines and give the personal injury claim industry such a bad name, offering antagonists the fuel to rant about the supposed compensation culture.

But in reality, far-fetched and opportunistic claims such as those mentioned above are very rare; they just make good news and so become portrayed as the norm.

The reality
Newspapers tend not to report the frail 85-year-old woman who made a compensation claim after she was left with a shattered hip and too afraid to go outside following a trip on a broken kerb, and there's often more interesting news than the mother who can't pick up her newborn baby because of the broken arm she sustained when a careless driver collided with her car.

Yet this is the true side of the personal injury world. It's not very glamorous, it doesn't make shocking reading and it doesn't sell newspapers but, nevertheless, it is the real side of the industry.

The laws of this land are there to protect the innocent and penalise the guilty and that is exactly what personal injury compensation does.

If you were to go to work tomorrow and there was nothing to force your boss to make sure you were safe, just think of the harm that could befall you. If he was distinctly lacking in scruples he could cut corners, compromise your safety and there would be nobody for him to answer to.

We've come a long way since the days of small boys becoming wedged in chimneys and young children losing limbs in dangerous milling machinery, and it's because of the threat of personal injury claims, along with health and safety regulations, that those days are set to remain in the past.

The history
Whilst on the subject of the past, it's worth noting that compensation claims are by no means a modern day phenomenon. In fact, the issue goes back more than a thousand years and the late ninth century Laws of King Alfred the Great tackle the subject of personal injury compensation.

Among the laws set out by the Wessex king were:

"If anyone knocks out another's front tooth, he shall pay eight shillings as compensation for it."

"If a dog tears or bites a man, six shillings shall be paid for the first offence."

"If anyone knocks out a man's eye, he shall give him 66 shillings, six pence and the third part of a penny as compensation."

If a 'compensation culture' does exist today then it is surely no more than a continuation of the traditions and accepted ways of our island a thousand years ago. Back then, as the law above states, you would be able to claim six shillings if your neighbour's hound took a chunk out of your leg. Today, a similar dog bite is, quite rightly, likely to result in personal injury damages of several thousand pounds.

Inflation aside, there seems to be little difference between the compensation procedures of ninth century Wessex and those employed in twenty-first century Great Britain. The system is there to protect the individual from harm and provide a deterrent to those who would cause personal injury to others.

And that is exactly what it does. The little old lady with the broken hip and the shattered confidence, along with the young mother missing out on one of the greatest feelings in the world, know there is someone there to help them get through. And is that intuitive of a compensation culture? I think not.

Make a personal injury claim with YouClaim
YouClaim are one of those firms that can help. Caring, understanding and sympathetic, they are the best people to approach to make a personal injury claim and have a fantastic success rate.

With many years of experience they can help you to pursue the compensation that you rightfully deserve and won't charge you a single penny at any time. That's right, making a compensation claim with YouClaim is totally cost-free and you can even keep 100% of the damages. You can't say fairer than that.

It matters not if you hail from Cardiff, London, Glasgow or Manchester because YouClaim can help people from all over England, Scotland and Wales if they've been hurt as the result of an accident that wasn't their fault, or even if the accident was only partly their fault.

So get in touch with YouClaim today to experience the very best personal injury compensation service around. There are several ways to make contact and none of them will cost you a penny.

You can chat online to an experienced and knowledgeable claims advisor who will answer any questions you may have and explain the claims process in detail. Alternatively you can fill in a call back request and YouClaim will ring you back at a time that is convenient for you.

Finally, you can pick up the phone and give them a call yourself. The call is completely free and you can ring any time of the day or night. Their friendly team will be happy to help you with any questions or queries and will explain everything in simple English without complicated legal jargon.

The telephone number is 0800 10 757 95 so pick up the phone and call YouClaim today to set your personal injury claim in motion.