Personal Injury Law Blogs

Important Rules Regarding Strict Liability and Product Defects

(US PI Law) Suing a company over a defective product that causes you to become injured can be a difficult process, but with the help of an attorney and a bit of knowledge about liability, you can have an easier time doing so.

We all laugh from time to time at the seemingly absurd warning labels on certain products. Don’t use a hair dryer in the bathtub? Who would? But the truth is, those labels are there for a reason, and that reason is usually that someone tried to do that, got hurt, and sued because they were not told they shouldn’t.

Still, if you’re planning on filing a claim against a company for a product that caused you to become injured, there are a few things you need to be aware of before doing so, and you have to be able to prove that the company should be held liable. Of course, hiring an attorney is helpful with these cases, but you should still figure out if you can prove that the manufacturer is liable for your injury. There are a few things you’ll need to be able to prove.

1) That the product had a dangerous defect that injured you.

Proving that a product was defective, either through its design, its manufacturing, or by something that happened to it in the shipping process, can be somewhat difficult. Proving this will depend on what sort of defect you are trying to claim. If something was broken during its manufacturing process and an electrical short injured you, that can be easy to prove. Likewise, if, in the instance of automotive flaws, the brakes are designed in such a way that they fail, it is easy to prove a defective design.

However, if you are trying to sue a manufacturer that produces scissors for a cut you sustained when you slipped and the blade hit your hand, you’re not going to be able to prove a defect—scissors are meant to cut, and the manufacturer will just say that you were using their product incorrectly.

2) That the defect is what caused the injury, even when the product was being used as it was intended.

You will also need to prove that the defect is what caused your injury, and not some outside source. For example, if you get into a car accident due to faulty brakes, you’ll need to prove that it was the brakes that were faulty and not that you had been following another driver too closely. This is the reason you will want to hire a good personal injury lawyer if you’ve been hurt from a defective product. They will be able to walk you through the steps you need to take and show you what you need to do in order to obtain proof. Things like auto inspections in this case will help your case, for example.

3) That the manufacturer was negligent in selling a product that was defective.

Finally, you will need to prove that the manufacturer was negligent. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they knew about the defect and sold it anyways—it could mean that they did not provide an adequate warning about the dangers of using their product and thus you had no way of knowing you’d be injured.

Think of cases like McDonalds’ hot coffee warnings being added to their cups—those warnings had to be added because a woman burned herself so severely after accidentally spilling the coffee on herself that she had to go to the hospital. The company put warning labels on the cups to help ensure that the accident did not happen again. That is why so many products have seemingly absurd warning labels—either an accident has already happened, or they are putting the notice on the product as a precaution.

Insurance Fraud Figures Reflect Need for Changes in Law

Insurance fraud has made many of the headlines in the past few months. Some of us had not realised just how much money was dishonestly claimed through insurance claims and yet we complain about increases in premiums. It seems obvious that the more money is paid out by the companies through fraud then the cost has to come from somewhere so the companies pass it on to us.

In July this year a BBC report was published stating that the Association of British Insurers (ABI) had announced that insurance fraud has actually risen to over £1 billion a year for the first time. This shocking claim comes in the wake of the latest attempt to combat this which was a change in the law regarding personal injury claims.

Earlier this year there was a drastic change in the law concerning personal injury claims. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) was introduced in April 2013 and now represents a big change in aspects of Legal Aid. The new act changes the automatic qualification a claimant had to receive Legal Aid. The government is continuing to discuss plans to cut the Legal Aid bill in England and Wales. They have announced that Legal Aid costs taxpayers about £2 bn each year (criminal defence makes up more than half of that). They state that the situation is unsustainable however it has to be stated that this plan has to be executed carefully or the justice system would be denied to the poorest in society.

Regarding personal injury, the act puts a ban on a solicitor’s ability when handling a case which he previously had to reclaim all costs involved in making a claim directly from the other party. Before this act the claimant was able to receive the full amount of his or her compensation at no personal cost – after this act the client has to pay all of any additional fees out of the amount of compensation claim they have been awarded.

It is good to see that personal injury claims are now being checked investigated when deemed necessary to a fuller extent and some of the bigger fraudulent claims are highlighted in the media to try and discourage others. E.g. In June 2013 the BBC reported on a man jailed for falsely claiming £1 million with a personal injury claim.

Whilst all these new efforts are being made to combat fraud it has to be emphasised that the majority of personal injury claimants may be genuinely in need of adequate compensation. Unfortunately the new act means that someone who is living poorly and has little money anyway may be unable to claim for perhaps a smaller injury, as the cost of their court fees and expenses may be more than the amount of compensation awarded. It is these people who now need to be protected and it has to be said that the importance of getting the correct legal advice right at the beginning, from a specialist personal injury solicitor, is very important for these cases.

Toxic Mold and Your Business Liability

(U.S. Personal Injury Law and generally) Owning a commercial business or managing a property can be hard work, but many individuals gladly accept this burden due to the benefits that come along with it. Unfortunately for these people, the benefits also come with great responsibilities. One issue that business owners, property managers and even landlords are confronting these days is that of toxic mold. This mold may cause serious health issues in those who work in or own a business, and if the problem isn’t handled correctly, serious legal implications could follow.

Legal Implications

While the health effects of toxic mold were traditionally a contentious issue, that didn’t stop over 9,000 U. S. lawsuits from being filed related to the issue when it was first coming to light between the years of 1992 and 2002. Individuals who suffer certain health issues in the presence of toxic mold can easily bring forward a personal injury lawsuit, and this can prove damaging for landlords and commercial professionals.

It can be difficult to prove a direct causal effect between mold and health issues, but even with this being the case, some juries have awarded tens of millions of dollars to both employees, renters and commercial building tenants due to toxic mold. Because of the huge legal and financial implications of this problem, it’s imperative for a person to know how to efficiently handle the issue. Stachybotrys mold (aka black mold) has been found to cause symptoms to manifest from “chronic fatigue or headaches, fever, irritation to various areas including the eyes, mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and throat, as well as other symptoms such as sneezing, rashes, and chronic coughing. The controversy began in the early 1990s after analysis of two infantile deaths and multiple cases in children from the poor areas of Cleveland, Ohio due to pulmonary hemorrhage.”

Cause and Prevention

Of course, the best way to properly handle toxic mold is to prevent it from ever developing on a property. This can be done by keeping a keen eye out for wet spots or condensation on the property and fixing any leaks that develop on a building’s exterior or within its plumbing system. In addition, HVAC systems should be routinely inspected. When building properties, it’s also important to provide proper drainage to prevent any potential water buildup.

Unfortunately, moisture can still make its way into a commercial or other type of structure. If carpets become wet during any disastrous event, such as a flood or burst pipe, it’s imperative to get rid of that carpet to minimize the chances that mold will develop. Unfortunately, all of the preventative measures in the world aren’t guaranteed to stop mold formation, and in these instances, properly ridding the property of the nuisance is imperative.

React Quickly or Pay the Consequences

When mold is discovered within a facility, it’s imperative to pinpoint the cause of the issue. Mold most often develops due to roof leaks, condensation from HVAC systems, improper building maintenance, flooding, leaky pipes and even humid conditions. There are ways to solve each of these problems, including using humidifiers and increased ventilation for temperature issues, but it will also become necessary to hire a mold testing and remediation company. Luckily, these companies are guided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, so they can usually quickly handle the problem and help a property manager avoid litigation. Using industry professionals can minimize the likelihood that black mold will spread, as well as remediating any that has already developed.

Toxic mold has become a hugely litigious area of the law, and this reality isn’t likely to go away anytime soon. Many times a property being sold will be found to have black mold in the structure, which can cause the value to spiral downward. Sometimes a fast cash sale, using a renovator/liquidator such as http://pdxrenovations.com/ can reduce your chances of facing serious legal implications and heavy financial loss.

Facial Injuries: What Compensation is Enough?

Facial injuryBeing injured in a car accident can be painful and devastating.  Victims not only experience physical pain, they are also often faced with financial distress due to substantial medical bills that are coupled with the inability to work.  To make matters even worse, a serious injury may cause the victim to suffer emotional trauma as well.  However, when the accident leaves the victim with permanent injuries to the face, victims often experience an additional level of emotional trauma and have a long road to recovery.

Compensation in Personal Injury Cases

Victims of accidents caused by the negligence of another person are entitled to receive compensation for the losses suffered as a result of the accident.  For example, through a personal injury lawsuit victims can recover compensation to recoup the medical expenses related to the treatment of injuries.  Because injuries often cause victims to miss work, victims may also be able to recover lost wages.  Furthermore, if as a result of such injuries, the victim is unable to earn the same amount of money as prior to the accident, the victim can seek compensation for loss of future earning capacity.  In cases where the trauma suffered in the accident is not only physically trying but also emotionally trying, a court may award the victim significant damages for pain and suffering.

Pain and Suffering

Unlike damages awarded for medical expenses and lost wages, an award for pain and suffering is not an economic award.  Sometimes referred to as “quality-of-life” damages, non-economic awards such as pain and suffering are intended to compensate the victim for injuries and losses that are not easily quantifiable.  Pain and suffering awards are linked to  the emotional trauma a victim experienced because of the accident and injuries such as depression, inconvenience, and mental anguish.  It is also linked to physical trauma such as disfigurement, pain, and extended limitations on physical activities.

Facial Injuries

According to a South Carolina personal injury attorney where there is a permanent, visible manifestation of the suffering experienced by the victim such as facial disfigurement, the emotional trauma is likely to be greater.  Examples of facial disfigurement include scarring, burns, bone damage, or damage to facial attributes such as the eyes, nose, ears, or lips.  Having to live with a facial disfigurement is not only a constant reminder of the accident but it can also affect the victim’s self-esteem and daily life.  Unfortunately in our society people who have a “different” appearance are often stared at, laughed at, pitied, and even passed over for jobs. Even if the disfigurement can be minimized or eliminated with surgery, the process often involves several procedures and an extended period of recovery.

Because of the number of invasive procedures victims with facial disfigurement must endure, coupled with perhaps a lifetime of scarring and self-consciousness, courts often determine that such victims are entitled to pain and suffering damage awards that are greater than victims who experience other types of injuries.  Putting a dollar amount on pain and suffering damages is an inexact science.  The formula used by the court can vary greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and case to case.  In many cases the court will add up the economic damages such as medical expenses and lost wages, and multiply the total by 2, 3, 4 or 5.  Ultimately, a jury can award any amount it sees fit based on the evidence presented.  Whatever the award amount is, the lives of victims with permanent facial injuries will be forever changed.

Many believe that pain and suffering awards are often too high and akin to hitting the lottery.  Do you think that there should be a statutory cap on pain and suffering awards?  Should there be a consistent formula that courts must apply in all cases?

Why Settling Too Quickly on a Claim is such a Bad Idea

Whether you have been injured or simply incurred a lot of vehicle damage during a car accident, it is natural to want to settle your claim as quickly as possible. However, moving forward too fast can actually cause you to lose a lot of money. After all, it is difficult to know the extent of your medical injuries during the first few days, and it is also well-known that insurance companies attempt to provide their clients with the smallest settlement amount possible. Therefore, it is best for anyone who has a claim pending to consult with an attorney before signing on the dotted line.

What will Happen if I Sign too Quickly?

According to a car accident lawyer in Chicago, insurance settlement data indicates that people who choose to move forward without utilizing a lawyer will receive 3.5 times less money. When you consider how expensive your medical and vehicle repair bills could be, you will easily be able to understand why so many people opt to have an attorney on their side. Keep in mind that signing a settlement check will bring your case to a close, and it will be extremely difficult to negotiate for any additional assistance after this point.

Why do People Wait for a Settlement?

Even if you are not planning to increase your odds of receiving a large settlement by hiring a lawyer, you should still wait long enough to ensure that you receive an in-depth analysis of your injuries and their anticipated medical costs. Keep in mind that most it life-altering injuries will not be conclusively diagnosed during the first couple of days, so you do not want to inadvertently waive your right to seek enough money to take care of all of your future related medical needs. Additionally, it is important to consider all of the anticipated wages that you will lose throughout your life if you are never able to work again.

Can I File a Lawsuit after I Receive a Settlement?

You will be required to sign a waiver as a condition of receiving a settlement check. Because of this, you will no longer have the legal right to file a lawsuit against the insurance company or the driver who was at fault. In other words, any additional medical expenses or lost wages that you suffer as a result of the accident will become your financial responsibility.

This is the most compelling reason to delay accepting a settlement offer until you have received enough medical attention to have a firm idea of whether or not you are going to recover quickly. However, the law does not enable you to wait for an extremely long period of time to make a decision. For example, if you are seriously injured in a car accident in Chicago, you will only have two years to file a personal injury case. If you fail to do this, you will lose the ability to take legal action.

In some cases, a car accident can be easily settled if you do not have any major injuries or damages to deal with. In all other situations, it is important to take enough time to ensure that all of your related expenses will be taken care of, whether it is with help of a car accident lawyer in Chicago or Dallas. It is always a good idea to contact a car accident attorney to help you determine whether or not you should take legal action instead of accepting a settlement offer.

 

A Look at the Quest to Quell Child Pornography

One of the most horrific crimes in the world is child pornography. Not only is child pornography sad, inappropriate, and dangerous, but also it’s also incredibly immoral to the poor children featured. In the United States and several other countries, child pornography is also illegal.

Unfortunately, child pornography remains an issue as prevalent as it is heartbreaking. Child pornography continues to exist all around the globe, rampantly in some places. The U.S. is trying hard to quell and eliminate it, a noble endeavor, if one that will take a very long time to complete. Here are some of the things the U.S. is doing to quell this horrific practice.

Harsh Penalties

The penalties for child pornography — for those selling it, purchasing it, or producing it — have always been harsh. Thankfully, the U.S. continues to increase the severity of the punishment. It used to be that only those responsible for producing child pornography were subject to harsh punishment; now, anyone selling, buying, or caught in possession of it are liable to receive large fines and long jail sentences.

This is one of the most effective ways to eliminate the practice: if the penalties are severe enough, many people who otherwise would want to possess child pornography will stop doing so, decreasing demand for it, which in turn reduces its supply. By targeting the last line in child pornography — the consumer — the U.S. is beginning to create a trickle down effect that will eventually have a strong impact on eliminating the practice.

Internet Regulations

A few large internet service providers — such as Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and Time Warner Cable — have removed all known child pornography from their servers, and refuse channels that wish to present child pornography. This is a huge step, but some work still remains. By removing child pornography from their servers, these companies are not actively contributing to the spread of the illicit material. However, pornographic images and videos of children can still be accessed through the service provided by those Internet companies, just not on their severs. The government is increasingly calling on these sorts of large Internet companies to not only remove child pornography from their servers, but to block it from being accessed by their service.

Technological Advancements

Innovative tech company Google has had a profound impact on squashing child pornography. The company has spent $5 million on removing pornographic images and videos of children from the Internet, and has spent an additional $2 million on research to discover more effective ways to locate and eliminate child pornography. Part of that $2 million is also going towards creating more effective ways for Internet users to report child pornography if they find it, and to help those reports lead to meaningful legal action.

Eliminating child pornography in the U.S. is not an easy task, but it absolutely needs to be done. For the sake of children everywhere, we need to find ways to eliminate this horrible practice. Thankfully, we’re moving in the right direction.

Byline

Vince Christiansen is a freelance writer who focuses on law and politics. Those with legal needs should invariably consult with an established practitioner such as those at criminaldefensene.com.

Common Items Used for Bail Bond Collateral

According to a bondsman, most people imagine dollars and cents when they think about bail bonds. However, money is only a part of the broad spectrum of items that can be used as collateral. While liquid cash may be the preferred method of payment for most bail bonds agents, there are plenty of other things that can be used as collateral for the bond. Here is a list of some things, like bail bonds, that you can usually offer up to get out of jail:

Your Home or Property

Your bail bonds agent might like the idea of getting cash for collateral, but if you don’t have enough on hand, a bail bondsman will usually settle for a home that still has value to cover the cost. Of course, if you want to offer property or a home as collateral, you must own the deed to the spot, and have a large amount of equity invested as well.

Due to the recent housing market nosedive, however, bail bond agents have soured on accepting deeds as collateral, as the value of your home may actually be much lower than what is indicated on the deed.

Vehicles

A car, truck, boat, or even snowmobile can also be used as a decent form of collateral for a bail bond. In order to use it, you must forfeit ownership of said vehicle to the bail bond agency until the agreement has reached its conclusion. If you fail to show up for the trial though, expect your vehicle to be sold to the highest bidder to help reclaim the cash that you didn’t have.

Guns and Other Firearms

This is a slightly less common option, but some bail bond agents in certain locations will actually take guns and other firearms as collateral for bail bonds. In order to make this transaction work though, you must have proof that you legally own the firearms, and that the possession of any weapons are legal in the state in which you reside, as well as the state that incarcerated you Necessities in Your Domestic Violence Case.

Jewelry

Because of their high value in the United States, jewelry, gems, and precious metals can usually be used as a fairly convenient collateral for your bail bonds. In fact, your agent may be more willing to take this as collateral than the previously listed options, due to the fact that it is fairly easy to liquidate jewelry or precious metals in a real or virtual marketplace. Make sure to monitor the market value, though — the amount of money your jewelry can cover depends on how much it is worth at the time.

Investments

If you don’t have any cash, non-fiat money will work almost as well. If you have any investments in stocks, bonds, or CDs, you can often offer ownership of those up as collateral for your bond. Of course, the more liquid the investment you own, the more enticing it will be to the bail bond agent, there are many articles which cover this topics, if you are interested in one of them, view the link here.

Get Out of Jail Today

Even if you don’t have any cash on hand, you aren’t necessarily stuck sitting in a cell until your trial starts. If you have been incarcerated, try using one of these items as bail bond collateral to free yourself today.

Byline

This piece was contributed by Phillip Bernstein, a freelance writer who concentrates his writing career on law and politics. Phillip recommends that when you need cheap bail contact an established bail bond service.

Personal Injury in a Construction Zone

Road construction is a nuisance all drivers encounter at some point and time. It is a fact of life. Without it, our road system would plunge into disrepair and make vehicular travel all but impossible. But road construction can be dangerous to drive through. Work zone crash data compiled by the Federal Highway Administration reported over 87,000 crashes in 2010. Most of these crashes didn’t result in fatalities, although 30 percent of them resulted in personal injury.

Unfortunately, even with all of the road construction safety laws designed to protect drivers, some work zones are poorly maintained. Sometimes signs are missing, hidden behind equipment or materials, or incorrect. Situations like this can make an already dangerous situation even more hazardous.

Other hazards in construction zones include construction vehicles suddenly coming into traffic lanes or material falling on vehicles as they pass by. Recently in New York, construction debris from a bridge construction project fell from an overpass onto a passing vehicle below. That vehicle then caused an accident involving four other vehicles.

These sort of construction related accidents occur more often than you might expect. If injured in a traffic crash in a construction zone, an individual needs to have someone collect evidence quickly. Construction zones are constantly changing, so evidence can disappear quickly. Road work may be completed and signs could be moved or taken down.

Therefore, it is imperative to act right away. Without gathering the proper documentation quickly, evidence can be lost forever. And lost with that evidence may be your chances of ever collecting damages from the responsible party. Therefore it is in your best interest to hire an accident attorney to handle the case quickly and efficiently for you. Hiring a lawyer with personal injury experience can ensure you collect the damages you deserve.

 

Would Limits On Alcohol Advertising Curb Binge Drinking in New York?

binge drinkingDid you know that 90 percent of alcohol consumed by people younger than 21 is through binge drinking? Or that students who binge drink are 14 times more likely to drive drunk than non-bingers?

According to the website College Drinking Prevention, the consequences of binge drinking affect virtually all colleges and college students.

One of the most dangerous of those consequences: more than 3 million students get behind the wheel after drinking every year – causing thousands of injuries and deaths in auto accidents in Syracuse and nationally.

Now that school is back in session, the problem of binge drink confronts educators. Colleges are exploring new ways to tackle the problem.

One tactic is to limit or restrict alcohol advertising, especially on billboards, buses and in other public areas. The idea is that young people will be less likely to drink if they are not bombarded with messages that encourage them to do so.

Binge Drinking on New York Campuses

Binge drinking is the most widespread form of excessive alcohol use in the U.S., according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. By definition, it’s a pattern of imbibing alcohol that raises the drinker’s blood alcohol level to 0.08 percent or higher. This generally happens when men drink five or more alcoholic beverages and women have four or more drinks in a span of two hours.

Here are some other facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on underage and binge drinking:

  • Most people who engage in binge drinking are not alcoholics.
  • Binge drinking is a more common problem in households in which people earn $75,000 or more a year.
  • Male students are twice as likely to binge drink then female students.
  • Among adults who drink to excess, nine out of 10 report binge drinking in the past 30 days.
  • Drinking excessively increases the likelihood of unsafe sex, missed classes and school drop-outs.
  • Up to 2,000 college students die from alcohol-related car crashes and other accidents each year.
  • Binge drinking is linked to a range of health issues, including accidental falls, assaults, alcohol poisoning, elevated blood pressure, disease of the liver, nerve damage and suicide.

 

New Strategies to Solve the Problem

Some health experts say the old ways of warning young people of binge drinking dangers are not working. So they are trying new methods to combat the problem.

In addition to controlling alcohol advertising, here are some of those methods:

  • Responsible beverage service programs. These teach businesses and individual who serve alcohol how to avoid sales to minors and intoxicated people.
  • Media campaigns, media advocacy and counter-advertising;
  • Enforcement of laws against buying alcohol for minors;
  • Prohibitions on alcohol use at community events and in public areas (county fairs, parks and beaches, for example) that are popular spots for young people;
  • Controls on hours of sale;
  • Community sponsorship of alcohol-free activities for youth;
  • Keg registration laws;
  • Making businesses that sell alcohol liable for the harm caused by their underage or intoxicated patrons. 

People who are injured in an accident caused by an impaired driver may have a right to sue for financial compensation.

What Do You Think?

Do you believe controlling alcohol advertisements or holding bars liable for serving underage patrons would reduce binge drinking in your community?  Do you have other ideas on curbing campus drinking? Send us your comments.

Luton Airport and subcontractor ordered to pay almost £400,000 after death of pensioner

The company which operates Luton Airport has been heavily fined and ordered to pay substantial costs after a pensioner was killed crossing the road at the airport.

Mrs Mary Whiting, 78, from Norfolk, was returning from holiday on 16 May 2012 when the accident occurred. She was crossing the road between a terminal building and a passenger drop-off zone when she was struck by a milk lorry and crushed under its wheels. It is not currently known whether the family of Mrs Whiting has made a claim for personal injury after the accident.

The Health and Safety Executive subsequently undertook an investigation into the matter after it was informed of the accident. The investigation found:

  • That the crossing (which was designed by C-T Aviation Solutions Limited) was badly positioned and did not conform with the regulations that apply to public roads

The Health and Safety Executive subsequently recommended that both London Luton Airport Operations Limited and C-T Aviation Solutions Limited be prosecuted for breaching UK health and safety regulations.

The matter came to trial over a six-week period between mid-April and late May of this year, with both London Luton Airport Operations Limited and the designer subcontractor pleading not guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

The jury in the case found London Luton Airport Operations Limited guilty of breaching s.3(1) and 21 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 3 of the Management of the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The company was fined a total of £75,000 and ordered to pay £197,595 toward the prosecution’s costs.

Design subcontractor C-T Aviation Solutions Limited was fined £70,000 and ordered to pay £30,000 towards the prosecution’s costs after being found guilty of breaching s.3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 11 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

The HSE stated that London Luton Airport Operations Limited was served with an Improvement Notice after Mrs Whiting’s death, with the Improvement Notice requiring that modifications be made to improve safety for pedestrians and vehicles.

There appears to have been no comment from either company or their criminal defence solicitors.

HSE Inspector Graham Tomkins stated after the sentencing: “This tragic incident could easily have been avoided had London Luton Airport Operations Limited taken the proper steps to ensure the safety of vehicles and their passengers at the airport.”

Chris Hadrill, an employment law solicitor at Redmans, commented after the hearing: “Businesses should be careful that their workplaces comply with the necessary health and safety regulations in the United Kingdom or they could – like the two businesses here – face criminal liability and expensive court cases.

Redmans Solicitors are employment law solicitors based in Richmond, London