Business

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese and former Manchester United footballer, is facing a lawsuit seeking “a sum exceeding” $1 billion over his promotion of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.

A filing in a US district court in Florida claimed that Ronaldo “promoted, assisted in, and/or actively participated in the offer and sale of unregistered securities in co-ordination with Binance.” The plaintiffs claim his endorsement led them to make loss-making investments.

Ronaldo, 38, who plays for the Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr as well as his national team, signed a multi-year agreement last year with Binance to promote non-fungible tokens (NFTs). These are virtual assets that can be bought and sold and can be used to mark ownership of something, such as a picture or video online.

As part of the deal, the footballer and Binance created an NFT collection last November for sale on the company’s platform which he said would reward fans “for all the years of support”.

Called CR7 after the footballer’s initials and shirt number, Ronaldo said: “It was important to me that we created something memorable and unique for my fans as they are such a big part of my success. With Binance, I was able to make something that not only captures the passion of the game but rewards fans for all the years of support.”

Last week, Changpeng Zhao, 46, the co-founder and chief executive of Binance, pleaded guilty to money-laundering charges and will pay a $50 million fine as part of a $4 billion-plus settlement to resolve a lengthy inquiry by American prosecutors.

The exchange will pay $1.81 billion within 15 months and a further $2.51 billion forfeiture as part of the deal with the justice department, prosecutors said. Zhao personally will pay $50 million.

Read more:
Cristiano Ronaldo faces $1bn lawsuit for promoting Binance

Maison Sport, the leading online platform connecting ski enthusiasts with professional instructors, has announced the successful completion of an ambitious £3.1 million investment round, bolstering its position as a trailblazer in the ski tech industry.

The investment will be instrumental in expanding the platform’s lesson offerings, accommodating the surging demand for personalised and professional skiing and snowboarding experiences, revolutionising the way ski instructors and ski schools operate.

One of the key aspects of Maison Sport’s growth strategy is to further collaborate with travel agents, and this investment positions the platform to onboard more agents than ever before. With an expanded pool of instructors and lessons, Maison Sport is well-positioned to meet the increasing demand from travelers seeking unique and tailored winter sports experiences.

Co-Founder and CEO at Maison Sport, Nick Robinson, said: “Our goal is to become the largest seller of snow sports activities worldwide within the next five years and this investment not only validates Maison Sport’s mission to make snow sports accessible to everyone but also empowers us to scale our operations and bring more value to both the instructors and the holidaymakers.

“This investment will not only enhance the overall experience for our users but will also create exciting opportunities for travel agents to partner with us and benefit from our commission and affiliated link programs.”

He continues: “Travel agents partnering with Maison Sport stand to gain commission on every lesson booking through the platform, by using sales agents accounts, via our affiliate program or via a full API integration.”

The funding lands at a time when experiences are becoming more and more of a focal point within people’s holidays with Tripadvisor releasing a preview for its upcoming 2024 study on the Experience of Travel, showing that 67% of travelers surveyed across 7 key markets placed more value on experiences than things.

Maison Sport remains committed to providing seamless and memorable winter sports experiences for enthusiasts worldwide. This investment round marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey and reinforces its position as a leader in the ski and snowboard instruction space.

Previous investment rounds for the global platform revolutionising the ski lesson industry have attracted renowned investors, including of Gareth Williams, Co-Founder of Skyscanner and Kevin Byrne, the visionary Founder and owner of Checkatrade.

Read more:
Maison Sport Secures £3M Investment to Expand European Reach and Onboard More Travel Agents

A new partnership between the University of Liverpool’s VEC (Virtual Engineering Centre), Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and Edge Hill University has launched to support business innovation across the Liverpool City Region (LCR).

The new £5.1m Horizons programme, funded by the Liverpool City Region’s £44m UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocation, will support more than 100 SMEs in its pilot phase. The partnership aims to deliver industry-leading innovations across six boroughs, providing the expertise, facilities, and funding businesses need to drive innovation.

Launched by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotherham, Horizons is the first innovation support programme in the city region funded by the UKSPF and will prioritise supporting businesses providing sustainable practices and technologies.

SMEs accessing the support, via a streamlined paperless process, can also apply for capital grant funding to further accelerate innovation and drive long-term success across communities and businesses, and support the upskilling of their people.

Since 2016, the VEC, led projects that have helped organisations across the Liverpool City Region contribute more than £121 million GVA to the local economy, creating more than 1,400 jobs across multiple businesses.

The Horizons programme, which was developed following consultation with SMEs, and in partnership with the Combined Authority and the city’s Universities, will deliver on Mayor Rotheram’s ambitions to turn the Liverpool City Region into the UK’s next science and innovation superpower.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “SMEs really are the cornerstone of our business community. Together, they account for a massive 99% of all businesses in our region and have a crucial role to play in helping to diversify our economy. Fortunately for us, we’re home to some of the country’s leading universities, who possess the expertise and world-class facilities that can really help our SMEs to unleash their full potential.

“Horizon is the first innovation support programme of its kind that directly connects our region’s SMEs to our world leading institutions. It’s my hope that this partnership will help more entrepreneurs and innovators to achieve their ambitions and, more crucially, help us to catapult our area to the forefront of UK science and innovation.”

Professor Andrew Levers, Executive Director of the Institute of Digital Engineering and Autonomous Systems (IDEAS), reflects on the impact of the project:

“The University of Liverpool has set out a clear and compelling vision for regional impact under our Liverpool 2031 strategy. Horizons will help deliver our vision to drive prosperity in the city region by bringing the benefit of our ground-breaking research to local businesses and helping to ensure that the next generation of world-changing innovation is translated from research to industry by local SMEs.

We are determined to continue playing our part to drive a culture of ambition, inclusive collaboration and responsible innovation that bridges the academic and business communities, enabling us to break new ground and make a positive impact in the communities we serve.”

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Liverpool’s VEC to deliver £5.1m innovation support programme for city region’s SMEs

Lloyds Banking Group is shutting another 45 bank branches across its network amid the ongoing shift away from high street banking.

The group is shutting 22 Halifax branches, 19 Lloyds branches and four in the Bank of Scotland business.

The latest closures now bring the total number of high street branches closed across the sector to 623 so far this year.

It comes just a week after NatWest Group said it plans to close another 19 branches, mostly in the early part of next year.

Lloyds is set to close the bulk of the branches in March and April next year, with some also closing in August and a tranche in November.

It means that at least 276 branches will be shut across Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland this year and next.

The largest number of closures announced this year have been Barclays branches, with the bank saying 185 of its sites are set to shut.

Lloyds is second with 131, followed by NatWest with 116, Halifax with 94, Virgin Money with 40, Bank of Scotland with 32, Ulster Bank with 10, TSB with nine, Royal Bank of Scotland with five, and one Nationwide branch.

All NatWest sites will close in either the latter part of February or early March, the bank said.

Three of the Natwest sites are in London, while others include Redcar, Bradford, Birmingham, Maldon and Dudley.

There has been a massive exodus of branches from the high street in recent years, with 578 closing this year alone.

NatWest said: ‘Most of our customers are shifting to mobile and online banking.’ But it added that it was working to make sure people weren’t ‘left behind’ when branches close.

The one RBS branch that is set to close is on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, though it will stay open until November 19 next year.

The largest number of closures announced this year have been Barclays branches, with 185 of its sites set to shut.

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Lloyds Banking Group shuts another 45 bank branches including 22 Halifax, 19 Lloyds and four Bank of Scotland – taking total closures in 2023 to 623 in blow to Britain’s high street

The government has announced a new draft of guidance to support businesses to upskill their workers and unleash the potential of Artificial Intelligence to help boost productivity by enhancing workplace activity.

The guidance will help employers develop their employees understanding around AI, offering an understanding around key knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable them to use the emerging piece of technology safely and this will include advice on how to use key AI tools such as Large Language Models.

There will be a focus on five specific areas and employers, as well as training providers, will support workers in areas such as how to use AI to evaluate the performance of projects, solving workplace problems as well as general admin, accounting and many other day-to-day roles.

Developed in partnership with the Innovate UK BridgeAI programme and The Alan Turning Institute, the guidance will act as a key tool for businesses to ensure that their employees have the relevant knowledge and skills to harness to power of AI, fuelling the government’s growth agenda.

Suid Adeyanju, CEO of RiverSafe said: “Upskilling the UK workforce to adapt and embrace AI is a welcome step in the right direction. However, nowhere near enough is being done to prepare companies for the rising tide of AI-enabled cyber threats. This technology has the potential to transform the digital economy, but in the wrong hands could also cause serious harm. Getting businesses and workers cyber-ready to prevent this happening should also be a major priority for the government moving forward.”

Andrew Drylie, Investment Manager, Quadri Ventures said: “Widespread AI adoption will have a seismic impact on the way businesses operate, so it’s right for the government to stay ahead of the curve by encouraging upskilling at the earliest opportunity. It is also vital that workers are given the opportunity to learn and develop their skillset in such a game-changing technology so they can reap the benefits by mastering digital skills for the future.

Tom Dunning, CEO and founder of Ad Signal, said: “The race to embrace AI brings with it huge opportunities but also major challenges. Upskilling workforces should form part of a much wider digital strategy to ensure AI is used ethically, responsibly and with consideration for its environmental impact.

It’s already clear that the huge rise in AI use requires an action plan to reduce its carbon impact. However, many companies in key areas like the entertainment industry have little or no roadmap in place. It’s vital that the government recognises this threat early on, so the UK can develop a clear blueprint to reap the benefits of this technology, responsibly.”

Minister for AI Viscount Camrose, said: “Making sure workers up and down the country have the skills they need for their jobs with and in AI is a key part of our strategy in making the UK an AI powerhouse and ensuring the skills of our workforce keep pace with this rapidly developing technology.”

“This guidance will be vital in helping us realise that ambition, continuing an important conversation with businesses across the UK to make sure the steps they can take are practical, functional, and successful.”

The news follows the Chancellor welcoming Microsoft’s £2.5 billion investment into UK AI over the next three years.

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AI Minister unveils guidance to upskill UK workers

Wilko could be making a comeback as a retail boss has revealed plans to reopen nearly 300 branches of the high street chain across the UK – with three set to reopen before Christmas.

Billionaire founder of The Range Chris Dawson is reportedly working on deals which are ‘with the lawyers’ to get 50 shops reopened and he plans to expand further.

Wilko branding and intellectual property was acquired by CDS Superstores (which trades as The Range) for a reported £5million after it went bust in August this year – forcing the closure of more than 400 stores and leaving thousands out of a job.

The first three Wilko stores will open in early December in Plymouth and Exeter, both in Devon, and Luton, Bedfordshire the retail firm revealed.

Visiting the Plymouth branch last week ahead of its December 1 opening date, chief executive Alex Simpkin told PlymouthLive there were ‘about 50 Wilkos opening’ as well as the three with scheduled dates.

He said those were ‘with the lawyers’ before adding that 300 stores will eventually be opened ‘more or less where there were, in most cases, ex-Wilko stores’.

Where will the new Wilko shops open and when?

Plymouth, Devon

Armada Centre
Opening date: December 1

Exeter, Devon

Guildhall Shopping Centre
Opening date: December 1

Luton, Bedfordshire

Arndale Centre
Opening date: December 8

Mr Simpkin added that he does not know how long it will take.

Poundland owners Pepco agreed to buy 71 Wilko sites, with 64 former stores pledged to reopen under the Poundland name by the end of the year. B&M also had the opportunity to buy as many as 51 ex-Wilko stores.

This comes after he ex-Wilko boss Lisa Wilkinson yesterday denied her greed bankrupted the much-loved chain, as she told MPs it ‘ran out of cash’ before it could be salvaged.

Ms Wilkinson, the granddaughter of the firm’s founder JK Wilkinson, said she was ‘devastated’ by the demise of the business as she was quizzed by a House of Commons committee.

She offered an apology to the 12,000 people who lost their jobs as part of the collapse of the 93-year-old chain, which also left a £50million shortfall in its pension fund.

‘I don’t know how to put into words how sad I am that we have let down all our team members, all our customers, our suppliers, and our advisers,’ Ms Wilkinson told MPs.

Her grilling by the Commons’ Business and Trade Committee followed severe criticism of Wilko bosses for shelling out £77million to its owners and former shareholders in the decade before its collapse.

The Wilkinson family are reported to have received £9million in dividends since 2019.

She partly blamed the ‘mini-Budget’ of ex-prime minister Liz Truss in September last year, which was accompanied by financial markets meltdown, for Wilko’s collapse.

Ms Wilkinson said the company was in the middle of negotiating a new loan arrangement when interest rates began to soar.

‘We were about to enter into secured lending arrangements with Macquarie when the 2022 mini-Budget happened,’ she said.

‘Literally we were in the midst of that, and at that point the interest terms on that loan were hiked massively and that became infeasible. So, that was a contributor.’

Read more:
Retail boss reveals plans to re-open 50 Wilko branches of the high street chain – including three before Christmas

Media presenter Kaye Adams of Atholl House Productions Limited has won her IR35 case after nine years and four tax tribunal hearings.

Judge Tony Beare delivered his decision on 29 November 2023, again upholding Ms Adams’s appeal. None of the four hearings ruled that HMRC was right to claim that Ms Adams was a “deemed employee” at the BBC during the tax years 2013/14 to 2016/17.

The case concerned a headline tax figure of £124,000, which would have likely been reduced to around £70,000 once taxes already paid by Atholl House and Ms Adams were taken into consideration. The extra taxes were primarily due to employment taxes, typically paid by hirers in employment circumstances but payable by the worker under the original IR35 rules, an unfair anomaly rectified under the newer Off-payroll working legislation.

The latest tribunal concluded that the factors pointing towards employment were outweighed by the factors pointing in the direction of a self-employment relationship and reflected that the BBC did not treat Ms Adams as an employee in any way.

Much was made at the tribunal about time commitments, which the tribunal considered, and commented that whilst the degree of commitment pointed towards employment, there was still a meaningful amount of working time available for her other engagements. The comment aligned with HMRC’s counsel during the hearing when Tolley KC stated: “As I say, I do not want you to get the wrong impression and that there is any magic in percentages in terms of income or time. There is no hard and fast rule about where the line ought to be drawn.”

Whilst the tribunal considered the rights of control over Ms Adams were significant, that was still outweighed by all the other factors.

Dave Chaplin, CEO of IR35 tax advisory firm IR35 Shield, who has been supporting Ms Adams with her case since January 2019 and has assisted at all four hearings, said: “Kaye Adams is not a tax avoider; she is a victim of HMRC’s intransigence and has been used as a pawn in HMRC’s policy game to try and force media freelancers onto payroll. Regrettably, she has had to pay for HMRC’s expensive strategy that was never really about her. The media sector should thank her for staying the course and not buckling under the immense pressure she endured from HMRC’s litigators.

“Questions should also be raised as to why HMRC spent an estimated £250,000 to chase £70,000. It doesn’t make sense. HMRC has relentlessly pursued Ms Adams, using the taxpayers’ purse. In my view, it was never in doubt that Ms Adams was in business on her own account and not a BBC employee. Multiple judges across multiple hearings have told HMRC that, and HMRC should now leave her alone and reflect on why they got it so repeatedly wrong.

“After HMRC’s failures on their main grounds at the Court of Appeal, HMRC appeared desperate to win the case. No one fields three barristers at a first-tier hearing to win a £70,000 case. The attempts to adjourn the hearing spoke volumes, and the sheer pettiness of HMRC’s argument over the transcripts was startling. As for HMRC trying to use her father’s hospitalisation to argue her available working time was reduced, readers can form their own views.

“HMRC has 56 days to appeal, but after four hearings, I suggest it is time to concede and stop wasting taxpayers’ money. The only next step HMRC needs to take is to apologise profusely for wrongly pursuing an innocent freelancer.”

On 21 February 2022, HMRC told Parliament: “If we were to lose that case [Atholl House] – I do think it has some wider implications in terms of, especially, those who are portfolio earners.” There are four other IR35 cases that HMRC lost at the First-tier tax tribunal, which are lined up to be heard at the Upper-tier, which involve portfolio workers.

Chaplin suggests: “HMRC may need to reflect on the Atholl House outcome, and re-run the necessary checks and balances in their Litigation and Settlement Strategy, to establish whether the cases still warrant further spending from the taxpayers’ purse.”

In a statement released exclusively to ContractorCalculator, Kaye Adams said: “I am delighted that the First Tier Tribunal has confirmed my self-employed status for the third time, but there is no jubilation for me in this result. Over the nine years of this investigation, the mental stress has been close to unbearable at times, and the legal costs I have incurred far outweigh the tax at stake.

“I accept that HMRC has a duty to ensure that everyone pays the correct tax, and I wholeheartedly support it in that endeavour. To that end, I have fully cooperated with this inquiry for nearly a decade. However, this is the third court which has concluded that I am a self-employed individual, and HMRC has not once proven otherwise.”

“I was 51 when this all began, and now, at the age of 60, I would really like to be released from my financial limbo and be able to plan for my future. Having scored a hat-trick of wins, I would politely request that HMRC accepts the emphatic judgment of our courts and desists from appealing yet again.

“There are hundreds of thousands of self-employed freelancers like me in the country. If IR35 is deemed too problematic to apply, it is surely time for HMRC to work with our legislators to address the flaws rather than picking off decent, hard-working, law-abiding people one by one in the hope that others will buckle under the pressure.”

,, have responded to the breaking news that broadcaster Kaye Adams has won her 9-year IR35 battle at the first-tier tax tribunal, in an IR35 case carrying a reported £140,000 liability and one which cost the taxpayer thousands.

Commenting on the news, IR35 specialist Qdos CEO, Seb Maley, said: “If there’s a case that demonstrates the complexity of IR35, the potential cost of getting things wrong and HMRC’s clumsy approach to ensuring compliance, it’s the Kaye Adams case.

“Time and time again, HMRC contested that Kaye Adams belonged inside IR35. It begs the question – just how much of taxpayers’ money did HMRC waste on chasing a lost cause?

“It’s not the first time HMRC has relentlessly and wrongly pursued a high-profile individual for significant sums. Sadly, I don’t think it’s going to be the last either.

“If there’s anything positive to take from this needlessly protracted IR35 saga, it’s that contractors can indeed be compliantly engaged outside IR35.”

Read more:
Presenter Kaye Adams wins IR35 case against HMRC after 9-year ordeal

Thousands more families are renting smaller homes than they were three years ago.

Renters aged over 30 are more likely to move to cheaper areas as the cost of renting has soared and availability squeezed, Dataloft figures also show.

The consultancy said trade-offs were needed so people could stay in budget.

The National Housing Federation suggested more older people faced insecure, expensive tenancies.

The body, which represents housing associations, said older people’s health and wellbeing were suffering, and called for an increase in social housing.

Downsizing trend

Rents have been rising at a rapid rate, increasing at more than 10% in a year for new tenancies in some areas. Demand is high and the number of available homes has dropped as some landlords sell up.

As well as young, single people finding it hard to start out, families and older tenants have been affected.

Dataloft estimates suggest almost half of new tenancies taken on by families earning £30,000 to £70,000 in the first six months of this year were for one or two-bed homes.

In the first half of 2020, during the period covered by the first national lockdown, 57% of new tenancies signed by families on £30,000 to £70,000 a year were for homes with at least three bedrooms, according to Dataloft.

In the same period of 2023, that figure had fallen to less than 51%. That means thousands more families a year taking on smaller properties than in 2020.

Sandra Jones, managing director of Dataloft, said: “We believe these reductions in renters’ standard of living to be the direct result of the severe supply constraint that has driven up rents.

“When affordability is stretched, as it is for so many today, people make trade-offs in order to stay within a budget.”

The data also showed renters over 30 years old were more likely to move to a cheaper area than a higher value one when they changed home.

About a fifth of people aged 30 to 39 would move to a higher priced area while more than a quarter would move somewhere cheaper. Among the under 30s, it was the other way around with just under a third moving to a higher rent location in the previous 12 months.

Property portal Zoopla said a lack of availability of private rented homes was adding to the trend of families taking on smaller properties.

Executive director Richard Donnell said the slower buying and selling market meant greater demand in lettings, so people “can only find or rent what is available”.

According to the 2021 census, four in 10 people who rent through a private landlord or agency are in two-bedroom homes.

The National Housing Federation (NHF) said the number of people aged over 55 who were renting privately in England had soared.

Its survey of about 2,000 of these older tenants suggested that 42% of those asked regularly struggled to cover their basic living costs such as buying food and clothes or heating their homes.

The NHF has warned of a “huge spike” in the number of people entering their pension years who were living in private rental homes they could not afford. An extensive building programme of social homes was required, it said.

Greg Tsuman, president of ARLA Propertymark which represents letting agents, said landlords needed more incentives to stay in the sector and raise the number of private rental properties, such as changing the tax system.

“Fundamentally, the problem is that landlords are exiting the market when demand for rental properties continues to rise. Landlords are making a loss when rents are rising, and we need to address the root causes if we’re to solve this,” he said.

A spokesman for the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities said the Renters Reform Bill which is going through Parliament would deliver “a fairer, more secure, and higher quality private rented sector”.

He said ministers were committed to “increasing the supply of social rented homes”.

In the Autumn Statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt ended the freeze on the Local Housing Allowance, which has been in place since 2020. It determines how much help people who rent privately get towards the cost through housing benefit or universal credit. It will now be worth 30% of local market rents.

Angela Rayner, Labour deputy leader, said they had a housing recovery plan to “jump-start housebuilding” and “make renting fairer and more secure”.

Read more:
Rising rental costs and lack of choice forcing families to smaller homes

Amazon has become the latest tech giant to announce a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

It said that the bot, called Q, would help businesses to do things like summarise long documents or group chats and would increase productivity.

It comes a year after OpenAI’s bot ChatGPT shook the market, sparking a rush among tech firms to adopt them.

Amazon also said it would protect companies from copyright issues arising from the use of its bot.

It follows high-profile lawsuits brought against ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, over claims that firms’ copyright was infringed to train the system.

Amazon will hope that Q, which will gradually be rolled out across it main business applications, will entice more companies to use its cloud computing services.

The bot can also answer customer queries, generate charts, analyse data and help businesses with their coding needs.

The race between tech giants to innovate in AI has been heating up, with Microsoft considered to be leading the field after its big investment in ChatGPT.

In September, Amazon said it would invest “up to $4bn [£3.2bn]” in Anthropic, an AI firm set up by ex-OpenAI staff members. It also owns Mechanical Turk, a service which crowdsources training of AI models.

Copyright fears

As it launches Q, the company promised to protect businesses from copyright claims, such as the lawsuit brought by comedian Sarah Silverman against OpenAI and Facebook-owner Meta in July.

Ms Silverman, along with two other authors, claimed their books had been “ingested and used to train ChatGPT”, and that Meta’s Llama AI system was also using their work.

In November, a judge in the US dismissed much of Silverman’s lawsuit.

However, other authors including Margaret Atwood and Philip Pullman have also called on AI companies to compensate them for using their work.

Read more:
Amazon latest tech giant to announce AI chatbot

Anyone can have an accident at anytime, anyplace. Whether it’s a car crash, slip and fall, or a workplace accident, injuries can disrupt lives and lead to physical, emotional, and financial hardships.

When such accidents occur in Phoenix, Arizona, the journey from injury to justice often requires the expertise of personal injury lawyers. These legal professionals play a crucial role in helping victims seek compensation and find closure, ensuring that their rights are protected throughout the process.

The Initial Shock And Confusion

When an accident happens, the initial shock and confusion can make it difficult for victims to know what to do next. Medical bills may be piling up, insurance companies may be pressuring them to settle quickly, and they may be facing lost wages due to their injuries. In such moments, personal injury lawyers in Phoenix become invaluable allies.

Personal injury attorneys are well-versed in the legal complexities surrounding accident cases. They can provide guidance on immediate steps to take, such as seeking medical attention, documenting the scene, and collecting evidence. Their expertise allows victims to focus on their recovery while the legal team handles the intricate details of their case.

Investigating The Incident

One of the key roles of personal injury lawyers in Phoenix is to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. This entails obtaining information, speaking with witnesses, and, if needed, seeking the advice of experts. These efforts are aimed at establishing liability and building a strong case on behalf of the injured party.

For instance, in a car accident case, the attorney may obtain accident reports, review traffic camera footage, and consult accident reconstruction specialists to determine the exact cause of the crash. In a slip-and-fall case, they may examine maintenance records and surveillance footage to establish negligence on the part of the property owner. These investigations are critical in determining liability and assessing the extent of the victim’s damages. In Phoenix, accident victims can rely on the expertise of personal injury lawyers, such as those at Stone Rose Law, to guide them from injury to justice with skill and dedication.

Calculating Damages

In personal injury cases, damages can encompass a wide range of losses, including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage. Accurately calculating these damages requires a deep understanding of both the legal and financial aspects of a case.

Personal injury lawyers in Phoenix work closely with medical professionals, economists, and other experts to determine the full extent of their client’s losses. They ensure that no detail is overlooked, ensuring that the victim is compensated for all present and future damages resulting from the accident.

Negotiating With Insurance Companies

One of the hardest things about handling an insurance claim in a personal injury lawsuit is dealing with the insurance company. Insurance adjusters often try to minimize payouts and may employ tactics to settle quickly and for less than what the victim deserves. Personal injury lawyers in Phoenix act as strong advocates for their clients in these negotiations.

They are adept negotiators and are aware of the strategies employed by insurance firms. They work tirelessly to secure a fair settlement that covers all of the victim’s losses. If a fair settlement cannot be reached through negotiations, the attorney is prepared to take the case to court.

Litigation And Court Representation

While agreements are often used to resolve personal injury situations, litigation is sometimes necessary. When negotiations fail to yield a satisfactory outcome, personal injury lawyers in Phoenix are prepared to take the case to court. They file the necessary legal documents, represent their clients in court proceedings, and present a compelling case to a judge and jury.

Litigation can be a complex and time-consuming process, but it is often necessary to ensure that victims receive the compensation they deserve. Personal injury attorneys have the legal expertise and courtroom experience needed to navigate this process effectively.

Achieving Justice And Closure

Ultimately, the role of personal injury lawyers in Phoenix is to help victims achieve justice and find closure after an accident. Justice is not just about financial compensation; it’s about holding responsible parties accountable for their actions and preventing similar accidents from happening in the future.

Personal injury lawyers are committed to advocating for their client’s rights and fighting for a fair outcome. They provide the support and guidance needed to help victims move forward with their lives after an accident. Whether through negotiation or litigation, they work tirelessly to ensure that their clients receive the compensation they deserve.

Conclusion

From the initial shock of an accident to the pursuit of justice, personal injury lawyers in Phoenix play a vital role in the lives of accident victims. They provide the expertise, guidance, and advocacy needed to navigate the complex legal system and secure fair compensation for their clients. When injuries occur, these dedicated professionals are there to help victims move from injury to justice, ensuring that their rights are protected, and their voices are heard.

Read more:
From Injury To Justice: The Role Of Personal Injury Lawyers In Phoenix