Jan and Henry Carus + Associates

The Story about this Public Liability Claim

Jan came to our office at the end of 2015, seeking some advice. She had been involved in a public liability accident some 3 years before.

She was walking to a corner of a street to wait for her husband to pick her up to go home. The area she was in was a commercial area with no clearly defined footpaths. So, Jan walked on a grassed area alongside the roadway in her effort to get to the corner.  Along the way, Jan came across a driveway for a take away food business, and as she walked over a solid plastic cover situated above a water drain next to the driveway, the cover gave way and Jan fell into the drain area.

Jan suffered a massive injury to her right ankle. She went off to a large law firm to proceed with a compensation claim against those responsible for the water drain and its cover. The claim went nowhere for 3 years, and she eventually came to us with some questions about her case. We invited her to a meeting, and after explaining what we do at Henry Carus + Associates, Jan decided it was best to have us take over the matter.

We moved quickly to request a copy of her file from her former lawyer. The Defendant initially took a very hostile attitude to the claim, saying through their lawyer that the claim had absolutely no basis whatsoever.

We told Jan that we have to attend at the accident site with her, so she could do a “show & tell” of what the accident happened. Jan was pleasantly surprised; the big law firm never went to the accident site in the 3 years that she was with them.

So we attended at the accident site to make our own assessment of what caused the accident, and how the claim is best submitted.

We then had a face-to-face conference with the Defendant’s lawyer, where we explained to the Defendant’s lawyer why we thought Jan’s claim was likely to succeed. Following the discussion, the Defendant’s lawyer indicated he was keen to see the accident site.

So together with the Defendant’s lawyer and the Defendant themselves, we all went to the accident site. As soon as we got there, it started pouring rain, but we continued to work. We showed the Defendant where the accident happened. The Defendant lifted the cover and we all looked inside and took photographs. We also inspected other nearby drains and their covers. Eventually, we went to an informal settlement conference.

The unluckiest day of my life was the day I had my accident.  The luckiest day of my life was the day I walked in to meet Henry Carus in his Brighton office. I had already engaged the services of one of the “big” firms of personal injury lawyers, but had never felt really comfortable.  I felt that I was a number rather than a person, and we seemed to be getting nowhere. I had read an advertorial Henry had placed in a seniors’ newspaper and I called his office with a few questions about that particular case.  My questions were answered and a few days later Henry called me, inviting me to come in to meet him. I expected to be given a “hard sell” but what I did get was an explanation of why Henry does what he does, how he goes about it, his previous experience in this field, and why he does things differently to other lawyers in personal injury cases. My previous lawyer had told me that my being a senior citizen meant that I shouldn’t expect much compensation.  Henry feels strongly that this is unfair, but he did not apply any pressure on me to switch my case over to him. I was very impressed with this man, so much so that I called back and made a second appointment so that I could take my husband to meet Henry.  We did this and within a half hour decided to ask Henry to take over my case. From the very beginning, things moved so quickly compared with my experience with the previous law firm.  Henry introduced me to another lawyer with his firm, Eliza Tan, and that was such a blessing.  This lady is kind, patient, calming, and extremely efficient.  Nothing seems to be too much trouble. Henry and Eliza met me and my husband at the accident site and then things started progressing.   They dealt with the usual hiccups along the way and always kept me informed of the progress of my case and after 1.5 years with Henry Carus + Associates, I attended an informal settlement conference and the case was finalised. I am so happy with the amount I received.  It happens to be over three times the amount that my previous lawyer told me to expect. I will be eternally grateful to Henry and Eliza for the handling of my case. My financial situation was precarious because of my accident and now this has completely changed. The firm of Henry Carus and Associates comprises a group of lawyers who treat you like you are their most important client.  The entire staff at the city and Brighton offices that I had contact with are a delight to deal with. I can honestly recommend that anyone with a personal injury should without hesitation contact this firm and they will be treated with compassion and professionalism second to none.

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