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Compensation for Injuries from a Faulty Product or Service: If you are injured due to a faulty product or service in the United Kingdom, then you are given certain rights for injury compensation under the Consumer Protection Act of 1987.

This act provides for injuries compensation if a product such as a car or a tool is found in some way to be unsafe and it injures you. You can also claim compensatory damages under this law if you are taken ill due to food poisoning from contaminate food that you purchased in a shop.

It is also possible to claim damages against a service provider in the U.K. if they injured you while providing their services. A possible example would be a hairdresser who gets chemicals in your eyes.

Unlike personal injury cases in Great Britain, where the claimant must prove some form of negligence on the part of the defendant in order to receive compensation for an injury, it is not necessary to prove that the company behaved in a negligent manner or intended to injure anyone in order to be compensated for injuries. However, it is necessary to prove to the court that the product responsible for the injuring is defective.

In other words, in order for the court to order a company to compensate you, you must have shown that the product was not as safe as the public can reasonably be entitled to expect. But that is not the only requirement to ensure that compensating will occur. You must be able to prove that the product's lack of reasonable safety was the cause of your injury. You may need to find and produce an expert witness in court in order to satisfy these conditions.

It may not be necessary to go to court however, as many cases such as these will settle before reaching that stage. This happens when the company compensates the claimant based on an arrangement that the two parties have agreed upon. However, the claimant should keep in mind that unless they file notice of this agreement with the court, they will not have the power of the court to help enforce the payment of any settlements that they are due.

If the total amount of your personal injury claim is less than £1,000, then you may also select to use the small claims procedure in the local court system. This option is often appealing because it is relatively inexpensive and the claimant is allowed to defend the case alone, without the services of a solicitor. It often takes less time than other court processes as well. But it is important to remember that defending yourself is often a riskier option, especially if you have not done a thorough job of collecting evidence or if the case is highly complex.

If you are not certain on whether or not you should pursue a case, there are a number of free advisory services available from the local Consumer Advice Bureau. Or, there is more information regarding injuries from products and services available from the Community Legal Service Direct's leaflet entitled 'Problems with Goods and Services.'