Traditionally, the coldest day of the year is St Hilary's Day, January 13th, which could see an influx of personal injury claims associated with cold-related illnesses and injuries. However, with the onset of global warming there may not be so many compensation claims made this year.
Folklore dating back to 1086, 20 years after Duke William of Normandy defeated the Saxon army led by King Harold II in the Battle of Hastings, states that an immense frost spread over the whole of the UK on St Hilary's Day and was said to be the most severe Arctic spell ever experienced in Britain.
The weather forecast for January 13th this year is 12�C, not that cold in the grand scheme of snow blizzards and great winter freezes, and barely cold enough to bother digging your woolly scarf, bobble hat and thermal gloves out for, really.
"Our winters are much milder than in other countries. It rarely gets below minus five. Most winter days, the temperature usually gets above freezing and when it's mild, it can be 13�C", says Patrick Sachon from the Met Office.
However, even during mild winters, at least 20,000 people die in England and Wales as a result of cold weather every year. Figures show that there is actually a 2% increase in death rates for every degree below 19�C.
It is thought that living in countries that reach particularly low temperatures does not necessarily mean that you will be more at risk. Even some of the coldest places in the world, such as Yakutsik in east Siberia, do not have an increase in mortality during the winter despite the fact that temperatures can drop as low as -49�C.
In fact, living in a fairly mild country such as the UK can mean that you become extremely complacent about winter. On my way to work this morning I saw at least two people walking around without coats on and I even saw a man wandering around outside as bold as brass in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt last weekend.
This sort of behaviour leads to the onset of winter colds and bugs which circulate for weeks around each and every office, all as a result of someone forgetting to wrap up in, lets face it, conditions that are well past that of prancing around in summer attire.
In contrast, our cousins in the north of Finland take extra precautions against bitter weather by making sure that they keep their houses warm and they wear suitable outdoor clothing to keep the warm in and the cold out.
Common conditions
Heart attacks and strokes: Blood is more likely to clot and blood pressure more likely to rise in people who have been exposed to the cold, particularly conditions at less than 12 degrees. When cold, the body constricts the blood vessels to prevent blood flowing to the skin and heat being lost. This causes more blood to circulate to central parts of the body and overload the heart and lungs with blood. The body responds by excreting salt and water, making the blood more concentrated and likely to clot.
Respiratory diseases: At 16 degrees we develop less resistance to respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis and respiratory infections such as flu. Flu epidemics, however, have greatly reduced over the last 30 years.
Hypothermia: This occurs when the core body temperature drops drastically and there is a big risk when the air temperature drops to 5 degrees and below. However, very few deaths are caused by hypothermia.
Arthritis: Cold, damp conditions can lead to arthritis and rheumatism.
Psychological personal injury: Keeping warm during the winter has been shown to decrease levels of depression and anxiety suffered. This may be related to Seasonal Affective Disorder which can be treated with light therapy, exposure to very bright light for up to four hours a day.
Who is most at risk?
Those most at risk of developing personal injury or illness during the colder months are the elderly. There are a number of reasons for this including the fact that many live on small pensions and do not have enough money to pay the fuel bills required to heat their homes adequately.
Many pensioners also rely on their free bus passes to get to the shops and back and spend much of their time standing around in the cold at unsheltered bus stops.
From a physiological viewpoint, older people have rougher linings in their blood vessels which make them far more susceptible to clotting and therefore more susceptible to suffering heart attacks, strokes and respiratory problems, such as flu.
"About two days after a cold period we see a rise in the number of deaths from heart attacks; about five days later we see an increase in death from strokes and about 12 days after we see an increase in respiratory deaths, " commented Dr Jo Nurse, a consultant in public health for the Department of Health.
Winter warmers
Patrick Sachon warns, "We could still get a cold snap. People need to realise that cold can kill and they need to keep warm". One way in which people can keep warm, avoid sustaining harm this winter and having to make a personal injury claim is to follow his advice:
Wrap up: always wear an overcoat and a hat to keep the heat in
Wear layers: several thin layers of cotton, wool or fleecy material trap the heat in
Keep active: get up and walk around as often as possible
Heat up daytime: keep your living room heated to 21�C
Heat up night-time: keep your bedroom heated to 18�C
Stock up: keep plenty of cold and flu remedies in the house
Eat well: eat warm hearty meals such as stews and soups and keep to a balanced diet so that you have enough strength to fight illness and personal injury
Drink regularly: keep fluid intake up to stay hydrated, warm drinks will also heat up the body
Quit smoking: within eight hours your blood oxygen levels increase to normal and your chances of suffering a heart attack begin to fall
If money is tight you could be able to get help to heat your home. The Warm Front Scheme is designed to help people that receive income or disability-related benefits pay for heating and insulation improvements in both privately owned and rented homes.
If you apply for the scheme an engineer prearranged by Warm Front will come to your home and complete a technical survey of the work needed for the existing heating system in your property. You could receive a grant for anywhere between �2,700 and �4,000, depending on your needs, the property you live in and the type of central heating system that you have and you won't have to pay anything, as long as the work doesn't cost more than the grant.
For more information about who is eligible for the Warm Front grant Scheme please visit http://www.direct.gov.uk.
Avoiding the need for personal injury claims
While avoiding being vulnerable to cold weather is the best advice we can offer, there are of course people in the UK every year who suffer the harshness of winter. If you sustain a serious personal injury, or a member of your family suffers fatality, as a direct result of exposure to cold weather conditions then you may be eligible to consult the assistance of a personal injury solicitor and make a no win no fee compensation claim.
This article may be published on another website free of charge, on the condition that a link is provided from this article to our website: http://www.the-claim-solicitors.co.uk/personal-injury/personal-injury-solicitors-and-psychiatric-injury.htm
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What Is Power Of Attorney? When And How Would You Use It?
There are times in life when someone may be asked to fill out a power of attorney form. At another time, someone may decide that they need a formal means of allowing someone to act on their behalf. Some people may have heard of a power of attorney, and some may simply be aware of the existence of such a creature but only have a hazy idea of what it does. So, let's define it, see when it could be used, see what types there are, and what the disadvantages and advantages are.
In its simplest form, a Power of Attorney is a formal, legal means of handing over your authority to make certain decisions, and act on your behalf - in your name, to someone else. The types of actions allowable are generally defined to some extent, and allow the holder of the document to make daily decisions in your name, represent you in specific legal situations, or handle business, legal, or financial situations in your name. A completed power of attorney form may set out very specific situations when it may be used, or it may be quite broad in scope, depending on your wishes.
Use of power of attorney generally takes the form of a preemptive strike of sorts. You know that you will not be able to attend to certain matters, for example, so you assign the task of acting in your behalf to someone else. People in the military, for example, are often away from home when important events which take place, so they may run to the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) office and fill out a power of attorney form to enable their spouse to take care of certain events in their name. An executive or business owner may be unable to be physically present at an important business event and can empower another to act on his or her behalf. Others may simply be planning ahead to a time when they might not be able to make certain decisions for themselves. Having completed what is generally a relatively simple form assures them that someone they trust will have the reins and be legally able to act on their behalf.
There are essentially two types of power of attorney - durable and limited.
The durable power of attorney permits another party to act in your name and behalf in almost any form or type of business or transaction. Someone who wants to separate themselves at least semi-permanently from certain activities, such as buying and selling stocks or managing property might choose this option. People who are disabled and cannot travel about conducting their own affairs may designate a trusted individual to have the authority to act in their name. Someone preparing for a day when they may no longer be able to accurately assess and act on matters requiring their thought, decision, and action may prepare one in advance of that time.
The limited power of attorney is a simpler affair. It is used to allow your representative to act on your behalf, but with certain limitations. There are essentially two possible limitations:
* By Task: In this form, the authority granted is specifically stated to be for a certain purpose...to buy a car, or sell a certain piece of property, for example.
* By Time: In this instance, there are specific date limits set. This could be used if you were going to be out of the country for a week or two but wanted to make sure that certain things got taken care of while you were away.
As you can see, having someone available to act on your behalf in times when you may not be available or are incapacitated can be handy indeed. This "attorney-in-fact" can help you keep your affairs managed while you are occupied with other situations or events. All they have to do is produce the power of attorney form you prepared and sign or act as if you were there yourself. The scope of the authority, either by task, time, or both is easily written into the document. In the limited form, the authority granted will automatically expire at a certain time or upon the completion of the task, but, as the person who made it in the first place, you may revoke it at any time.
It is a simple task to complete but legal counsel may be advised in some instances, It is also a common task, and you will be able to find well designed power of attorney forms in office supply stores and online.
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Donovan Baldwin is a Texas writer. He is a University of West Florida alumnus, a member of Mensa, and is retired from the U. S. Army. He offers a selection of do-it-yourself legal forms and software, including power of attorney at http://legal-forms-supermarket.com
