Summer road safety advice, fun in the sun, and a special work anniversary 🌞

Summer is in full flow, and we hope you’re enjoying the warm weather and the great outdoors! However, on the roads, this is a time when extra vigilance might just save your life or someone else’s. 

The chance of serious or fatal injuries from road traffic accidents (RTAs) increases at this time of year. The roads are busier, days are longer, and there are more vulnerable road users such as cyclists, e-scooter riders, and pedestrians. In fact, findings from the National Police Chiefs’ Council over a four-year sample period found that the number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads increased by over 20% in July.

Drowsiness behind the wheel is also a major cause of RTAs in summer, with National Highways saying there is a 59% rise in fatigue-related deaths between June and August compared with December to February. Sleep scientists even say tiredness can be more dangerous for drivers than alcohol and drugs. 

So, with all that in mind, we have some advice:

• Stay hydrated and take breaks, especially over long distances
• Take extra care around vulnerable road users
• Prepare and plan for unfamiliar routes to avoid distractions
• And, of course, always wear a seatbelt and don’t drink and drive!

If the worst should happen and you sustain an injury on the roads, Optimal is here with specialist legal advice and dedicated support. 

Legal briefing 

Over £110m paid out for e-bike/e-scooter injuries in last seven years 

The BBC have released the figure which reveals the eye-watering cost of damages paid out to people injured by micromobility vehicles since the first claim was made just seven years ago. Claims against uninsured vehicles like these must be settled through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). As a result, other insured drivers have been effectively forced to pay the price for poor regulation with higher premiums. 

Our director, Chris Germaine, shares his thoughts and concerns on the subject here.

THINK! campaign launches 2026 summer drug driving campaign

The government’s designated road safety campaign is urging motorists not to “Put Drugs in the Driving Seat” this summer. Concerns over the rise in drug driving among young motorists have inspired the theme, as data shows that driver fatalities involving drugs rose by 70% between 2014 and 2023. Around 90% of drivers impaired by drugs in collisions are male, while four in every 10 are aged between 17 and 29. 

While THINK! warns of the personal consequences – such as arrest, a criminal record, and imprisonment – we must stress the increased risk of serious and fatal injury that drug driving poses for other innocent road users, such as drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

The Optimal pulse

• We just love this time of year at Optimal, so we couldn’t help but celebrate by treating the whole team to a summer party! We had delicious pizza from Bear’s Street Food Van, bouncing entertainment from Afro-Samba Drum Circle, and for those who still had the energy, we rounded things off with a meal at The Garden Bar & Restaurant in Eccles. We’re already looking forward to next year’s event!
• Patrycja Kuta sat down with us for a Q&A about her impressive career transition from Admin to Quality Support – all from within Optimal. We’re passionate about supporting internal progression and grateful to work with individuals who strive to develop themselves with new skills and disciplines. Read it here.  
• Off the back of the recent 30+ degree heatwave, we have to give a shout-out to Duke – a Siberian Forest Cat who strutted into the office and showed us all how to keep cool, despite his impressive fur coat. His trick? Sit directly in front of the air con. Genius! Catch him in action here.

• Optimal supported a traditional parish family festival, sponsoring inflatable castles for children! As we bid farewell to the school year and welcomed in the summer holidays for the kids, we all got stuck into sporting, artistic, and culinary activities, and enjoyed the obligatory BBQ! A great local community event that we were proud to support.

Employee of the month

This month we’re delighted to announce not one but two employees of the month 🥁 

Congratulations to Grzegorz Szalas and Ewelina Kaminska! Your colleagues have been beaming with compliments about both of you throughout July. Here’s a roundup of what they’ve been saying…

Grzegorz – He is always ready and willing to help, regardless of what the computer issue is or how many he has to deal with. He is patient, kind, and supportive, and always takes the time to find a solution. His helpful attitude and willingness to go the extra mile are truly appreciated. 

Ewelina – She is always happy to help out, and is excellent with clients on the telephone and when translating for us. Her support in getting a bundle ready in good time for an application meant we could re-prioritise work, and it’s massively appreciated. 

We are so grateful for all that you do and to have you both with us – deserved July employee of the month winners for sure 👏

Now to celebrate the rest of this month’s nominations – yet again, another demonstration of what an amazing team we have as we continue to build a bright future together!

• Jonathan Grundy – Working exceptionally well on a very complex caseload whilst maintaining a really positive attitude.
• Edyta Wilgucka-Skubisz – Edyta is learning admin and doing a great job. She is always great to chat to and never stops smiling too.
• Katarzyna Gryszun – She has been a great colleague and deserves to be recognised for her brilliant attitude.
• Dominika Beza – Dominika is so very helpful, whether she’s responding quickly to interpretation requests or being kind and sensitive with clinical negligence clients who have been through suffering. They appreciate this and so do we!
• Tracie Thomas – Dropped everything to assist with an urgent family matter that was outside of our control. She took the pressure off, got on with it, and diffused the stress from the situation. And she did a great job!
• Natalia Lewnau – She is always happy to help and has mastered the art of multitasking. 
• Rachel Simpson – For organising a fantastic team-building session. And for the dancing!
• Siriporn Germaine – She is always very polite and cheerful, bringing a positive presence and energy to the team.
• Weronika Bojarska – Provides great assistance which we are very grateful for.
• Walter Coupe – For being a great team member and always finding time to help with understanding.
• Wojciech Duda – Always positive, approachable and makes time to talk things through and provides detailed information. He is constantly thinking about the best ways to improve our systems and the business. He also engages with marketing events and represents the firm positively within the community. He’s outcome-focused and really cares about making things better.
• Charlotte Porter – Always working tirelessly to ensure everyone at the company is happy.

Work anniversaries

We may only have one work anniversary this month, but it’s a super significant one, as our Head of Personal Injury marks his first year at Optimal Solicitors!

🎉 Mark Thomason – 1 year

When Mark joined us, he brought with him 15 years’ litigation experience, certified expertise in clinical negligence and serious injury, and a stacked resume of senior leadership roles where he managed large-scale projects, redesigned workflows, and mentored colleagues. He’s delivered all that and more in his relatively short time at Optimal and we’re so grateful for it!

Here’s to another fantastic year with Mark leading our growing personal injury team!

Blog – Financial Settlement After Separation: How We Secured £115,000 And A Pension Sharing Order

Separation and divorce are often emotionally and financially difficult times. But this is made worse when there are no property or major physical assets involved – especially when money is being unfairly withheld from one of the parties. In these circumstances, it takes expert family law solicitors with experience of case law to identify matrimonial financial assets and achieve a fair and reasonable outcome. 

In this financial settlement case, Stephanie Matthews and Clara Burns guided our client every step of the way through a litigation process – ultimately achieving £115,000 from her ex-husband, as well as a pension sharing order. Read the full case study here.

Introducing… Kevin Walker

Kevin Walker is our new Senior Serious & Catastrophic Injury Solicitor in our Multi-Track team, bringing with him over 30 years’ experience in personal injury and a deep-rooted specialism in serious and catastrophic cases. He has held senior operational and leadership positions that equip him with both legal expertise and a passion for client care. This means looking after our clients and their loved ones, supporting them with the compensation they deserve, and providing the rehabilitation and support they need to rebuild their lives. 

Kevin prides himself on building genuine relationships with clients, explaining things in plain English or another language with the help of our fantastic translators, and ensuring his clients feel listened to and supported. As well as fighting hard to secure the best outcomes, he goes above and beyond to take away as much stress and uncertainty as possible. Making a difference to people’s lives and helping them move forward is what drives Kevin in his role. 

Outside of Optimal? You can find Kevin out jogging, working on his garden or home projects, planning a new adventure abroad, or supporting his beloved Sale Sharks rugby team. And not forgetting being ‘Dad’s taxi’ for his 14-year-old daughter, who he loves spending time with!

“Your guidance and commitment gave me confidence during a difficult time”

Working hard to fight for fair and reasonable compensation is important to help our clients move forward with their lives. But during what can be highly emotional and distressing circumstances, it’s our responsibility to ensure that our clients are also supported with kindness, respect, clear communication, and genuine care for their wellbeing. 

Thank you to Svetlozar for such kind and heartfelt feedback on ReviewSolicitors, and a shout-out to Shah Uddin and the team that supported him through his case.

Always in your corner should the worst happen

Making a serious injury claim is not something anyone ever imagines having to do. It’s our role to take away as much stress and uncertainty from this process as possible, while working with determination and dedication to fight for the best outcome. 

So, enjoy yourselves this summer, but stay safe – and remember, Optimal is here for you in your times of need!

To find out more about how we can help, call our team today on 0161 250 7771 or complete our online contact form.