If you have been injured in an accident and you are thinking about making a claim, it will be beneficial for you to seek legal advice before you proceed.
Where can I get an expert’s opinion on my accident?
The best place to get good legal advice is with a reputable law firm that specialises in personal injuries. Solicitors for injury for will be able to establish your eligibility for financial compensation once and for all, and they will advise you on the best route to compensation.
What advice should I receive?
First and foremost, you need to establish whether you are even eligible for financial compensation. To establish your eligibility, a lawyer will likely ask you two questions:
- When did your accident happen? – Under the Limitation Act 1980, you only have three years to bring your claim forward from the date your accident happened, or from the date your injuries were diagnosed. This is known as your Date of Limitation.
- How did your accident happen? – For the other side to be under any obligation to pay you compensation, they must be liable. This means that you must have a level of diminished liability. In others words, you cannot be 100 per cent responsible.
In addition to this, you need to know how strong your claim is. The only way to establish this is to share the details of your accident with your solicitor. The solicitor you speak with needs to understand the circumstances leading up to, during and after your accident and who the other party is. Only then can they offer an opinion on the strength of your injury claim.
The personal injury claims process
If after receiving an expert’s opinion you would like to proceed with a claim, the process for doing so could not be easier. Many reputable law firms can actually process claims over the telephone now although visiting them in person is also an option.
With regards to your level of input into the claims process, the claims process is designed to minimise your input as much as possible. This is because as a victim of an accident, you are expected to be recovering from your injuries. So the only input you will have will be an initial interview with your solicitor and attending a medical examination. This examination will attempt to establish the nature of your injuries and the extent of your injuries.
How much compensation can I claim?
This depends on the nature of your injuries and the extent of your injuries. The worse your injuries are, then generally speaking the more you can claim. However, the settlement demand you put forward has to be fair and proportionate to your level of pain and suffering.
