A look at how to make an insurance claim and take the burden out of having to look into the nuts and bolts during a traumatic time with a little advice on how to make a successful personal injury claim.
Making a personal injury claim can be a necessity if you are one of the 3million people in the UK each year that is injured in an accident that is not your fault.
What follows is a no frills but essential guide on how to make a personal injury claim, as we know having to research and question how to make a simple claim during a time like this can be another needless hassle.
With the help of a qualified personal injury solicitor you can get the compensation you deserve quickly and easily and without trouble.
The first thing you will have to do is find a solicitor. The best way to do this is to look at the Law Societies website and choose a solicitor in your area who falls under the ‘personal injury ‘bracket. If you have insurance or are a member of a trade union the fees may be covered so give details of this when you get in contact with a personal injury solicitor.
You will also need to prepare for the meeting with the solicitor; this will involve you having to gather a number of details. You will need:
- The date of the accident and details of how it happened.
- Contact details for people that witnessed the accident
- Medical diagnosis and details of treatments
- Trade Union information, if you are a member
You may also need to furnish your solicitor with details of your loss of earnings and documents relating to your insurance policies. These will help cover the cost and support your claim.
Solicitors will look at all these variables and then tell you how likely your claim is to succeed and how much compensation you may get. They will also explain the legal process and will send you a letter telling you they are happy to take on the case and the arrangements of the case.
They will also send you the costs and ask you to show how you will pay for the case, as well as details of any more information you may need.
You will then need to make a claim. This will involve sending a claim letter to the defendant setting out your injury and the compensation you require and giving them a date to reply by. They will then reply and tell you if they accept liability or not and may make an offer
Your solicitor will look at the offer if there is one or will look into the circumstances that occur after you receive this reply. They may ask you to tell them how much compensation you will accept and if you want to make an offer to settle for that amount. This is called a Part 36 offer. If you get an offer like this then your solicitor will advise you.
If you don’t settle out of court your solicitor will advise you on the best form of action and then go to court to challenge the defendant for the compensation you require.
You will be given a time table for the court appearance and your solicitor will prepare you and prepare himself and so make the case less daunting. You will be prepared by him beforehand and he will have done his research and then all you will have to do is await the verdict, which will hopefully be what you want.
Paul D. is a writer who works on behalf of clients such personal injury solicitors Access Legal.
Photo credit: Flickr.com/Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorneys
