ARE YOU BEING SHORT CHANGED ON YOUR INJURY CLAIM?
Each time we open a newspaper, or watch the television, the words “Credit Crunch” and “Britain is Officially in Recession” appear. In this period of financial uncertainty, it makes sense to protect the money that we have and the money that is owed to us.
If you have had an accident and are injured as a result, and that accident was caused by the fault or omission of some other party, or you have been diagnosed with an illness that may be due to your working environment, then you are probably entitled to some sort of compensation.
You should make a claim but what do you do?
The answer is to seek professional guidance and legal advice from a firm of solicitors. However, how do you decide which one to instruct?
CASH UPFRONT v PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
A number of firms who deal with personal injury claims these days are offering clients money in advance, if they instruct them to deal with their injury claim. You may be persuaded by that. It is understandable if you are, particularly if you are out of pocket after an accident. However, is that a good enough reason, on it’s own, for choosing the person who will be handling something that is so important to you? What about your claim being handled by a qualified lawyer, rather than a claims handler, one with experience, who will treat you well? What about getting a good service and being satisfied with the end result?
If you have a claim, with good prospects of success, you need to be confident that the lawyer dealing with the claim is acting in your best interests and has the time to deal with your claim efficiently and thoroughly.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES
There are alternatives to giving your instructions to a lawyer, you could, for example, give them to a Claims Management Company or your Insurer. However, they will only hand them over to a lawyer that you have never met, and may never meet, who may well not be local. Why would you want to compromise your claim in that way and risk a claims handler being appointed who may be someone that you would not chose yourself? They will only handle your claim on a “No Win, No Fee” basis, the same way that the lawyer you choose yourself can do.
WHAT IF YOU HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT BEFORE?
Sometimes people are put off making a claim because they have had an accident before and they think that their lawyer is going to be cautious of them. This is not the case. If you have had a genuine accident and are injured you are entitled to seek compensation. If you have already had an accident and have appointed a lawyer to represent you in that claim, speak to them about your recent accident as they will be able to advise whether you can begin another claim.
Some people can be embarrassed by having two claims, however it can be quite common and your lawyer will have dealt with this before.
CHOOSING YOUR SOLICITOR
Our advice is to think about what you want from the person representing your legal interests before you choose which one to instruct. You need to be confident that they will be dealing with your claim in a timely and efficient way. Some claims can take long periods of time to complete therefore, choose wisely and opt for someone who will keep you up to date with progress.
It is extremely important to have trust that your lawyer will provide a quality service and act in their professional capacity with your best interests as a priority. That way you will receive what you are entitled to.
For further advice, please contact Kristina Stoddern at Maxwell Hodge Solicitors, 12, Newtown Gardens, Kirkby, L32 8RR, 0151 548 7370.
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