If you’ve suffered a personal injury and are thinking about bringing a claim, it’s important to ensure you choose a personal injury solicitor with experience in dealing with similar claims to yours.
This is because personal injury claims can be complicated, with compensation levels sometimes difficult to calculate accurately. Lack of experience can result in claims being under-settled, leaving the victim with a lower compensation payment than they are entitled to. For this reason, it’s important to instruct an expert to handle your claim.
It can be difficult to know which solicitor to use to deal with your personal injury claim, so we’ve created a brief guide to choosing the best expert for you.
1. Personal recommendations: if any of your friends have ever brought a claim for personal injury, it’s worthwhile finding out who they used, and whether they would recommend them
2. Websites: most solicitors have a website which you can use to research the personal injury team. In addition to looking into the services the firm provides, you should also have a look at the profiles of the individuals, and in particular that senior solicitors are dealing with the cases
3. Shortlist: after you’ve completed your initial research, create a shortlist of a couple of solicitors to arrange to go and meet
4. Initial meeting: at the first meeting you should be given the opportunity to explain what happened to you, and the nature of the injuries you’ve suffered. The solicitor should explain how your claim will be handled and discuss payment for their services
5. Funding your claim: the solicitor should ask whether you have any insurance policies that could pay for your claim, and request that you check all of your existing home, car and life policies in case any of these can provide funding that you may not realise you have access to. They may also discuss a no-win, no-fee agreement
6. Keep notes and take a friend: the advice that you receive at the first meeting may be complicated, so it’s sensible to take a pad of paper and pen to take notes. You may also want to bring a friend or family member along to provide support and ask any questions that you’ve not thought of
7. Follow up: you should receive a letter of advice covering what was discussed at the initial meeting. This should also cover the solicitor’s terms of business, and confirm how the claim will be paid for
You should now be in a position to choose an appropriately experienced solicitor to handle your personal injury claim.
If you, or somebody close to you, has suffered a personal injury, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us on 0845 050 1958, or alternatively you can email us. Our experienced personal injury solicitors can assess your circumstances free of charge and advise you about the next steps to claiming the compensation you deserve.