Personal Injury Solicitors - Claiming Compensation for Injury
There are many situations where you may be able to claim compensation if you are injured and it is somebody else’s fault; this claim is often referred to as a “personal injury claim”. Personal injury solicitors (otherwise known as accident solicitors) will often give you a first consultation free of charge and can usually tell you at an early stage whether you have a reasonable chance of success.
The solicitor will ask you for evidence of
- How the injury happened
- Why somebody else is responsible for the injury
- Witnesses
- Financial detriment suffered, such as lost earnings or damage to property
Personal Injury Claim Process
Once the solicitor has a clear understanding of your personal injury claim he or she will usually be able to give a view of your chances of success and how much compensation you might receive. The personal injury solicitor will then write to the defendant explaining what happened and inviting them to accept liability. If they accept liability the matter will usually be settled out of court. If not, court proceedings will be necessary.
The personal injury solicitor will arrange for you to be examined by a medical expert to assess the extent of the injury you have suffered and to give a professional opinion of how the injury will affect you in the future. Your solicitor and the defendant’s solicitor will then negotiate over how much compensation you should get. If agreement cannot be reached you may have to go to court to determine how much compensation you should get.
The personal injury claims process is slightly different in Scotland so it makes sense to contact a Scottish solicitor if you suffered the injury while in Scotland.
Solicitor’s Fees & No Win No Fee Solicitors
Solicitors charge different rates depending on the complexity of the matter and the experience of the person assigned to your personal injury claim so shop around to get the best deal. There is no legal aid/public funding for personal injury claims but many solicitors offer no-win, no-fee arrangements and often referred to as “no win no fee” solicitors. You will probably have to pay expenses for things like experts reports out of your own pocket. If you win a personal injury case the loser normally pays most of your legal costs.
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