Following an accident, it is important that you seek legal advice from an experienced solicitor. The wrong advice at this stage could affect the strength of your claim in the future, or it could lead to you missing out at your chance to make a claim altogether.
Where to find the best legal advice? :If you want to get immediate legal advice that is free, then you should consider calling an accident advice helpline operated by a reputable law firm. Claims helplines are operated with no obligation and by calling, you will get to speak with an experienced claims advisor who can help you to become better informed about your legal rights. And should you choose to make a claim after speaking with a claims advisor, you can, because the law firm will have their own in-house online compensation solicitors.
Claim eligibility :If you have been injured in an accident, first and foremost you should ascertain your eligibility for making a claim.
Date of Limitation : In the United Kingdom, there is a strict three-year time limit to which one must bring their personal injury claim forward. The three years starts from either the date the accident happened, or from the date the victim’s injuries first became clear. This is called the Date of Limitation or the Date of Knowledge. The three-year limit applies to most personal injuries.
Level of Liability : To have a legitimate personal injury claim, you must have a level of diminished liability, meaning you cannot be 100 per cent at fault for the accident. It is possible to make a claim if you were partly responsible. However, the lesser your level of liability is, then the stronger your claim will be and the more compensation you can demand from the other side.
How claims are processed :Personal injury claims are almost always processed through a conditional fee agreement, otherwise known as ‘no win, no fee’ agreements. Such agreement stipulate that you should have no legal fees to pay upfront nor during the claims process. Instead, your lawyer is paid only if the case wins. This can be achieved in one of two ways – 1) By recovering legal costs from the other side, or 2) By taking a percentage of the compensation awarded to the client.
Timeframes :Some claims can be processed in as little as 6-8 weeks with a reputable law firm, however in reality many claims take several months. This is normal, because an investigative process must be followed and accessing medical records and evidence takes time. If you need your compensation quickly, rest assured that your lawyer will do all they can to speed up the claims process, so that you get your pay-out quickly and can resume your everyday life.
