When you’ve been in an accident that wasn’t your fault, your first thoughts are often about how you can minimise the disruption and inconvenience in your life which this unfortunate event has caused. Before you even seek out advice yourself, friends and family can offer lots of unsolicited yet well-meaning tips and suggestions about what you should do next, but when things are this serious you need the advice of a professional who knows this part of the law inside and out. So, if you’ve recently had an accident, what should you know before making a claim?
You should know all the specific details and share them with your solicitor
Before you make a claim for compensation following any kind of accident – a car accident, an accident at work, or a trip slip or fall, you need to have as much information to hand as possible about your particular incident. This includes any/all of the following:
- Dates, times and locations of the accident
- Contact information for yourself and the other party
- Copies of insurance documentation
- Details of medical history, and treatments received following the accident along with any prescribed medications and costs incurred
- Doctor reports
- Incident reports
- Relevant photographs
If in doubt, mention it anyway and your solicitor will tell you if it’s relevant or not.
You won’t always have to go to court
Some people worry that they will always have to go court to settle a claim, which can be very off-putting as this is an additional amount of stress and anxiety on top of what was already an upsetting incident. The good news however is that the number of cases like this which are required to go to court are very low, and most times the case is settled successfully out of court. Our team of solicitors are equally experienced at arguing your case in and out of the court room, so you can rest assured that we’ll do all we can to reach a successful outcome on your behalf whether your case goes to court or not.
How can you afford the cost of making a claim?
If you are worried about the cost of making a claim, contact us to discuss your personal circumstances. We can offer Legal Aid if your case goes to court, and you may be entitled to Legal Aid in certain circumstances too which will relieve some of the financial pressure. People who receive specific benefits such as income support and those on a low income may also qualify for Legal Aid – why not talk to us today and see if you qualify?
The amount you may be entitled to will vary
Before you go ahead with making a claim following an accident, you need to remember that the final amount you will be entitled to will vary depending on your individual circumstances. Just because someone you know or read about in the news received a certain amount for a similar accident to yours doesn’t mean you’ll get the same. We can however provide a guide once we have had a chance to review your case, so if you’d like to get started call our office to make an appointment with a member of the team.