An injury can cause financial loss for yourself and your family, especially if the injuries or illnesses are severe. If you have been injured through no fault of your own, you may be eligible to receive financial compensation through a personal injury claim including reimbursement for lost wages, medical bills, and travel expenses.
What is a personal injury?
A personal injury, in legal terms, is when an injury is caused to someone’s person, either physically or mentally and usually occurs because of
- road accidents,
- accidents in the workplace,
- exposure to harmful substances
- medical negligence
- assaults
- slips and trips in public places
- faulty goods and dangerous equipment
What steps are involved in making a personal injury claim?
Seek medical treatment
Always seek medical treatment in the first instance for a personal injury claim. You will be required to submit a medical report providing detailed information about your treatments, diagnoses, and prognosis to support your claim and provide evidence concerning injuries sustained.
Have vital information ready
To assist your compensation claim to move quickly you must have all the necessary information prepared as you will need this if the case goes to court. This includes:
- dates and specific details about your accident
- how the accident happened
- where it occurred
- witnesses
- what injuries you have sustained because of the accident
- what kind of treatment you are receiving
- any doctor’s notes you have since the accident.
Regardless of how or where the accident or illness occurred, you need to document details about the situation. You should contact the police to file a report and contact your insurance company as well if the injury is related to a motoring offence. Record the accident information in the accident book if it happened within your workplace. If the accident took place at an event, inform the people in charge of the event or if the personal injury took place at someone else’s property, let the business owners or the homeowners know you have been injured.
If you have photographs of the accident scene and your injuries this will help you establish both negligence and the extent of your injuries. Document what happened, to the best of your recollection.
Consult a solicitor
After seeking medical attention and reporting the accident to the proper authorities it is important to consult with a personal injury solicitor. H McPartland & Sons will ask some questions to find out more about the claim and advise you on the timeline of your case and what the perceived outcome would be. Our team of professionals are your best ally in proving your claim for financial compensation. We will help you organise your records to support your claim.
Response from the defendant
The defendant will either choose to accept or deny liability for your accident after receiving the letter. If they accept, your solicitor will move straight to working on your settlement to ensure you get the money owed to you as quickly as possible. However, in some cases, the defendant does not admit liability and the case may have to go to court.
Time limits
There are different time limits within which you must begin legal action in a personal injury claim. The most common claim in a personal injury case is negligence and the time limit for this is 3 years. This means that court proceedings must be issued within 3 years of you first being aware that you have suffered an injury.
Receiving your compensation
The final stage of the process is receiving your compensation, which should also cover any losses you have incurred because of the accident – medical fees, loss of earnings due to time off work or even vehicle damage if your claim was because of a road traffic accident. We know that after an accident you will naturally be upset, contact one of our experienced team at McPartland & Sons Solicitors to discuss your claim in a professional and friendly manner.
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