After an accident, seeking legal redress often seems a necessary evil. Makin a personal injury claim is the natural step but the myriad of legal complications can often seem like a herculean task if you’re still trying to recover from the accident in question. There are ways to make the whole process as smooth as possible and ensure that getting reimbursed for the physical or psychological harm suffered is not as time consuming and costly as it seems.
If you have sustained injury or damages through the fault of another person or business, then that business or individual will likely be considered legally responsible to pay you compensation and so the first step is to find a solicitor as soon as you are certain you have a strong claim. Find an individual or firm that specialises in personal injury. Your legal representative should be able to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of your case, know how much money you stand to win, have a clear-cut strategy for the case, have proven knowledge about the field and be up-to-date with current trends.
If anything, this first choice is extremely important as personal injury accident claims means you will be going up against insurance companies who have vast resources and hire the best legal representation. To present your case well, you will need very strong documentation of the other party's negligence and evidence showing the seriousness of your injuries. A high-quality lawyer will make sure that you are presenting your case in the most effective manner.
Most personal injury claims are consistent with no win no fee schemes. This means the solicitor will only request payment from you if the case is settled with a satisfactory financial outcome for the client. It is not without some kind of cost to you, however. Sometimes, even if the other party admits they are liable, you may still be charged expenses for medical reports of other legal assistance.
Your solicitor also needs to be aware of all the details involving the incident leading up to the claim being made, in order to assess injuries obtained as well as things like whether your mobility, income or career has been effected, so they can provide the other party with this information and then determine if they are liable.
The concern of most clients will be the amount of compensation they might or might not get in the end. Not only is the level of compensation judged by the physical effects of the injury, but also by the effect it has on the individual’s life.
In England, the compensation for the different types of injuries is mainly tariff based, as compared to Scotland where sheriffs and judges are allowed to be far more accommodating, although this is still dependant on the severity of the injury.
The present day compensation for say, a whiplash injury for which symptoms have lasted around six weeks generally results in £1,500 to £2,000 reimbursement.