When Should I Hire a Solicitor for my Personal Injury?
The UK personal injury market is a deceptively diverse and complex space and one that comprises different types of accidents.
Currently, it’s road traffic accidents that make up the vast majority of personal injury claims on these shores, whether this involves two cars colliding or instances where a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle.
Often, these accidents are no fault of your own and can have a dramatic impact on your everyday life. But when do you need to call solicitors in Manchester and process a personal injury claim?
What Falls Under the Term ‘Personal Injury’?
A personal injury claim can be pursued in instances where you’ve been hurt in an accident that was the fault of someone else. This process aims to recover compensation from the other party responsible for the injury.
This can cover any type of accident or incident in which you’ve been hurt – at work or in the public square – and includes cases of medical malpractice, auto accident, slips and falls, and even dog bites.
The injury in question should also have caused both physical and financial suffering (often through lost earnings and the inability to work). You’re also required by UK law to make a claim within three years of the injury, while this must have been caused either wholly or in part by somebody else.
What Does a Personal Injury Claim Look Like?
If you’ve been injured and feel as though you may have a claim, your first step should be to speak to a specialist personal injury lawyer or car accident lawyer.
This is crucial if you’re to determine the viability of your claim, and ensure that it meets the core criteria for making a successful claim in court.
As we’ve already touched on, personal injury lawyers will ask you a number of questions during an initial consultation, including the date of the incident to ensure that it’s within the official three year time-frame.
If your injuries didn’t become apparent until a later date, your solicitor will factor this in and calculate the three year period from this point in time. Visit law website for reliable law expertise.
When it comes to payment for services, most lawyers in the personal injury space will operate a no win, no fee policy. This means that you’ll only pay your legal fees if you’re successful in pursuing compensation or an out-of-court settlement, while solicitors typically claim 25% of the total sum awarded.
How Do Solicitors Actually Work?
While gathering information from you and establishing the validity of your claim, your solicitors will need to determine that you have proof of your injuries and their impact on your ability to earn. You can find an expert witness at www.iclcp.com if you’ve suffered a catastrophic injury.
Similarly, they’ll try to gain supportive evidence that the object of the claim was at fault, through documentation such as accident reports (if the injury was incurred at work) or CCTV footage of the incident.
The core objective is then usually to achieve a quick, out-of-court settlement, in order to minimise costs and deliver a positive outcome efficiently. If the claim does go to court, they’ll prepare their evidence and look to secure a settlement that provides value for all parties involved.