Making A Personal Injury Compensation Claim

If you’ve been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault and happened as a result of someone else’s negligence, you have a right to make a claim for compensation.

However, while you’re well within your legal rights and the compensation could aid your recovery, we understand that the thought of making an accident claim can be overwhelming. You may worry that there are no guarantees of a successful outcome and about being bamboozled by legal jargon – but our personal injury solicitors don’t work like this.

Our approach is to make the process clear, straightforward and stress-free for you, working efficiently and effectively to secure the maximum amount of compensation in the minimum amount of time possible.

What Can You Expect When You Contact Us?

A Free, Committed But No-Obligation Service

However you wish to get in touch, the advice we give to you from day one will be free and based on years of specialist legal experience. We will work fast to establish the basic details of your case so we can assess your accident and injuries accurately in terms of likely outcome and compensation levels – and assign you the most appropriate personal injury solicitor to help with your claim.

At no point, though, are you under any obligation to go ahead with a claim, unless you decide you want to.

From Day One

If you wish to proceed, your dedicated specialist solicitor will ask you to begin writing a daily diary as a record of your injuries, symptoms and recovery.

Within a few days, we’ll send you a detailed document with an outline of your accident and injuries which you will be asked to check before signing and returning to us.

Your solicitor will then write a Letter of Claim to the relevant individual or their insurance company, stating your intent to claim for compensation for the injuries caused because of their negligence.

From Week 1

Your solicitor will start to gather evidence to support your case. You may be asked to help with this phase as much of the information could include items like photos of the accident scene and your injuries, witness details, and receipts.
Your solicitor will let you know what he needs and give you the time you need to get this.

Because of both the importance and the potentially large-scale nature of this project, this part of the process can take in the region of 1-3 months before all the evidence is gathered.

From Month 3

At this point, your solicitor will arrange for you to see a medical professional to assess your injuries. This meeting will be at a time and place that’s convenient for you, and you’ll be asked to take your accident diary with you.

Based on this meeting, the medical professional will write a report of your injuries, how extensive they are and how well you’re recovering. The report will also cover whether you have any ongoing or long-term medical problems as a result of the accident.

This report forms a big part of your overall evidence, and helps to determine the level of compensation you will be awarded.
The reason for waiting until this stage is that the medical expert needs to see what your recovery is like. If you’ve suffered a more serious or catastrophic injury and it takes more time for your recovery to begin, then your medical meeting will be delayed until you’re ready.

Don’t worry, though, as the timings are determined by what’s in your best interest – you need to get the compensation that reflects all you’ve been through as well as what the near and far future will likely hold too. And should your case take longer than 6 months to settle, we’d normally be able to secure interim payments for you from the other party’s insurance company.

From Month 6
When your solicitor gets your medical report, a Schedule of Losses will be created. This lists what you’re claiming compensation for, such as pain caused by the accident, treatment costs, transport costs, and lost earnings.
Your solicitor will discuss with you the amount you’re likely to receive, and then send the schedule to the other party’s insurance company together with a request for the claim to be settled for the stated amount.

From Month 8

The majority of compensation claims in the UK are settled between both parties, and it’s unlikely your case will go to court as the costs are high so the insurance companies will try to avoid this option if possible. However, if an agreement can’t be reached then it may be necessary to pursue your claim in court. And if you’ve suffered a serious personal injury, it’s more likely your case will go to court in order to secure the maximum level of compensation for you.

Your solicitor will work hard to reach an agreement and once this has happened, your solicitor will then work hard to have the cheque sent by the insurance company as soon as possible.

Serious Injury Claims

Claims for serious or catastrophic injury compensation often take longer than other personal injury claims because of the seriousness of the injuries and the higher amount of compensation likely to be awarded as a result. Because your solicitor will need to wait until you begin to recover before arranging your meeting with a medical expert, and because there’s a chance of court settlement, it can take longer to settle serious injury claims.

We need to ensure everything is done properly, which can take a bit longer when the injuries caused by the accident are more serious, to ensure you receive the amount of compensation you deserve and are entitled to.

However long it takes, though, your solicitor will provide constant support and guidance – and may be able to secure interim payments for you too.

Do You Want To Make A Claim?

We’re here for you, whenever you feel ready to make a claim or if you simply want to get some free advice and guidance. We will work with you at every step of the claims process, should you decide to go ahead, and will make the experience as easy and straightforward as possible – as we work hard and do everything we can to secure the highest level of compensation for you.