May
29
Unsure Whether to Make an Accident Claim?
Filed Under Back and Spine Injury Attorneys | Leave a Comment
Being injured in any sort of accident as the result of another person’s negligence is frustrating and distressing and the consequences can be far reaching. Aside from the physical pain there can be long lasting trauma, hospital visits and inability to attend work. These are some of the reasons for which people choose to make an accident claim after their injury. But the process of doing so is shrouded in secrecy and few people are fully aware of what to do.
The very first step to take must be to ensure that your injuries are properly treated. This is important for your personal recovery but it will also help your accident claim later if you make a doctor aware of your injuries and how they happened.
If your injury takes place at work it is important the health and safety officer is notified and that the accident is logged in the company’s accident book. You should also inform your trade union if you have one because they may be able to offer support and advice on recovery and making an accident claim.
In the weeks after an accident there are many expenses so if you decide to make an accident claim, keep receipts for expenses such as taxis to hospital appointments, medication, care or early private treatment such as physiotherapy because you may be able to claim them back later.
Because evidence to support your claim could be lost or disappear, you should contact an accident claim solicitor as soon as you can once you’ve decided the step is right for you. An example of this is if your injury resulted from a trip on a poorly maintained pavement: one the defect is repaired there is no longer any evidence for your accident claim.
You might see adverts on television for accident claim management companies who offer to handle your claim on a no win no fee basis. Think carefully before contacting such a company because they are not actually lawyers, but rather auction details of claims they have ‘farmed’ to the highest bidding law firms. All of that means that your element of choice in who handles your claim is removed. There is the risk that you may be given a solicitor with only limited experience. Should cost be a concern, remember that there are many law firms which can offer no win no fee services without the middleman. Also, in the case of an accident at work, your trade union can often help with your legal fees.
Mail this post