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QUICK GUIDES
personal injury solicitors -
"how to choose a personal injury solicitor"
compensation
claims - "how much can I expect to get?"
accident
claims - "what types of accidents can I claims for?"
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How
to choose a personal injury solicitor
Choosing
the right personal injury solicitor to act for you is one of the most important
decision you will have to make. If you contact us, we would be able to
discuss your claim with our panel solicitors and recommend a solicitor
who
is suitable for, and experienced in, your particular type of claim. All
of
the solicitors on our panel are carefully selected for their ability to
progress claims to a successful conclusion for their clients.
However, if you are thinking of finding a solicitor yourself, you are
very
welcome to use this guide to find out what you need to do and the
questions
you should ask the solicitors you are considering.
Remember, your choice of solicitor could affect how much compensation
you
get and how quickly you get it.
1.
Firstly, if you already have a solicitor in mind, you will need to
establish
whether he is a personal injury specialist experienced in your type of
accident. The solicitor who handled your house purchase so expertly
might
not necessarily be the best person to deal with your personal injury
claim.
Make sure that you only instruct a solicitor who specialises in personal
injury and who is experienced in your particular type of claim. This is
essential if you are to achieve the right level of compensation -
personal injury claims are often complex in nature and require
specialist skills and experience. Ideally the firm you select should either specialise in
personal injury claims or has a personal injury department comprising of
solicitors specialising in personal injury claims.
2.
Secondly, before you agree to his/her appointment, make sure your
solicitor
states in writing whether you will get to keep 100% of your compensation
award - many solicitors still deduct a percentage of your compensation in respect of
their fees
and/or
disbursements when the case is won. You should note that 'no win no
fee'
usually means just that - if you win, you will have to pay your
solicitor.
To get to keep 100% of your compensation you will need to instruct a
solicitor who provides a "no fee, win or lose service". At
Accident Claims
Direct, all our panel solicitors have agreed to provide a "no fee,
win or
lose" service.
Choose your solicitor carefully if you want to receive all
the
money awarded to you.
3.
Thirdly, find out whether you are required to pay for disbursements (such
as
medical reports) - or has the solicitor made arrangements for the
funding of these.
If
a solicitor says to you that you would have to pay for disbursements but
the
costs are recoverable from the third party insurers, bear in mind that
this
is only possible if your claim is successful - and then only if these costs are
judged to be reasonable.
4.
Finally, asked whether you are protected against costs should your claim be
unsuccessful. This is only possible if the solicitor insures you against
this happening.
Summary
Before instructing a solicitor, you should obtain satisfactory answers
to at least
the following questions:
1 Is the solicitor a personal injury
specialist?
2. How much of your compensation will you get to keep?
3. Would the solicitor be able to fund the disbursements, i.e. medical reports
etc?
4. Are you protected from all costs by an insurance policy should
your
claim be unsuccessful?
And ask for all these to be clearly stated in writing - many
personal injury solicitors
still
take 25% or more of your compensation as a "success fee".
IMPORTANT
Remember that you are entitled to choose your own firm of personal
injury solicitors to act for
you -
even if your insurance company puts you in touch with their recommended
solicitor.
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