Unsure Whether To Make An Accident Claim?
Obtaining an injury in an accident which was caused by another party’s negligence is frustrating, upsetting and can have wide-reaching consequences. There is the obvious physical pain, but the trauma can be longer lasting, as can the treatment, care and inability to work resulting in financial problems. As a result of these reasons, making an accident claim might be the right step to take after being injured. Unfortunately, many people find the process of making such a claim confusing and aren’t entirely sure of what to do.
The first thing to do before making an accident claim is obviously to have your injuries 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.
Should your injury happen at work then you must inform the company’s health and safety representative of what happened: it will then be recorded in the 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.
Keep receipts for any extra expenses incurred in the time following the accident, such as for taxi trips to hospital appointments, medication or early private treatment because you may be able to claim such costs back in the accident claim.
It is important to contact an accident claim solicitor as early as you can once you’ve made the decision to claim because in some cases the evidence you require could disappear. For example, in cases of injury sustained tripping on defective pavements, your evidence is lost as soon as the problem is repaired.
You may be attracted to claims management companies which advertise on prime time TV offering accident claim services on a no win no fee basis. Do think carefully before using such a company because they are not actually lawyers, rather they collect details of claims and sell them on to the highest bidder amongst many law firms. All of that means that your element of choice in who handles your claim is removed. Potentially you could be given a poor quality solicitor. If cost is an issue, remember that many law firms who you contact directly rather than through an accident claim management company will offer services on a no win no fee basis. Additionally, trade unions often help with legal fees in the event of workplace accident claims.
