How to Claim for a Personal Injury

First and foremost this article tells you everything you need to know about how to claim for a personal injury. It is important to note that any claim must be made within three years of the injury date. However, in some cases, such as a car accident, the injury may not become apparent until after the accident. Should this be the case, you have three years from the diagnosis date to file a personal injury claim.

Starting the personal injury claim process

If you are considering making a personal injury claim, the first step in the process is to hire a personal injury solicitor. A solicitor will be able to discuss the specifics of your case, such as how much compensation they think it could yield and the likelihood of the claim being successful. This information will then allow you to make a more informed decision about whether or not to go ahead with your personal injury claim.

Solicitors vary in terms of both expertise and experience. Therefore, when choosing a personal injury solicitor for your case it is recommended that you search for somebody who has experience dealing with a similar case and has also spent considerable amounts of time dealing with court cases should it go that far.
Once you have had this initial meeting with a lawyer, they can then make a claim against the other party on your behalf. See below for the 5 main steps in the injury claim process:

1. Your lawyer makes a claim against the other side
2. The other side chooses to either accept or reject the claim
3. You submit all evidence to the other party's lawyer
4. If the other party agrees, the requested compensation amount is paid and the case is closed.
5. If the other party disagrees or fails to pay then the case goes to court and is settled by an independent person.

When making a claim be sure that you are fully aware of all legal fees that you may have to pay both if you win or lose. Some lawyers operate on a no-win-no-fee basis meaning that if your claim is unsuccessful then you don't have to pay for their services. However, you may be liable for the other side's legal fees so it is worth finding this out before deciding to make a claim. The last thing you want is to be left with a hefty legal bill that you cannot afford to pay.