Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?
We are a claims management company and receive payment from our partnered law firms. If your free claim assessment is successful, you will be connected to a specialist law firm.
Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?
A personal injury lawyer (or personal accident lawyer/injury attorney) is a legal professional who helps claim compensation for those who have been injured at the negligence of another party. They may have suffered physical or psychological damage. The negligence may have been on the part of another person, organisation, government agency, or other entity.
However, a personal injury attorney is far more than simply a name on a letter. When you hire a personal injury lawyer, you also hire a legal team who will fight your corner with their expertise in personal injury law.
Your team knows exactly what evidence is necessary, whose witness statement is more valuable to your claim, how to negotiate with other solicitors, and when to consider or reject a personal injury claim offer.
In short, an injury claim lawyer will:
- Determine whether your claim has a strong likelihood of succeeding
- Collect and understand the evidence you need and how to submit it to show your claim is valid
- Not be intimidated by dealing with other solicitors who are fighting against paying you
- Know personal injury law in detail and how it relates to your specific claim
- Have the experience to know when to accept an offer, and when to reject one
- Shield you from the stress and difficult aspects of making a claim by handling the entire process
Their experience alone almost always makes it worth seeking the aid of an injury claim lawyer whenever you want to make a personal injury claim. Speak with our experts today and we’ll put you in touch with our expert injury attorneys.
When do you need a personal injury attorney?
- It’s not clear who’s at fault over the injury.
- You’ve suffered a permanent disability.
- Your insurance provider isn’t covering the damages.
- You’re not being compensated for lost wages.
In most cases, speaking with a personal accident lawyer is the first step victims take when making a personal injury claim. They will consider your claim to ensure it’s eligible and then represent you in order to successfully win said claim.
How to speak to a personal injury lawyer
If you’ve been injured in an accident, it is likely a challenging time. You and your family may have questions and knowing where to turn for advice you can trust can be difficult.
Here’s some advice on ensuring effective communication with your personal injury lawyer:
- Be honest. Make sure to tell your lawyer what happened. If you were partly to blame for the accident, you might be concerned about sharing this, but it’s crucial that your personal injury lawyer has all the information. This will enable them to fully understand your case and give you the best possible chance of a successful claim.
- Give as much detail as possible. Keep records of what happened and when, as well as details of any losses. Providing as much evidence as possible can strengthen your case.
- Ask questions. If there’s something you don’t understand, just ask your solicitor. Consider preparing a list of questions before your call. Your personal injury lawyer is there to help you and it’s likely they’ll have answered a similar question before.
- Be careful where you get your advice. While it might be well-meaning, advice from friends and family might not always be accurate. It’s always best to seek legal advice after an accident. Speak to us for a free no-obligation consultation and we can connect you with a personal injury lawyer to start your claim.
How to make a personal injury claim yourself?
There’s nothing stopping you from pursuing a personal injury claim without the assistance of an injury claim lawyer. However, this means following all of the various required legal steps will be up to you.
The following is an overview of the potential steps you may have to take in order to conduct a successful personal injury claim:
- Sending a letter before claim or claim notification form to the offending party. This will outline the accident circumstance, your injuries, losses, and the reason you believe the other party to be at fault
- Submitting evidence regardless of whether the offending side accepts or denies responsibility
- Gathering evidence with an independent expert to prove the veracity of your claim, usually in the form of a specialist medical report or damage assessment. You will likely have to pay for these reports yourself
- Working out the ultimate value of your claim based on past and future losses, as well as pain and injuries suffered as a result of the accident
- Conducting court proceedings if required, including paying any necessary court fees
- Preparing for the trial following the court proceedings, which may include gathering witnesses and experts and paying someone to represent you in court
- Paying the offending side for damages if you lose the aforementioned trial
As you can see, conducting a personal injury claim by yourself is no simple matter, and can usually take longer and cost more than if you were to seek the aid of personal injury attorneys. In some cases, the aggrieved party’s solicitor may simply ignore your claim without proper legal backing.
Can I reply to a personal injury lawyer’s letter myself?
Much like representing yourself in a personal injury claim, you can reply to a solicitor’s letter personally if someone believes you to be the offending party. However, as with self-representation, it is often a much better idea to seek the help of personal injury attorneys as they have the legal know–how to ensure your claim or defence Is taken seriously.
How long should you wait to hire a personal injury lawyer?
In most circumstances, you will have three years from the date of your accident in which to engage the services of a personal injury lawyer. However, the most successful claims are often those which are started shortly after an accident when evidence is easier to obtain, and the details are still clear in witnesses’ memories. Therefore, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible after your accident occurs.
Even if you’ve yet to decide whether you want to begin making a claim, having the knowledge of what you are entitled to claim, what to do in the claims process, and how long it will take for your claim to complete will help you make the right decision for you and your family when the time comes.
How to pick a personal injury attorney
Making any type of compensation claim can be stressful, which is why it’s important to find a personal injury lawyer who’s the right fit for you.
At The Compensation Experts, we work with personal injury lawyers who’ve spent years acquiring the knowledge and experience necessary to negotiate the highest possible compensation for our clients. And if you want to make a personal injury claim but are worried about costs, you can read about our no win no fee* policy right here.
*Conditions may apply
