Road traffic accidents have become an increasingly common type of personal injury claim that we see here at The Injury Lawyers. This increase has not only been seen by us, but globally throughout the legal world. This is one of the reasons why a new system has been put in place for accidents which have taken place after 30th April 2010 and are worth more than £1000 but less than £10,000. This serves to make the process much faster, simpler, and more stream-lined.
The process is a 3 stage system where all information is exchanged electronically by each side of the claim; thus making everything instantaneous. Within Stage 1 of the system the claimant is asked to fill in a Claim Notification Form – this sets out the details of the claim and is the first document the other side will receive.
Once this is received by the other side they have 15 business days within which to make a decision regarding liability (fault) – under the old system the other side had nearly 4 months within which they had to respond. This means that you, the claimant, get those answers much quicker – one of the most difficult parts of claiming can be that wait for answers in order to get your claim concluded.
If liability is admitted the claim can move to Stage 2 of the process. If liability is denied, however, the claim exits the system; but this may not mean the end of your claim. Your solicitor may assess your case and deem it has good enough prospects to continue with it.
Once in Stage 2 of the process medical evidence can then be sought and losses collated. This means that you may have to attend a medical examination, and a medical report would then be compiled. This medical information together with your losses information may then be disclosed to the other side with an offer to settle your claim.
If the case fails to settle in Stage 2 it may move to a court stage, which may mean that the case then gets issued to court for a judge’s decision.
