Claiming After a Road Traffic Accident

Road accident claiming is becoming one of the more common types of personal injury claims we see here at The Injury Lawyers. With the roads seemingly becoming busier all the time, it seems no wonder that this is the case. This is one of the reasons why the system for dealing with personal injury claiming for accidents that happen after 30^th April 2010 has changed. The changes have served to make the system faster, simpler, and more stream-lined. This means that you should have an answer as to whether the other side admit fault after 15 days of submitting your Claim Notification Form; this is in stark contrast to the nearly 4 month time period of the old system.

Injuries

Many road accident victims suffer from whiplash as a result of their road accident.  Symptoms of whiplash usually became apparent around 12 – 24 hours after the accident, and then can steadily increase in severity. The condition can also be extremely unpredictable – a doctor may say the symptoms will resolve in 6 months, but then in 8 months you are still in pain – this is why advice from a specialist personal injury lawyer can be so crucial.  At The Injury Lawyers, we understand what a frustrating and painful condition this can be, as well as what a limiting effect it can have on your life. This is why we aim to offer early medical intervention to our clients. We are able to arrange physiotherapy, chiropractic, and osteopathic treatment for injury symptoms; this treatment is payable by the other side if you win, and is covered by insurance if you lose.

What should you do

1. It is important to report your accident to the Police as a report may need to be compiled. You should report the accident circumstances as accurately as possible, as Police reports may be used to support a claim.
2. Check for any witnesses to the accident, and if present, obtain their contact details. We may wish to contact witnesses of an accident at a later date in order to support your claim.
3. Seek medical assistance for your injuries – this not only assists with your injuries, but also allows the medic to place a record in your medical notes. Medical notes may be requested to support the fact that an accident occurred, and/or to confirm your injuries were sustained in the accident itself.
4. Seek the advice of a specialist personal injury lawyer – this should be done directly with the lawyer. There are many referral agents out there who may want your business; we advise to go to a law firm directly and avoid the middlemen and insurance companies. Referral agents may sell your claim on for anything up to £800 – if a law firm has paid such a high amount for your claim, they have less money to spend on you and your claim; leaving you with a poorer service, and a solicitor with tom little money to fight for the maximum you are entitled to claim for.

At The Injury Lawyers we do not deal with referral agents as all our clients come to us directly.