I realise that some of you reading this blog may have heard of this term, but many people do not know what we mean by ‘Third Party Capture’. In short it is where a third party insurer deals directly with the victim of their insured’s negligence in order for them to come to an agreement over compensation between themselves, without an independent legal representative. In most scenarios the injuries will have been sustained in a road traffic accident, but equally they could have occurred out of another type of accident, for instance an accident at work.
Is this a problem?
At first sight many of you may think that this is not a problem because if anything it takes away the supposed hassle of instructing a lawyer, and you could get hold of your compensation extremely quickly – it would not take a couple of months or even a year. I cannot argue that it would almost certainly be a speedier method of doings things, but what does worry me, is that third party insurers seemingly have a tendency to under-compensate victims of their uninsured’s negligence. For example if you have a claim worth £2,000, the third party insurer may only offer you £400 for your injuries, and once that is agreed there is nothing you can do to go back on that agreement. So if you are still suffering some months down the line – tough. That is where the problem lies.
What should I do if a third party insurer contacts me directly to sort my compensation out?
Firstly, ask yourself why they are doing this? Is it because they genuinely care or is it actually because if they settle your claim with you now, they will get away from it much more cheaply and save themselves money?
Secondly, seek the advice of an expert injury lawyer who can help you decide whether the offer is a good offer, and the pitfalls of accepting it. You could even instruct them on a Genuine No Win, No Fee agreement meaning that you have free legal representation. This way you are almost certainly guaranteed to receive the maximum compensation you deserve, but maybe you would have to wait just a little bit longer for that compensation. But surely thousands of pounds more for you injuries is worth that extended wait?
Thirdly, your injury lawyer should be able to get you some free medical treatment and ensure that all the treatment you require is provided so that when you do settle your claim, you won’t be suffering long after.
For a free no obligations chat today, call The Injury Lawyers on 0800 634 75 75.