A lot of people who ask this question have received what is known as a pre-medical offer. This is an offer received in respect of your injuries prior to you obtaining a medical report. But what does that mean?
In the claims process you will be asked to attend a medical appointment once liability for your claim is admitted, so that a legal medical report can be compiled. This is arguably the most important part of your claim because it is enables your claim to be properly valued by your expert injury lawyer. You medical report will diagnose your injuries and provide a prognosis (how long your injuries will last for) and from this your claim can be valued. Generally, the more severe your injury and the longer it lasts, the more your claim is worth.
So a pre-medical offer is an offer received prior to you getting a medical report. Is this a good or a bad thing?
Well, it depends. Without a medical report your claim cannot be properly valued. Therefore if you accept a pre-medical offer you may be under-settling your claim because you do not know how much it is worth. An expert solicitor review from a medical report may suggest your claim is worth £3,000.00 but a pre-medical offer may only be £1,000.00 and so if you accept this, you have under-settled your claim by £2,000.00. Problem is, once you accept a pre-medical offer, that’s your claim settled – there is no going back for more money if you later realise your claim is worth more money. Equally, if you are still suffering several months after accepting a pre-medical offer, again, there is no going back for more compensation.
That said, if you accept a pre-medical offer, there’s no more ‘hassle’. Not that I believe making a claim is ‘hassle’ as the claims process nowadays is straightforward and your claim can be settled fast, but some people would rather have the money as soon as possible. In my opinion though, I would rather wait a couple more months if I could get £3,000.00 rather than settle early. At the end of the day I wouldn’t be getting any money if I wasn’t injured and I would rather be compensated in the maximum sum I could be.
What you have to consider with pre-medical offers is why a pre-medical offer is being made. Why do the other side want to pay you so soon? I think the reason is obvious, if they can get your claim settled as soon as possible the Defendant saves money. They do not have to go to any further expense in trying to defend against your claim, they do not have to pay for any more of your lawyers’ fees, and usually you will find that their offer is a lot less than you are entitled to. All in all, they could save thousands of pounds. In my opinion, Defendant’s don’t make pre-medical offers out of the kindness of their heart or because they feel guilty, they do so to make as much money stays in their pockets as possible.
If you want some further free legal advice on a no obligations basis or have yourself received a pre-medical offer, why not get in touch with us at The Injury Lawyers today on 0800 634 75 75 where one of our friendly and expert team will be on hand to help you out.
