When innocent victims of accidents want to make a personal injury claim, there are certain things they need to do.
Check you Fit the Criteria
The very first thing a victim needs to do is check that they fit the criteria to make a claim, which is:
· The accident should have been the fault of someone else
· You should have sustained injuries to the body or mind
· You must have needed medical attention for your injuries
· The accident should have happened within the last three years
Knowing that you fit these rules is the first step for you to start your claim.
Gather your Evidence
The second thing they need to do is gather the evidence for their claim. Such things as:
· Details of how, when and why the accident happened
· Details of the guilty party
· Details of any witnesses
· Photos of the scene if possible; most mobile phones have this facility
· Medical report
· Police report, if applicable
· Health and Safety report, if applicable
· Anything else the victim thinks may help their claim, no matter how minor it may seem
Having all of this ready before they contact their choice of legal representation can only help to speed up the process of making their personal injury claim.
Contact a Good Quality Law Firm
There are many companies in the personal injury claim industry, but they are not all law firms and they do not all act with integrity, reliability, dependability and accountability. These are four attributes that ensure the needs of the claimant are put first and ensures they receive the highest quality customer service.
The law firm the victim chooses should be readily available to answer any questions they may have and to provide as much information as possible about making a personal injury compensation claim. At this stage, the victim may still change their mind about making the claim, so they should not feel obligated or pressurised to continue with the process.
Financing your Claim
In 1998, the Law Society withdrew legal aid for personal injury claims, which meant the situation reverted to the pre-legal aid days where only the rich could afford the litigation costs of making a claim. The 1999 Finance Act introduced the conditional fee agreement to the industry. Better known as no win no fee, it was already in use in some other civil cases.
No win no fee means exactly what it says, no money is needed upfront to start work on the claim, and no money is needed if the claim is unsuccessful. This is how the majority of personal injury claims have been financed since April 2000 when its use became official, as it is the only way that the option of claiming compensation is accessible to everyone, no matter what their financial circumstances are.
What Happens Now
Now all the victim has to do is concentrate on their recovery and leave the rest to their personal injury solicitor. They will get progress reports about their claim, but otherwise they just have to wait for their compensation to arrive.