Following an accident where you have been injured, whether it be a road traffic accident, an accident at work or on holiday you could soon find yourself being flooded with phone calls from companies you have never heard of offering their assistance with your personal injury claim. This can probably feel very daunting and scary, even if you do in fact want to make a claim. But before making any sort of decision you should consider the following factors.
Research the company before any decision is made
They would have given you the name of the company they are calling from, and any legitimate company would have a full up to date working website which you can look at. This will usually show you what type claims they have experience of dealing with, details of their teams, whether they are registered with the Law Society and contact details for all offices. They may also have client testimonials and recommendations on there, including Trustpilot reviews. Always a good sign! If you aren’t satisfied with the information from their website then look elsewhere.
Have they dealt with a claim like yours before?
This is perfectly okay to ask, as you are the client and you are the one giving instructions and you should be satisfied that you are instructing a firm that has the correct expertise. As some personal injury solicitors have specialist experience in certain areas, it is important to have confidence in your legal advisor.
How have they evaluated your claim?
If they have given an exact figure for your claim before all or any evidence has been sent to them, then it might be best to consider someone else. At the start of a claim, you do not have every single medical record, or photograph, or witness detail, these must be requested then reviewed and then an accurate evaluation can be made.
Do they return your calls and emails, or respond to your letters?
We understand that you are probably anxious and worried about what’s going to happen and you want to be prepared but solicitors will aim to respond in a timely manner but if they don’t and they don’t show any change then it might be time to consider a different solicitor. No client should be left in the dark by someone they have put their trust in and left guessing about what is going to happen next. A detailed outline of how your case should proceed and likely time frames is something all good legal advisors should provide at the outset.
Do you trust them?
If you do not trust them, or they leave you with a feeling of doubt then find someone else. This is okay because this is a personal injury claim, this is going to be personal and could be a long and at times distressing process so you need to be able to trust and feel comfortable with the person who is going to be helping you during this confusing and possibly difficult time.
If you would like to speak to us about a potential personal injury claim please call our specialist team on 01616 966 229.
By Rebecca Maguire, litigation executive in the personal injury department
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