Suffering an injury can cause a great deal of stress and trauma to an individual and can often apply the brakes on your regular day-to-day routine; depending on the extent of the injury of course. It’s important to be able to determine whether or not another party is to blame for the accident (in most cases, the answer will be yes) as this is where the process of claiming compensation will then ensue. The process doesn’t have to be doesn’t have to be the case, there are superb litigation solicitors on hand to help you through the whole process.
Although it may seem a hindrance, it is when the accident is still fresh in your mind that you should seek advice from personal injury lawyers; collecting as much evidence as possible.
Step One – Reporting The Injury
Firstly, you need to report your injury. Failing to do so will mean that there won’t be any evidence to show the accident ever taking place on record. For example, if it occurred in the workplace, your employer should be immediately notified with a full written report completed as soon as possible. This first step should be predominant as the report will need to be used to aid your case – making it a much simpler process for your chosen solicitor.
Step Two – Seeking A Solicitor
You want to shop around for a prestigious solicitors group, with most importantly, a good reputation and history of solid wins. Browse the net for reviews and ratings to give you an idea of which companies are worth their salt. Additionally, you could ask around your friends and family for any good referrals as they’ll have had a first hand experience. You want a solicitor who will promise to speak plainly and keep you in the loop every step of the way, exhibiting high professionalism. All major cities provide specialist litigation services to high standards.
Step Three – Collecting The Evidence
This is where the importance of the initial report arises. You’ll need to collect as much relevant information as possible in order to give the case depth and a clear win for compensation. The evidence can be anything from dates in the record book, medical notes from your doctor for any physical injuries and time elapsed whilst not being at work (therefore maybe not receiving full pay) and also information from anyone you deem as a witness to the accident entirely.
Step Four – Contacting The Defendant
Your solicitor will produce a letter of claim to be sent over to the Defendant party, addressing the matter in question and informing them of what you want to happen. From that point it’s simply a waiting game – the response could be back with you in a matter of weeks or months so sit tight. The next stage will then be to order court proceedings. The ‘pre-action protocol’ is set in place to encourage the exchange of information between the defendant and claimant, so that both sides can be properly investigated.