Accident Claim Compensation Advice
Several factors influence whether your accident claim will be a success or not.
Timescale.
If your accident was more than two years ago, very few solicitors will take your case. If the accident claim has not been settled within three years, it becomes statute barred. There are exceptions to this rule. The most important one being that time does not begin to run until a person reaches the age of 18 years. Seek legal advice if you believe your case could be an exception.
Injuries.
your accident claim will depend on the medical details your doctor recorded when you were involved in the accident. The solicitor will use this record as evidence of the type and cause of the injury and if necessary will obtain another specialist's medical opinion as the case proceeds. It is therefore extremely important that medical advice is obtained as soon as possible after any accident either from a General Practitioner or from the local hospital Accident and Emergency department.
The Police.
An accident claim solicitor will liaise with police officers who were at the scene of the accident when it happened or shortly after. The police report will be used as evidence so your solicitor will gain a copy of this. If a civil case is taking place the police officer may be called as a witness.
Witness Reports
Sometimes there are witnesses and it helps if their statements are collected immediately. If you have a supportive witness statement this will help a lot in a case. However, these statements should never be obtained personally by the injured person. A solicitor or a private inquiry agent employed on the client's behalf will usually obtain signed statements which will verify the client's version of events.
The Evidence
Your accident claim is likely to be more successful with the more evidence that is collected. Photographic evidence should be obtained by the claimant of any injuries and damage caused at the scene. If you are claiming compensation for injury then you should keep a diary if recovery and pain. If you have had to give up work or any hobbies this should also be included.
Tags: accident claim, compensation, personal injury, road traffic accident specialist