Unsure Whether To Make An Accident Claim?
Being injured in any sort of accident as the result of another person’s negligence is frustrating and distressing and the consequences can be far reaching. Aside from the physical pain there can be long lasting trauma, hospital visits and inability to attend work. As a result of these reasons, making an accident claim might be the right step to take after being injured. The problem is that the process is obscure and few people are entirely certain of how it works and what to do.
The very first step to take must be to ensure that your injuries are properly treated. This is important for your personal recovery but it will also help your accident claim later if you make a doctor aware of your injuries and how they happened.
When an accident happens at work, it will be recorded by the health and safety officer in the company’s accident book. You should also inform your trade union if you have one because they may be able to offer support and advice on recovery and making an accident claim.
Keep receipts for any extra expenses incurred in the time following the accident, such as for taxi trips to hospital appointments, medication or early private treatment because you may be able to claim such costs back in the accident claim.
In some cases the evidence required to make an accident claim can disappear, jeopardising your claim, so it is important to contact your solicitor as soon as you decide to make a claim. This is particularly important in cases of slip and trip accidents caused by poorly maintained pavements because once the pavement is repaired your evidence is lost.
You might see adverts on television for accident claim management companies who offer to handle your claim on a no win no fee basis. Think carefully before contacting such a company because they are not actually lawyers, but rather auction details of claims they have ‘farmed’ to the highest bidding law firms. This removes any say you had in who handles your case. You could be given a solicitor with little experience. If you are worried about legal fees it is worth remembering that there are many law firms who you could go to directly who will offer no win no fee services. Additionally, trade unions often help with legal fees in the event of workplace accident claims.
