Choosing a solicitor to take care of your accident claim is a decision which is as complex as it is important. If you don’t take the time to find the right solicitor then you risk having your accident claim rejected, or your compensation significantly reduced. The more complicated an accident claim, the more consideration should be made when choosing a solicitor to act on your behalf.
Don’t be tempted to use a claims management company because they rarely provide the best legal advice. Think about why a solicitor would need to pay hefty referral fees to claims management companies to buy claims like yours. Do you really want a solicitor who buys clients to handle your claim?
Instead choose a solicitor with a specialism in personal injury. Don’t be afraid to do your research on law firms’ websites and by talking to their employees in person. You must check for membership of at least one relevant professional body such as MASS, APIL, or the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority Personal Injury Accredited Scheme.
When you have found a solicitor you think you can trust with your accident claim, check that they are prepared to give you an initial consultation free of charge. At the consultation you should provide as many details as you possibly can about the accident and your injuries so that the solicitor can accurately decide whether you have a case for making an accident claim. At the same time, the consultation is your chance to check out the solicitor. Ask about how many other accident claims they have dealt with over the past year and how they were settled.
After the initial consultation your solicitor should provide you with plenty of information, written down for you to take away and think about. You should have a clear understanding of the potential value of your claim, the likelihood of it being successful, the risks and costs associated with it and the probable length of time a claim could take. Any solicitor that leaves you in any doubt about the answers to these questions is not good enough to handle your case.
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