Have you sustained injuries in an accident that wasn’t your fault? Personal injuries not only take a toll on your body, but they can also significantly affect your life.
In addition to overcoming pain and recovering from injuries you may have suffered, personal injuries resulting from negligence or intentional acts can affect an individual’s ability to work and maintain a decent quality of life, potentially leading to financial hardship.
Whether your injury has been caused by an accident at work, road traffic or medical negligence, it’s important that you seek legal advice as soon as possible.
If you are located in Liverpool, working with a Liverpool-based solicitor, such as Brown Turner Ross, can make the whole process much easier and more personal.
In this guide, we will provide more insight into what personal injury claims are, and how working with local solicitors on your claim can improve the process.
What is a Personal Injury Claim?
A personal injury claim is a process where someone seeks legal compensation for their injuries and related losses in instances where they have been injured due to someone else’s negligence.
Through a personal injury or accident claim, the party making the claim has to prove that the other party owed a duty of care, breached that duty and caused injury to the other party.
What is the Legal Basis For Compensation?
A personal injury claim seeks to restore the injured individual to their condition before the accident. This is accomplished through a combination of legal damages, which may cover pain and suffering, and special damages, which address specific financial losses incurred as a result of the injury.
For a claim to succeed, the affected party must demonstrate that another party was negligent or had a duty of care toward them. To obtain appropriate compensation, it is essential to provide the necessary evidence and work with an experienced solicitor who is best equipped to deal with your claim assessment.
What Are the Time Limits on a Personal Injury Claim?
We have seen far too many people miss out on receiving suitable compensation due to working with the wrong solicitors or simply not understanding the logistics of making a personal injury claim, often missing the time limits on their claim.
For a standard personal injury claim, the claimant is expected to make their case within three years of the date of the injury. However, there are some exceptions to this limitation period, with children and those without mental capacity not subject to the same time limit.
Common Types of Personal Injury Claims
With the world advancing quickly and introducing new industries and new opportunities for risk, the types of personal injury claims that can be made are evolving, but the following are the most common:
Road Traffic Accidents
Through a personal injury claim resulting from a road traffic accident, compensation can be sought from the party responsible when someone is injured and it is not their fault. These claims are designed to recover compensation for injuries sustained or to cover the cost of any lost earnings, medical expenses or damages to the party’s vehicle.
These claims may also be held against car companies in instances where injury has been caused by an unexpected fault in a vehicle; these claims are known as defective vehicle injury claims.
Medical Negligence
Medical negligence happens when the actions or inactions of a healthcare professional lead to harm or injury to a patient. A medical negligence claim can be made when a medical professional’s standard of care leads to unreasonable and avoidable harm.
Some examples of medical negligence include:
- Misdiagnosis
- Incorrect treatment
- Surgical errors
- Delayed diagnosis
- Birth injuries
When seeking medical compensation, it is always recommended that you work with a solicitor with experience in medical negligence.
At Brown Turner Ross, we have provided representation in a range of medical negligence cases, from claims involving a lack of care by medical professionals to defective medical equipment claims.
Collaborating with a solicitor who has the appropriate expertise in this area can enable a smoother process and help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Workplace Accidents
Workplace injury claims arise when employees request compensation for injuries or illnesses caused by their employer’s negligence or failure to uphold their duty of care. Accidents at work can have a huge impact.
The severity of these injuries may be minor or severe. Nevertheless, those who have experienced injury due to their employer’s negligence have the right to make a personal injury claim.
If an employer does not ensure a safe working environment and an employee gets injured as a result, the employee can seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and other financial losses. Additionally, the employee can claim for emotional distress and suffering.
Why Choose a Local Solicitor in Liverpool?
Though you are not limited to seeking representation in your local area, if you are located in the Liverpool region and you would like to make a personal injury claim, it is always in your best interests to work with a local, Liverpool-based solicitor.
Some reasons why you should consider working with a solicitor in a Liverpool office include:
Knowledge of Local Courts, Insurers and Medical Experts
Solicitors located in Liverpool have a more in-depth grasp of the local area, equipping them with insights and knowledge that can help your case and possibly result in greater compensation.
They’ll likely be more familiar with specific locations in the city known for accidents, having possibly supported previous personal injury claims from that area, allowing them to provide precedents and evidence that will further support your claim.
Face-to-Face Accessibility
In case of a personal injury claim, being able to meet with your solicitor face to face is essential. To build a strong case, your solicitor must be able to see the extent of your injuries and make an assessment on how the injury has affected you physically, mentally and financially.
You may need to meet several times to be able to get a full picture of your injuries, so having a solicitor close to you makes it much easier for you to arrange meetings that fit around your schedule.
Additionally, if you have suffered a serious personal injury, you may not be in the best physical condition to travel to meetings. Although not all firms provide this option, working with a local solicitor will likely mean that your chosen solicitor is more willing to conduct meetings at your home while you recover.
Personal Touch
It is much easier to meet and connect with a local solicitor, allowing them to provide a much more personal touch to their service. Working with a solicitor can sometimes feel intimidating, especially if you have never needed legal support in the past.
By working with a local solicitor, you benefit from their familiarity with the area, shared experiences, and personal connections, which can enhance their ability to engage with witnesses and liaise with supportive services.
Having personalised attention and support during your claim can have a huge impact and make the process feel less stressful.
Quick Response Times and Tailored Advice
Local solicitors offer the advantage of proximity, allowing more in-person meetings and expediting responses to inquiries. This means that you don’t have to wait around for a response, and you can file your claim with more urgency.
Because the solicitor will have more experience with the local legal system and procedures in Liverpool, they can streamline the claims process and ensure that you receive the compensation that you are entitled to as quickly as possible.
The Personal Injury Claim Process
We understand that making a personal injury claim may feel overwhelming, but at Brown Turner Ross, we are here to make the experience as stress-free and streamlined as possible. Here’s what you can expect from the personal injury claims process.
Initial Consultation
You can start your personal injury claim with a free, no-obligation consultation, during which you have the opportunity to explain what happened and why you believe you are eligible for compensation, detailing how the injury has impacted your life.
At this stage, you can ask any questions you may have regarding the claims process, and the solicitor will be able to respond in person.
At Brown Turner Ross, at this part of the process, we will inform you of whether or not we believe that you have a strong case, explaining the possible legal options and providing a realistic assessment of what you should expect.
At this point, you can choose whether or not you would like to proceed with your case.
Gathering Evidence
If you decide to proceed with your claim, it is then time to gather the necessary evidence, and your solicitor will begin constructing your case.
Your solicitor will collect medical evidence, witness statements, and review CCTV or photographic evidence to find anything that may support your claim.
Substantial evidence is essential to proving that you have been injured and establishing who was at fault, so they may even organise an independent medical assessment to ensure that no stone is left unturned and the full extent of your injuries is accounted for.
Establishing Liability
When sufficient evidence exists that an injury has occurred and the individual making the claim has been affected by it, the next step is to prove that someone else was responsible for the injury.
Your solicitor will investigate the circumstances surrounding your accident and liaise with the relevant third parties and authorities to gather evidence, and they will then use that evidence to build a clear case that demonstrates that negligence is the cause of your injury.
At this stage of the process, your solicitor will prepare for negotiation and litigation if required.
Negotiation or Litigation
For efficiency and financial relief, most personal injury claims are settled out of court, but there is always a chance that litigation may occur.
In case of this, your solicitor will calculate the full value of your claim, usually based on your physical injury, emotional distress and lost earnings. The value that they calculate will then be forwarded to the other party’s insurance company.
At this point, negotiation will happen until a fair settlement is agreed upon. At Brown Turner Ross, we have a reputation for delivering strong advocacy and effective legal representation in court, enabling us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients.
Receiving Compensation
If your claim is successful, you’ll then receive your compensation. If you have completed an out-of-court settlement, you can expect to receive your compensation within a month, but it may take longer to receive compensation for court-ordered settlements.
Complex cases may take substantially longer, but working with an experienced, local solicitor in Liverpool can expedite the process and help you complete your claim faster.
No-Win, No-Fee Solicitors Explained
At Brown Turner Ross, we work with you throughout the claims process on a no-win, no-fee basis. Accidents can happen unexpectedly, and many are not prepared to cover the cost of legal fees, especially in cases of seeking compensation through public liability claims, where the other party may be able to afford a strong legal team.
No win, no fee essentially means that you won’t pay your solicitor’s fee unless, or until, your claim is successful. If your claim wins, you will typically pay a success fee, which is deducted from the compensation that you receive.
No-win, no-fee claims enable injured individuals to pursue the compensation they deserve without the worry of financial risk.
Get The Compensation You Deserve With Brown Turner Ross
If you are someone who has experienced an injury caused by the negligence of a third party, you might be entitled to compensation. By working with Brown Turner Ross, you can receive the financial compensation that you deserve, ensuring that your injury does not have an additional financial impact on your life.
For expert advice from our friendly team on how to proceed with compensation claims, get in touch today, or fill out a contact form and we’ll contact you at a suitable time.