You will be asked to provide evidence to support what happened to you, the treatment that you had, and how it affects your day to day life. You can make it easier to make a claim by staying clear headed and keeping good records:
After the injury:
- Take care not to apologize or to say anything that might paint the accident as your fault
- Make a note of the date/time of the accident and any pain or symptoms you experienced
- See a doctor immediately
- Get the contact details of any bystanders that might be willing to act as witnesses
After getting treatment:
- Keep records of everything the doctor said and any treatments recommended
- Keep copies of any bills for the treatment
- If you have to take time off work, record this for lost wages
- If you need to buy drugs, support bandages or pay for prescriptions, keep the reciepts
- Keep receipts for taxis and other expenses
- Keep a diary of how you feel, if your quality of life is affected, if you struggle to sleep, etc
You should start pursuing a claim as early as possible. Note that it can take some time to complete the claims process and you may find that the company you are dealing with tries to be disruptive and to stop you from claiming. They might offer you a token amount of money if you accept an out of court settlement.
Do not accept that without talking to your legal team first. If you find that they are intimidating then you should ask them to deal with your legal team directly to take the stress out of your hands.
Be patient, and let the legal system follow its course. Remember that personal injury lawyers pursue a lot of claims and they know when people have a good chance and when they do not. They will not lead you on if the do not think that you have a good chance of winning your case. Many law firms only get paid for the cases that they win under a no-win, no-fee claims system.
The best way to win a personal injury claim is with facts. Present the information about how the injury has affected your life and the costs that were associated with it, and let the courts decide what compensation you are due for that. If you work with a no win, no fee team they will do the job of making the claim for you and you will get compensation, with the fee coming out of the compensation that you were awarded. This is money that you would not have if you had not won the claim, so it is an example of how everyone wins.
This article has been contributed by JM Solicitors, Dublin. To find out more about the services that they offer, simply visit their website.
