This area covers claims for compensation where someone suffers physical injury, psychological harm or death because of a road crash, accident at work, public- or private-premises accident, defective product, clinical negligence or criminal injury. Solicitors draft letters of claim and particulars of claim, obtain medical records and independent medical reports, instruct experts in fields such as orthopaedics and rehabilitation, negotiate with insurers and pursue claims in the county court or High Court, and handle applications under the Pre-Action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims and to bodies such as the Motor Insurers’ Bureau or the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority where appropriate. The claim timetable is determined by medical prognosis, disclosure and the need for expert evidence.
Where a solicitor protects your position
Entering into a formal settlement and signing a release generally extinguishes the right to later pursue the same injury claim, and issuing court proceedings commits the matter to the court process. A solicitors’ role includes securing medical records and expert evidence, preparing enforceable settlement documentation and issuing or defending court proceedings so that damages, future care and costs are properly recorded and enforceable.
