Making the big decision to claim compensation following a personal injury can be an enormous milestone in the recovery process. If you have suffered a personal injury through no fault of your own then you deserve to be compensated for all the pain and suffering you have had to endure. However, the claims process itself can be a complicated and overwhelming situation to deal with and it often puts victims off of fighting for the compensation they deserve. Bury personal injury solicitors will be able to help you navigate the complicated world of personal injury law, they will handle all of the legal aspects of your case as well as giving you the appropriate advice and counselling to deal with the process.
Reviewing the Case / Identifying Liability
The first thing a personal injury solicitor will do upon meeting a prospective client is to review the core aspects of their case. This will include all the details of their injury, where it happened, when it happened and who is believed to have caused it. If they believe that the victim has a valid case then they will begin looking into the appropriate evidence including medical reports and witness statements in order to explicitly identify where the blame lies and if it is possible to prove liability. Once the case has been thoroughly analysed, if the solicitor chooses to accept they case they will began communications with the defendant.
Communication with the Defendant
Following the analysis of the case, communications with the defendant will begin. The first step in the process will be a letter sent by the solicitor to the defendant, informing them of the victim’s decision to claim compensation and that they hold them liable for their personal injury. If the defendant agrees to liability then settlement negotiations may begin. If the defendant denies liability, then the solicitor may begin to look into court proceedings.
Settlement Negotiations
If the defendant agrees to liability in the initial communication stage then the solicitor will begin the process of attempting to agree to an out of court settlement. The defendant will offer the victim a compensation amount that they deem is acceptable. If the victim agrees to this then a settlement can be easily reached in a short amount of time. However, this is not often the case and there is usually quite a lot of negotiating back and forth between parties. As well as in a lot of personal injury compensation cases the defendant will reject the accusation that they are liable for the injuries of the victim, when this happens the case will usually result in court proceedings. If a case does progress to court then it is to be expected that it will take a significant period of time to come to completion. Burnley personal injury solicitors will guide their clients through this process, making sure they are prepared for all eventualities.