If you ever need the services of a personal injury lawyer, would you know how to choose the most appropriate one and how they should treat you with regard to your case and their fees? Here we set out what to look for when choosing a personal injury lawyer.
What type of personal injury?
If you are in the position of having been injured and you feel that someone else is wholly or partially responsible, then you will need the services of a personal injury lawyer to advise you and ultimately ensure that you are compensated with regard to the injury.
The circumstances of the injury will dictate the type of personal injury lawyer you need. If, for example you are injured as a result of some sort of clinical negligence then you will require a lawyer who specialises in this area. Likewise, there are personal injury lawyers who specialise in cases involving accidents at work as well as those who deal with injuries caused by ‘slips, trips and falls’.
Accreditation and payment
As well as ensuring that your lawyer has the correct specialism to deal with your claim, it is also important to also ensure that they have some accreditation for practising in this area of law. APIL, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers are a UK-based national organisation of personal injury lawyers. All members have to follow a code of practice which includes being bound to provide advice with the client’s best interests in mind. They also keep up to date with developments in the area of personal injury. Additionally, it is worth checking whether your solicitor is a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel.
As well as ensuring your lawyer has the right specialism and accreditation, it is important to consider how you will fund any legal action. Most personal injury lawyers work on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis which means that you will only pay your lawyer if you are successful, but if you lose you may have to pay the costs of the other side. Your lawyer will be able to provide insurance in relation to this.
Additional considerations
Another thing to consider is asking people you know whether they can recommend anyone. While the internet is a great way of finding lots of information and ideas there is no substitute for a ‘word of mouth’ recommendation. Additionally, with personal injury claims there are limitation periods for bringing action so it is important to consult with a lawyer at the earliest opportunity if you think you have a claim.
Hopefully this piece has provided some helpful information on the things to bear in mind if you ever need to consult with a firm of personal injury solicitors. The key things to bear in mind are to ensure that they specialise in the law relating to your particular type of personal injury, they have some sort of personal injury accreditation and they have a fair and transparent system for the payment of fees.
AUTHOR BIO
Vickie Day writes regularly on legal issues for a range of law related websites and blogs. She has a particular interest in writing about personal injury solicitors. For more details on this subject visit this page.