Personal Injury Compensation

What is Personal Injury?

Any injury that a person, company or some other organisation is at least partly to blame. The person or organisation must have been negligent about the way something was carried out.

The person or organisation that was negligent may have to pay you compensation for your suffering and subsequent injuries. 

A personal injury can happen anywhere and example of a few are below:-

1.At your workplace/factory floor.

2.In a road accident in your own car/ on the bus or any other public transport.

3.Due to a faulty product.

4.You tripped on an uneven paving stone or slipped on a wet floor in a shop.

An injury may be psychological as well as physical, so you may be able to get compensation for distress or upset after an accident as well as for the physical injury. 

First step.

If you have been hurt, you will first need to deal with shock and distress you may be going through. After that, you may wish to claim compensation and getting the right and proper advice to deal with the injury. 

Even if you haven't yet decided whether to claim compensation, you should collect evidence about the accident. For example, if you were injured after tripping on a damaged paving stone, you could take photographic evidence of the paving stone. Write down details of the accident as soon as you can, while they are still fresh in your mind. if there are any witnesses to the incident, get their name and address details.

If you visit a doctor for treatment, ask the doctor  to record the fact that you had an accident. Their records will be evidence of the accident, which will be helpful if you later decide to take your case forward for compensation. For injuries that you can see, photographs of the injury will also be helpful. Make sure you have a note of the date the photos were taken. 

Road Accident

If you are injured in a road traffic accident, you must inform the relevant authorities such as the police and your insurance company. The insurance company may refuse to pay out if you don't report the accident.

Workplace accident

You should tell your employer about the accident as soon as possible. By law, your employer must keep a record of most types of accident (most workplaces have  an accident book to record workplace incidents). Your employer should also report the accident to the Health and Safety Executive or the local authority environmental health department, if this is necessary.

If you think your employer may not properly record the accident, write to them giving brief details of the accident, Always keep a copy.

Accident FAQ

Do I need to pay you money to make a claim?
No is the short answer With ACA you will never need any money to make a claim. As all our cases are no-win no-fee.

What does  ‘No-Win No-Fee’ mean? If we win your case, your legal costs will be paid by the other side as a separate award from your damages, which are 100% yours. There are some claims brokers will try to take a fee out of your damages. Because we are a reputable Accident claims company, with us if you win you know you’ll keep all of your compensation.

I was involved with an accident 2 years ago?
If your accident happened in the last three years ACA can still help you to claim compensation for your injuries. So dont leave it too late. Claim today.

What’s legal expenses insurance? You may already have a legal expenses insurance policy as part of your house insurance policy, car insurance or motorbike insurance cover. This kind of insurance covers you if you lose your claim and the Court orders you to pay the other parties legal costs. This is good backup to have.  If you don’t already have this kind of policy, we can provide  a “ No-Win No-Fee” agreement and arrange for you to be covered by a special legal expenses insurance policy to protect you against court fees.

Can I claim on behalf of my child? A child cannot sue in their own right until they reach the age of 18. Therefore, the legal guardian, would be the right person to seek compensation on behalf of their children.

What happens if the agreement is breached prior to settlement? If either ACA Solicitors or you decide to close the agreement before a settlement is reached, you will be liable to pay a reasonable fee for the work and remain responsible for any outstanding costs.

What are my responsibilities if I decide to make a claim?You must communicate fully with ACA or our panel of expert solicitors and provide all necessary information  when required. 

What medical evidence is needed? To allow for the proper assessment of your pain and suffering it will be necessary to provide the other parties insurance compant with a  medical report so that there is an expert doctor’s opinion on which a proper assessment can be made.

The medical report will be arranged usually by your legal team. Your GP can provide the report, or you may need to be seen by an independent consultant.

If recovery from the injury is likely to take a long time, it may be necessary for you to be medically examined more than once. You will be expected to be co-operative when producing medical evidence. If you already had a lower back pain prior to the accident, the accident may have aggravated the condition then you should tell the doctor/consultant, about  these existing symptoms .

 
Is ACA a claims management Firm?
No we are not, We will assign an approved solicitor from our panel of experts, who will manage all aspects of your claim. Your relationship with your solicitor will be completely independent of ACA, however we will be able to offer advice as and when needed.

Why should I contact an Accident Solicitor? Depending on your insurance policy, your policy will generally cover the cost of repair for your vehicle (including motorbikes) . If you have been hurt or injured, which has resulted in time taken off work or have other expenses, you can make a claim to cover these costs. We are specialists in making sure you get 100% compensation for your injuries and expenses.

What if my accident happened abroad?

Accidents abroad are difficult to investigate, depending on the circumstances and nature of the country’s legal system. The offender maybe elusive or disputing blame and if there are other obstacles to bring the case to court. You may want to appoint a  local solicitor in the country where the accident took place. However you may be personally liable to fund the case

How long will my claim take to process?
This will depend on the complexities of your case. Rest assured that ACA will not delay your claim, we have robust and efficient processes that will enable us to process your claim swiftly. A road traffic accident can be resolved within a short time span, whilst more serious injuries may take longer. Once we have carried out initial investigations.

The road was unfit which caused the accident , do I still have a Valid claim? Depending on the nature of your accident. We’ve been successful in recovering damages for clients who have been involved with motorbike accidents. A big ditch in the road that should have been covered is an example of where a claim is possible. Claim Today.

What happens if the other driver/rider is uninsured, or the driver failed to provide his insurance details? We are experienced in dealing with these claims. You can still make a claim for compensation.

The  insurance company says I have to use a solicitor chosen by them?  Some insurers may prefer you that you use  one of their panel solicitors. However you have the right to choose your own legal a solicitor

What if the other driver is not insured? You will still be able to claim compensation through the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) where a fund is available to compensate innocent parties in road traffic accidents. If you think that there is a problem with the other party’s Insurance policy, please tell us so we can carry out enquiries.

My accident happened at night, there were no witnesses?There does not necessarily have to be witness evidence to prove your case. In most cases, the damage to the vehicle and road markings will indicate who was at fault, it may be an idea to get some photographic evidence of the accident scene on your camera phone for instance. A claim for compensation takes place under Civil Law. Civil action can be proved “on the balance of probabilities”. It is easier to prove that something “probably” happened.