I Have Been Offered Compensation Without A Solicitor, Should I Accept?

Offered compensation without a solicitor? Deciding whether to accept an offer of compensation without the advice of a solicitor can be a tough one. This article will go into detail about how useful a solicitor can be when it comes to weighing up what a claimant should be awarded.

Have you been injured in an accident by no fault of your own? You may have been hurt in a public highway road traffic accident or an accident at work. Or you may have suffered an accident in a place of business, such as a shop. And the party that is responsible for your injuries may owe you compensation. You may have decided to pursue a claim alone without the help of a solicitor. But how would you know if the offer of compensation you receive is enough?

This guide will explain when you can take action after an accident. And we will discuss whether a solicitor may mean your case has more chance of succeeding. If you have evidence that means you can prove that a third party who owed you a duty of care caused you harm through negligence call Public Interest Lawyers today.

Call Public Interest Lawyers to begin your claim on 0800 408 7825? Or you can contact us via our website. Or continue reading this guide to learn more.

Offered compensation without a solicitor

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What Are The Risks Of Accepting An Offer Without A Solicitor?

Have you been injured in an accident that was not your fault? Has a third party that owed you a duty of care caused you harm? Then you may be owed compensation for your injuries. If you have decided to make your claim without a solicitor you may be unsure as to whether the offer the insurance company are offering is acceptable. Accepting the other party’s offer of compensation may be tempting. But we suggest you approach any offer to settle with caution.

To make a valid personal injury claim you must first be able to establish negligence. In most areas of life, we are owed a duty of care or we owe a duty of care. Our employers owe us a duty of care to keep us safe as possible while at work. Whereas road users owe one another a duty of care not to cause an avoidable accident. When this duty is breached and harm is caused those who have suffered may be eligible to make a personal injury claim.

Claimants are well within their rights to pursue a claim for compensation alone. It is not a legal requirement to have a solicitor represent your case. That said, solicitors not only have knowledge of the laws that govern us they have experience of winning cases just like yours. They will also advise when an offer is accepted.

Before you accept an offer of compensation, we recommend consulting a personal injury solicitor. Indeed, a solicitor will be able to value your claim based on medical evidence and Judicial College guidelines. After that, the solicitor can negotiate with the other party’s insurer or solicitor to ensure that you receive the right amount of compensation for your injuries.

Should I Accept The First Offer From The Other Party?

A solicitor can value your claim accurately, so you receive the right amount of compensation. They will take into consideration medical evidence, medical records and the full effects your life and health have suffered because of the incident. Don’t forget solicitors do this every day. They know the impact accident and injuries can have on claimants meaning they know what needs to be included in a claim so that you receive the right amount of compensation.

Call our team of claim advisors today. They will assess your case and if they see that you will benefit from the help of a solicitor they will offer to connect you to our panel of No Win No Fee solicitors.

Why Should You Not Accept The First Offer Of Compensation?

When the third party make their first offer a solicitor will help you decide whether the amount that is being offered covers the damages you have been caused. Compensation claims are not there for profit, what they do is try and put you back in the position you were in before this incident took place. It may be the case that your solicitor decides that the first offer you receive is accurate and compensates you in full. But when the offer does not do this they are there to advise you of the fact.

You can only make one claim for the same incident. If you leave something out you can not go back and ask for more. An injury that seems only minor may turn into life-changing. So we recommend that you contact a solicitor before accepting an offer of compensation verbally or in writing.

When Should I Accept An Offer?

Personal injury claim compensation payouts should reflect the claimant’s type of injuries and how severe these injuries are. If you are offered compensation without consulting a solicitor, all that you could have claimed for may not be included in your claim. The third party is never going to say if you have missed something out you should be compensated for.

A compensation claim is not only about the injuries you have suffered. It is also vital that special damages are taken into consideration. These are financial losses that have been caused because of your situation. It may not appear straight away the financial implications you may suffer but a solicitor may foresee these and apply them to your case.

If you appoint a personal injury solicitor to manage your claim, they will help you with arranging for your medical assessment with a physician. During your medical assessment, the physician will determine the following; diagnoses and secondly, the physician will determine what impact the injuries are likely to have on your quality of life. After that, the physician will produce a medical report. Your solicitor will use the medical report to value the general damages part of your claim.

A solicitor will be able to value your injuries correctly using guidelines by the Judicial College. And what’s more, they may spot things to include that you have not even thought about.

Why Is It Important To Talk To A Solicitor About Your Case?

A knowledgeable personal injury solicitor will be able to offer you legal advice about making a claim. Moreover, the solicitor can value your compensation claim accurately. And they can negotiate with the other party to ensure that you receive the correct compensation for your injuries.

You may be reluctant to work with a solicitor because of the legal costs. However, funding the work of a solicitor with what is known as a No Win No Fee agreement means you will not have to worry about legal expenses upfront. When you work with a No Win No Fee solicitor, generally, they will send you a contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement. Within this agreement, it will usually state, that unless the solicitor meets the conditions of this agreement no payment to the solicitor is asked for. The agreement will also state that if the case is won the claimant will give the solicitor a percentage, capped, of their payout.

What Evidence Could Help Me Claim More?

Evidence is key when it comes to making any personal injury claim. You need to prove that a duty of care has been breached. Duty of care is usually derived from legislation like;

You can provide the following pieces of evidence to support your accident claim:

  • Photographs of any visible injuries.
  • Photographs of the hazard which caused your injuries.
  • If involved in a car crash, details about the other driver.
  • CCTV or dashcam footage of your accident.
  • Contact details of people who saw your accident and can provide a statement.
  • Medical records which diagnose your injuries.
  • Information such as receipts that show what costs you have incurred.

How Much Compensation Could You Receive?

When a case has concluded in a successful outcome you could be awarded two types of main damages. These are general damages that look to compensate the claimant for the injury caused. Special damages reimburse the claimant for financial losses, past, present and future.

The compensation table includes bracket amounts that can be awarded for general damages but does not include special damages. The compensation amounts are based on Judicial College guidelines. However, the amount of compensation you receive may vary, depending on your circumstances. So, please feel free to call Public Interest Lawyers, and an advisor can estimate how much compensation you can claim.

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Harm Caused Severity Possible Payout About
Arm Injury Amputation £225,960 to £281,520 In the most severe cases, the person will have suffered the complete loss of both of their arms.
Arm Injury Disabling £36,770 to £56,180 Severe injuries to the arm could present as a serious fracture of both or one of the persons forearms. The affected limb may suffer lasting and significant disability.
Arm Injury Less Severe £18,020 to £36,770 The arm injury will have been significantly disabling. The person could till have a good prognosis for future recovery to some degree.
Leg Injury Amputation £225,960 to £264,650 The most severe forms of leg injury could include the person suffering the loss of both their legs.
Leg Injury Moderate £26,050 to £36,790 This could include the person suffering complicated or multiple fractures of a leg bone.
Leg Injury Less Serious (iii) Up to £11,110 This could include leg injuries such as a broken or fractured bones in the leg.
Neck Injury Severe (i) £139,210 In the severe category there are three further subcategories. These include different categories and types of injuries and levels of possible payout.
Neck Injury Moderate £7,410 to £36,120 As with the severe category above, there are three further subcategories in this section. There are different compensation brackets within this.
Back Injury Severe £36,390 to £151,070 Those affected could fit into three different subcategories and commensurate levels of damages.
Back Injury Moderate £11,730 to £36,390 This are are still two further categories of moderate injuries and degrees of damages which are included in the moderate bracket.

Your general damages compensation payout compensates you for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity that you experienced because of your injuries. In addition, you might receive special damages compensation. Special damages will reimburse you for your out of pocket expenses related to your injuries.

You may be eligible to claim the following special damages.:

  • Medical costs
  • Reimbursement for loss of income
  • Travel costs
  • Care costs
  • Mobility equipment costs
  • The cost of adapting your home

Contact Us If You Have Been Offered Compensation Without A Solicitor

If you are in the process of deciding to make a personal injury claim, medical negligence claim or even data breach claim why not call our advisers for some free legal advice. They will assess your compensation claim for free with no obligation to use the services we offer. Once they have assessed your case and the evidence you may have collected they can provide you with some free legal advice. If they can see that your claim has a chance of succeeding they will offer you the services of our panel of solicitors.

All the solicitors on our panel offer a No Win No Fee service for any claim they agree to work on. This means that if your case is accepted you will not have to pay any upfront fees. Nor will you have to pay any fees while the case progresses. If the claim fails no fees are required for the service you have received. When a claim is won a percentage, which is capped, is taken from the settlement for the solicitor’s work.

Learn More

To learn more about claiming compensation, please consider reading the articles below.

How To Get A Personal Injury Lawyer For Your Claim

Claiming Compensation For A Non-Fault Accident

How To Claim Loss Of Earnings After A Car Accident

Government Guide To Claiming Compensation. 

NHS – Where To Get Medical Treatment.

Thank you for reading our guide on what to do if you are offered compensation without a solicitor.