If you have been injured in a cycling accident, the most important thing on your mind should be recovering from the mental and physical trauma. However, the pain, hassle and expense which come as a result of injury can add to your stress and hinder your recovery. Therefore when making a personal injury claim as a result of an accident, choosing the right legal advisor is vital to minimise your stress and maximise your chance of gaining compensation.
We have all been bombarded by the highly-polished adverts on the television from claims management companies offering you “no-win-no-fee” advice and promising “100% of the compensation”. But did you know that your local high street solicitors can offer you the same deal, but provide you with highly experienced solicitors? These lawyers may not be quite as slick as those splashed across our television screens, but they are specialists with a wealth of knowledge and experience.
So why should you choose your local solicitor:
1) Expertise: Solicitors at a high street firm will be qualified and experienced. A claims handler from a claims management company will not have the expertise of a qualified solicitor.
2) Regulated: As well as having expertise, solicitors are highly regulated professionals and may be certified as experts by professional bodies, such as The Law Society and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). A personal injury solicitor at your high street firm will have to follow strict procedures and good practice, thereby giving you the best possible legal service. Claims management companies, by comparison, do not operate to the same standards and therefore there is no guarantee that your claim will be handled as competently.
3) Face-to-face advice: A solicitor will meet with you face-to-face, they will speak to you directly about your accident, and they will see your injuries firsthand. If you are seriously injured, home or hospital visits can also be arranged. With a claims management company, your contact will most likely be solely via the telephone or by email.
4) Familiarity: If using a claims management company, it is likely your claim will be dealt with by a number of different people. Using a local solicitor guarantees somebody who is familiar with you and your claim, meaning they can deal with your claim from start to finish and stay with you each step of the way. This can be important as many cases take a number of years to conclude.
5) Specialists: If you choose the high street, you can select a firm with lawyers who specialise in the area relevant to your claim. Shop around a bit and find the right firm with the right lawyer for you.
6) Insured: All solicitors must have insurance to practice law. If your solicitor does a bad job and you suffer financially, you will always have a remedy of suing for professional negligence. Claims Management Companies offer no such certainty.
At Dowse & Co, our Cycling Accident Service offers bespoke legal advice to those seeking to claim compensation after a cycling accident. Please either call Patrick Spence on 020 7254 6205 or e-mail ps@dowse.co.uk if you have any further queries about cycling accident claims, or if you need assistance in pursuing such a claim.
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