How Can I Help With My Personal Injury Claim?
When it comes to the personal injury claim process, your solicitor will act on your behalf to minimise your involvement. This is the case, so that you can concentrate on recovering and getting your life back on track.
The only real input you will have into your case will be an interview and attending a medical examination. However, these are case-critical inputs, so there are naturally ways that you can help your solicitor build you a strong case.
Always Tell the Truth about your Accident
The first bit of advice we have for you is to always tell the truth. The process for claiming personal injury compensation is built on statements and evidence and the statements you make are crucial to the strength of your case. However lying or ‘bending’ the truth is not an option, because this is fraud which is a criminal offence. If you are unsure about how your accident happened then say this during your interview. Being truthful will give you a clean conscience and ensure that the other side’s investigations go smoothly. Your solicitor will inform you about your rights, however, so that you provide the information that’s needed.
Tell your Examiner About All your Symptoms
You will attend a medical examination set up by your solicitor around a week or so after you have your interview. This examination aims to ascertain the extent of your injuries, your recovery period and a prognosis for the future. The examiner will ask you about your accident and your symptoms. You should tell your examiner about all your symptoms no matter how insignificant they may be. If you have trouble sleeping or you have anxiety after the accident, tell your examiner about this so they can include it in your medical report. This medical report will be used to form the basis of your personal injury settlement demand.
Provide All Documents Asked of You
Your solicitor will inform you of the documents they need from you to support your claim and you should do your best to provide all of these. The documents they will require from you are unlikely to be about your accident or injuries, but rather regarding your out of pocket expenses and bills related to your injuries. So your pay slips and overtime pay slips will need to be provided as will any receipts for travel expenses or medical bills, so that a strong claim for special damages can be made on your behalf. In terms of medical records, your solicitor will retrieve these documents themselves, however you will at some point have to sign a GP Form of Authority to grant your solicitor access to these.
