Following your car accident, you might be injured and bedridden. It’s possible you’re going to need to take a lot of time off work. This can have severe negative effects on your finances and can lead to a stressful home life. You could be entitled to compensation for your accident. This could be vital for getting you back on your feet again and easing some of the financial burdens of being off work.
But many people get intimidated by the idea of a claim and are often unsure of how to start. Here are some things you need to do if you want to make a compensation claim following your accident.
Find Out if You Have a Case
The first step you need to take is to check whether you have a case for compensation. If your accident wasn’t your fault, then there’s a good bet you will have a good case for a compensation claim. But make sure you research and find out whether you’re eligible. It will save you a lot of time, effort and stress. There’s nothing worse than filing a case and having no chance of success. If you’re positive the accident wasn’t your fault take down all the details you can remember about the incident. If you have details of a person who witnessed the accident call them up and see if they’re willing to back you up.
Hire a Lawyer
The next thing you’re going to want to do is to hire a lawyer. This will help you and your claim out in the long run. Making a claim for compensation can be a convoluted and complex process. You need a talk to an accident lawyer who will fight for you and get the best deal for you. An accident lawyer is familiar with the process and can advise you on how the events will occur. They’ll have a good idea of whether you have a good case and what response you might expect. They can also make suggestions on a compensation figure and give you advice on how to combat the opposition lawyers. With a lawyer fighting for you there’s a much better chance of success, and you get to relax and focus on getting better.
Prepare for a Long Process
With any claims system, there is always a process. And the bottom line is that the insurance companies don’t want to pay out. They never want to pay out. And if they have to they’ll try to delay it as long as they possibly can. This is why you need to have a lawyer. But prepare yourself for the reality that this process might well be a long one. You’re likely to be looking at months before you claim’s addressed and granted. Maybe even longer. Don’t get despondent, just make sure you understand these things take a while.
Think About an Out of Court Settlement
At some point during the process, you’re likely to get offered an out of court settlement. Most people don’t want a long, drawn-out court case. It can be stressful, not to mention bad publicity. An out of court settlement benefits everyone, in theory. Prepare for the offer or tell your lawyer you’d like to request one. You might change your mind once you receive the offer. But at the start you could do much worse than an out of court settlement.
