Accidents can happen to us all and, especially when we’re pushing into our advanced years, the likelihood of an accident or injury at work increases. Indeed, those limbs and ligaments become a heck of a lot more fragile as the autumn of your life winds on – but that doesn’t mean you should simply accept an accident in your workplace.
You’ve all seen those adverts on the telly – they begin with an unassuming worker tripping over or having some boxes dropped on his head. Then, a sharply-dressed lawyer-looking type will appear on-screen and ask, “Have you suffered an accident in your workplace?”
The rest of the story often, because of the brevity of a television spot, makes it all seem too easy. The courts are called upon and the injured claimant wins their prize. Frankly, the ads seem too good to be true.
But, these aren’t snake oil commercials – over three million people are injured in accidents every year, and every one of them has the legal right to seek out a personal injury claim lawyer.
Understanding the legal process
If you’ve suffered an accident, how do you start the judicial process?
First off, you should contact a personal injury claim lawyer and provide them with as much detail as possible. The date and circumstance of your accident, any medical reports, the personal effect it’s had on you, witnesses and any other pertinent details should all be provided to give your lawyer the full lay of the land.
After the lawyer has all they need, they will tell you if the case is viable or not. If it’s deemed legally sound they’ll send a claim letter to the defendant. There is then a period of time within which the defendant must respond. If they accept liability, your solicitor will attempt to settle the matter out of court.
However, if they deny liability then a court case is the next step. Your case is passed onto a judge, who will timetable in a hearing. Naturally, by this point your solicitor will have prepared your case in as much detail as possible. Allow them to be your guiding hand in all matters legal.
A large number of the lawyers who cover personal injury cases will also work on a “no win, no fee” policy, meaning that you won’t have costly court bills should your case not stand up to scrutiny. You should also be aware that a lawyer can charge a success fee that isn’t allowed to exceed more than 25 per cent of the damages recovered.
Numerous people walk away from their workplace after injury with nothing to show for it. But, with a decent pay-out, you could have a healthier pension pot and be able to recoup your losses after time away from work.
At the end of the day, no one intends to have an accident at work, just as no boss intends to create an unsafe business environment. But, such negligence has to be paid for. So,if you want to see how much you might be due, give a claims lawyer a call.
