

It is important that you should know your rights and what to do when involved in a RTA, regardless of whether any prosecution took place following the accident, or whether you suffer immediate consequences. The level of proof required for pursuing compensation is lower than that for criminal conviction, and some injury symptoms may not appear for some time afterwards.
You should consult a solicitor who is a specialist in RTAs as soon as possible after the accident, while details are still fresh in your mind.
You are entitled to claim for compensation if you are injured in a RTA where someone else was at fault. If the driver of another vehicle was responsible, or you are a passenger in a vehicle whose driver was to blame, you may claim. Similarly, if you were a pedestrian crossing the road responsibly and were hit by a vehicle whose driver caused the accident, you may also claim.
Many personal injury solicitors will not charge for advice given during the first meeting. Only once they have decided whether you may have a case will they consider proceeding, when they will charge for further advice. You will then have to agree how your solicitor’s fees are to be paid in the event that you win, lose, or drop the case.
While you will already have a close relationship with the solicitor who handles your affairs, such as writing a will, arranging property transfers and so on, you should always go to a solicitor who specialises in giving advice on personal injury claims.
The effects of an injury can be wide ranging and more than your legal rights are involved in determining your eligibility for, and amount of, compensation. For this reason, a solicitor requires a combination of legal and medical expertise, and most personal injury solicitors will have built up a list of useful contacts and barristers’ chambers to call on when specialist advice is required.
In the first instance, check that your solicitor’s firm includes lawyers who are accredited members of the two principle legal bodies in this field; the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIC) and the Law Society’s personal injury panel. You should also ask if they have solicitors who belong to associations for the specific injury your claim is about – for example the Spinal Injuries Association or the Headway Panel.
You should also ask your solicitor about their record in personal injury claims. Can they give you any case histories of advice given for successful claims similar to yours?