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I have legal expense insurance so do I need my own Solicitor?

Many people have legal expense insurance attached to their motor insurance which can be used for road traffic claims or household contents insurance [often attached to their mortgage] which can be used for other accidents even those outside the home. This is good news for many people and enables them not to worry about legal fees. However, many of these legal expense insurers have Panels of solicitors who pay the legal expense insurer for these claims to be passed on to them. This generates extra income for the legal expense insurer. Usually the Panel solicitors are based far away from the place where the accident occurred and have no real understanding of the local environment which can be very important for example if the layout of the road is important in a road traffic accident.

It also means that if you instruct a Panel solicitor it is unlikely that they will be based in your area and so you cannot visit the Panel Solicitor regularly at their office and much of the contact with the Panel Solicitor is via anonymous phone calls or letters.

Another problem is that the legal expense companies try to say that you cannot use any other Solicitor other than the Panel Solicitors, which is incorrect as you always have freedom of choice to instruct the lawyer of your choice.

If you or your family or friends have been unfortunate to have an accident, we would be happy to accept your instructions. We can visit you at home, hospital or office at a time and place convenient to you. Just give us a call on 01484 300192.

date added: 08-July-2008

I have been approached directly by my opponents insurers, so do I need my own Solicitor?

As you know, we are one of the few firms in the Huddersfield area who specialise exclusively in personal injury claims. We do not deal with any other areas of law such as conveyancing or wills but have a wealth of experience and expertise in dealing with accident claims. Helen Grieves, our founder, is a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel and a Senior Litigator Member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

Even if you, your friends or relatives already have an accident claim with another firm of solicitors it is possible for them to transfer their files to us at no cost to them.

It is important to beware of 'third party capture'. What happens is that insurers acting for the guilty party who has caused an accident will try and buy off your claim. How do they do this? They will approach someone who has had an accident direct and offer them a settlement straightaway which may be far below what their claim is actually worth. Why do they do this? To save themselves money. They know that if the injured party consults a Professional, that Professional will fight tooth and nail to obtain for their client the maximum compensation they deserve. This is what we would do if we were instructed to deal with your compensation claim.

The guilty party’s insurers on the other hand are only interested in saving money and will often make an offer far below what the injured person deserves, often without obtaining medical evidence. Medical evidence should always be obtained. Why is medical evidence necessary? Medical evidence will shows the extent and duration of the injury and indicate whether or not there will be any problems in the future from the accident e.g. arthritis from a fracture which may prevent someone from working at some time in the future.

Unfortunately, people who have had accidents are enticed to accept an amount of compensation which is often far below what they deserve.

It is important not to accept any offer without consulting a Solicitor to ensure that you are receiving the amount of money you deserve. We can guide you through the compensation process and obtain a settlement you really deserve so don't hesistate to contact us on 01484 300192.

date added: 08-July-2008