Personal Injury Solicitor

Personal injury is defined as an injury sustained by one person because of the negligence of another and is usually the result of an accident. A personal injury solicitor is often necessary to guide a case through the legal system for the benefit of the plaintiff, who is the person who brings the personal injury lawsuit. It is necessary to determine who caused the accident in order to assign fault.

Fault is determined through a review of all information relating to the accident and includes interviewing persons involved in the accident as well as witnesses to the accident. Police reports and a reconstruction of the accident are also taken into consideration. Once fault is determined, compensation is determined.  Compensation not only covers damage to property, but injury and lost wages. Lost wages can also cover an extended period of time away from employment or the inability to return to work or earn the same wage as when the accident occurred.

In the event the plaintiff cannot return to their chosen profession, compensation will cover retraining for a new career. If the plaintiff cannot return to work at all, compensation will include support for the plaintiff and their dependents.

Most insurance companies will offer settlement to avoid litigation. The settlement is not always what the plaintiff deserves. This is where a knowledgeable personal injury solicitor will protect the rights and the interests of their client, the plaintiff. A personal injury solicitor may be able to negotiate a suitable settlement out of court, which will save the time and aggravation, and not to mention the stress that goes along with such an event.

Whether the settlement is made in or out of court does not matter, the agreement will be a binding legal action in favour of the client. Compensation, usually a financial settlement, may be paid in one lump sum or it may be paid out in a series of smaller payments over the course of a specified time.

No matter how the compensation is made, it has to be managed to assure the client of the maximum use. The money has to last for the time frame specified and cover the items as noted under the agreement. The fee for some personal injury solicitor’s work will be a percentage of the award, while some solicitor’s will file a claim against the defendant and their insurance company to cover their fee.