Compensation Claiming Myths Busted!

Since personal injury solicitors became readily and more easily available to the British public in the 90’s there has been a tonne of myths and misinformation surrounding the injury sector. Here at Jefferies Solicitors, we want to prove that they’re just myths and nothing more.

People have been scared off from making claims in the past due to some of the bad publicity before, but like anything the press does and always will it has to create bad publicity and use scare tactics because they sell.

If you’ve suffered an injury that was through no fault of your own then you shouldn’t be worried about making a claim, through law you’re entitled to receive compensation for your accident.

“Legal costs are just too expensive for the average person, how am I meant to afford them?”

If you’re claiming for personal injury the way Jefferies work is simple, on a no win no fee basis. If your claim is unsuccessful then you will be charged nothing at all, if you win there will be charge capped at 30% of past loss and insurance premium. If you are contacting Jefferies regarding other areas of legal advice such as motoring offences then you will be charged a fee. These fees are set out in our motoring fees service, you should always check your motoring insurance policy before contacting Jefferies as sometimes it may cover legal costs for motoring offences.

“I heard that claims are complex and time-consuming, that sounds like a lot of hassle.”

Mostly false. While more serious injuries can take longer, straightforward cases – where responsibility for the accident is accepted – can settle in months. The claims process is usually easy for the claimant and they don’t have to do much work. The claimant will be required to fill in a bit of paperwork at the beginning but beyond that, your solicitor will do the majority of the work.

“Will claiming against my employer get me sacked?”

If you’re injured at work you shouldn’t fear losing your job. By law, you are protected and it is your right to compensation if you are injured at your workplace and your employer is liable. Most employers would not think to dismiss their employee if they claim compensation and the majority of employers are insured against employee compensation claims. In the unlikely chance you were dismissed for claiming against your employer when injured in the workplace, it would be appropriate for you to appeal an unfair dismissal.

“Compensation claims can take years to settle.”

As previously mentioned compensation claims may settle within months unless the liability is disputed or it is quite a serious injury. Throughout the majority of the claiming process, your solicitor will look after everything and is normally hassle-free for the claimant.

“Do you have to go to court to win compensation?”

Not all claims have to go to court, most of the claims we deal with are settled out of court. Most insurers recognise that court can be a lengthy and expensive process and will generally want to avoid going to court at all costs. The only time a claimant will need to go to court is when there is a dispute between the two parties, normally claims we accept we are almost sure the claimant will win and there will be no dispute between liability.

“Why would I need a solicitor when I can go straight to my insurance company?”

A: Yes, generally an insurance company may treat you well and be in your favour if the liability is clearly on the other party, however, insurers may not have the same level of expertise as solicitors in litigation and may not be able to maximise the compensation available to you in the way that a solicitor can. A solicitor will take into account multiple factors to calculate the compensation potentially owed to you, while these factors may not be considered by your insurer.

“We live in a compensation culture, people will claim for anything”

The industry takes claims very seriously and will only accept viable claims, so people cannot just claim for anything. However, you shouldn’t be put off from claiming and you shouldn’t be made to feel that it’s wrong to seek redress. We’re lucky as UK citizens to have the option to claim compensation and it shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Published on 14th October 2015.