So who is best to instruct?
Firstly – take care not to get duped!
Many people will let their insurers deal with it all. If you’re fully comprehensive, your insurers will probably say they can pass you to their solicitors and many will just go along with it.
Before you know it, there could be chap round your house getting you to sign a load of documents as well. Only once you have actually gone through everything will they then hit you with the news that you will lose between 25%-40% of your compensation in fees.
You may even have to pay upfront fees as well for insurance or administration costs.
So what should I do?
Beware of cold callers. Ask specifically how people have got your information. We, for example, do not pass or receive people’s details round at all. We are an actual law firm, so it wouldn’t make sense for us to pass you to someone else because we actually deal with the claim.
All our clients come directly to us, and you should make sure to always get a lawyer directly in my opinion.
Costs are important
Most lawyers will take up to 25% from your claim because of law changes last year. If there are middlemen claims agencies and advice services involved, they may have their own additional charges as well.
Some people are told by other law firms that everyone charges 25%, and some are told that no one can charge any less. That’s not true, because we can offer lower deductions. Some may ask for upfront fees too, which is not something we normally do.
What about repairs and hire? Do I have to use my insurer’s solicitor because of this?
No – you can have a firm of lawyers dealing with the personal injury claim, and your own insurers can deal with the hire and repairs if you want. Or we can deal with it all if you want to keep it in house with one company if you like – we offer the full package.
We also offer private medical care too and we often find this is hugely beneficial for whiplash victims to have.