Things to remember before starting the Personal Injury claim process

When faced with unexpected accidents or injuries, individuals often consider starting the personal injury claim process to secure compensation for their physical, emotional and financial challenges. During these trying times, seeking compensation through a personal injury claim can be a crucial step towards regaining control and rebuilding one’s life. However, starting the personal injury claim process requires careful consideration and a comprehensive understanding of the limitations you have.

In this article, we explain the limitations you have, other important factors to remember and how to make a personal injury claim yourself!

3 things to consider before starting the personal injury claim process 

Before beginning the personal injury claim process, it’s important to be aware that normally, Court proceedings must be issued within 3 years of your accident if it has not been settled.

There are other important factors you need to remember when bringing a claim.

Here are 3 important considerations and limitations to remember:

1. Time limitations – Personal injury claims have strict time limits as to when the claim can be started. The time limit is usually three years from the date of the accident to bring the claim. However, there are exceptions to this, such as being a minor, so you must check with a solicitor as soon as possible.
2. Record important details – You need to record as much information as possible about the accident. For example, what happened, when did it happen, where did it happen, what were your injuries, who was involved, were there any witnesses, what appointments did you attend as a result of the accident and what expenses have you incurred as a result?
3. Report the accident to relevant parties – You need to ensure that the accident is reported to relevant parties. For example, if you have a trip in a shop you must report the incident to the shop manager before leaving the store.

How long will a personal injury claim take? 

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a set time for finalising personal injury claims, it can vary up to several years. Some aspects of the claim, for example giving the defendant time to respond, cannot be sped up. The duration of the claim will often depend on the duration of your injury recovery. We recommend you wait until your injuries have resolved before settling the claim so that we can ensure you get the correct level of compensation. We always say that claims take at least 6-12 months but it could be longer if we need to issue court proceedings and take the claim to court. 

How to make a personal injury claim yourself?

If you believe you are entitled to compensation for injuries that were not your fault, then you must start the personal injury claim process within 3 years of the accident taking place or from the date that you realised your injuries were a result of your accident. There are strict exceptions to this, therefore we would always recommend seeking legal advice at the earliest opportunity. 

To begin the personal injury claim process, you would need to contact an experienced personal injury solicitor who will evaluate your claim’s viability. Once your solicitor has started your claim they will liaise with you regarding the time frame and documents required. If you believe you may have a personal injury claim, then you should get legal advice as soon as possible. Contact our expert Doncaster Personal Injury Solicitors on 01302 341414 or our Sheffield solicitors on 0114 272 1884. Alternatively, you can leave an enquiry via our online enquiry form.