Motor Personal injury claim settlement

A

andyek

Guest
Hi all i was in a car crash on new years day, A car crashed into the back of the car i was a passenger in. As a result i am having really bad back,neck and sometimes arm pains, Iv been to my doctor 3 times so far and have been taking meds for the pain,My question is should i accept the insurance company's first offer giving to me?The insurance company have rang me with an offer, its lower than i expected but i am tempted to take it because as a result of my injurys i have missed days off of work and need to catch up on my bills, Med's + car payment ect. but on the other hand people have been telling me to never accept the first offer and at the same time i cant really wait for it to go to court because of bill's. Anyone who could give me some advise it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
 
Re: Personal injury claim settelment

It's tempting but you shouldn't accept anything until the full extent of your injuries is properly ascertained. The accident was only a few weeks ago, so you'll have to be patient. Seek medical advice again and see if you can gauge how long the pain is expected to last and whether there will be any lasting damage. Also, consult the Injuries Board's book of quantum, which lists average claim amounts for different injuries. It is 5 years out of date, but should give you an idea.

http://www.injuriesboard.ie/eng/Forms_and_Publications/Book_of_Quantum.pdf
 
Re: Personal injury claim settelment

you should not sell yourself short. if accident was on new years day and you are well on the road to recovery, then you can judge yourself if the offer is fair. However, if you are still suffering, then it is possibly too early to settle.
 
Re: Personal injury claim settelment

I know exactly how you feel. I found the whole process really confusing. You need to educate yourself before you make any decisions. Start by reading some articles. Most solicitors sites provide little or no information so the first place to look is the Injuries Board site: http://www.injuriesboard.ie/

Did you follow the right procedures at the time of the accident? I found this really useful http://www.injury-compensation.ie/road-traffic-accident-claims/ at least in pointing out the mistakes I made!

I presume you've already spoken to a solicitor? What does he or she say about the offer?
 
Re: Personal injury claim settelment

you should talk to a solicitor before you do anything else. normally they don't charge anything for an initial chat. in the long run you could have a serious injury like whiplash which can plague you for the rest of your life so don't jump into a quick settlement. there is great information on whiplash and how it can effect you and what to look out for. as I'm relatively new on this site I can't post the link but you will find it if you look up "injury compensation whiplash".

best of luck with it.
 
You could have approached personal injury claims specialists who can help you get compensation quickly or else there are many personal injury claim lawyers who can assist you with required guidance on making a claim and also to get suitable compensation. As they have abundant experience in handling such cases.
 
Could anyone give me some advice. I was a passanger on publin transport last year when a drink driver crashed in the vehicle in which i was a passenger on. I sought legal advice and was advised to persue a personal injury claim as I suffered back and neck injuries. On my initial consultation with my solicitor he informed me that his fees would be between €1500-€1750 irrespective the amount I receive. After agreeing to settle, my solicitor asked me if I would be happy with approximately €10,000. I agreed and he stated that eh would be back in contact with me. I received correspondence form him and it contained a photocopy of a cheque of €12,000 and deteild that the oppositions legal team had paid my solicitor fees of €1750. On the bill, my solicitor was also requesting that I pay him another €1750 as well as the €1750 he received from the oppposition. In total, his fees were €3500 half of which he got from the oppositions insurance company. This is 34% of my settlement which I feel is an excessive fee for a relatively small and short case. Could anyone give me some advice as to whether I am being overcharged.
 
I had an accident (guy decided not to stop coming off slip road and went into the back of me while i was stationary at a roundabout) over 2 years ago. I received injuries to shoulder, neck and knee (whiplash type, plus had torn just about every muscle on my left hand side which resulted in internal haemorraghing) that i still suffer with now (latest scan showing bursitis, plus i still can't hold neck comfortable upright due to weakening of muscles). I went to see a specialist after the accident (following initial A&E, GP visits etc.) who confirmed symptoms as a result of accident. My solicitors reviewed the case, realised this was not a simple 'heal itself in 3 months' issue and advised me to put the claim on hold for 2 years to fully determine the actual extent of the injuries. This is currently being looked at again, with trip to see medico-legal specialist in order to determine situation.

So, long story, i would say no, do not accept current offer if your injuries are not fully healed. |Document every expenditure as a result of the claim (mileage for trips to GP/specialist, receipts for medication/medical visits, tiem off work etc.) as this will all be reviewed as part of your claim. Did you have to have any help as a result of the accident, if so that can be claimed for as well - as i couldn't move left side of my body for a number of weeks then was not allowed to lift arm above a certain point, i had to have my ex care for me, and then fly back home to be cared for by my parents - this is taken into consideration.
 
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