Selecting the right lawyer at the start of a personal injury case is the single most important thing a client can do to influence the outcome of their case. This short guide has been prepared to help people who have been injured in accidents to make an informed decision when choosing a personal injury solicitor:

Why is it important to choose the right solicitor?

Complex and Serious Personal injury claims involve large sums of money and can take many years to fully resolve.  It is therefore important that you have confidence in your solicitor and trust they have the knowledge and skill to get you full compensation.  The difference between a good solicitor and a bad solicitor can be the difference between winning or losing your case.  Or the difference between negotiating a great settlement or accepting unnecessary and costly compromises.  In personal injury cases, the Defendants are almost always represented by large insurance companies, who have the budget to instruct specialist teams of experienced lawyers.  They work hard to reduce the amount of compensation you receive.  You require an experienced professional to fight and win on your behalf.

What should I look out for when choosing a personal injury solicitor?

We advise you to look for reassurance in the following areas:

Experience

The way personal injury lawyers are paid has changed over recent years. This means (generally) solicitors’ firms don’t earn as much money from personal injury cases as they used to.  Many firms have responded to this change by recruiting non-qualified, cheap staff and giving them large caseloads.  Other firms, such as LLB Solicitors, have focused on quality and speed.  Our approach is to employ only experienced solicitors and ensure they have small caseloads so they can dedicate the necessary time to each client.  This produces better, and faster, results for our clients.  At LLB Solicitors we guarantee your case will be handled by a dedicated qualified solicitor from start to finish.  This is not true for many of our competitors.  Make sure you ask questions about the qualifications and experience of the solicitor who will be handling your case.

Qualifications

In addition to ensuring you are represented by a qualified professional we advise you to ensure that the firm you instruct is registered as a firm of solicitors with Solicitors Regulation Authority.  You can check a firm is registered with the SRA by looking out for this badge, which all regulated solicitors are required to display.  You will find this at the bottom of every page of our website:

Further, you should look out for the Law Society Personal Injury Panel badge which demonstrates the firm you have chosen has skill in Personal Injury claims.

How much?

Most solicitors operate similar charging structures to one another.  It is now commonplace for Personal Injury cases to be funded by ‘no win, no fee’ agreements.  The funding of personal injury claims has been made extremely complicated by various governments over the last 20 years.  Your solicitor should take the time to explain the funding to you clearly and answer all your questions.  Be wary of cutting corners or looking for the cheapest deal.  The goal should be to maximise your compensation via skilled representation, not find the cheapest possible service which is ultimately likely to delay your case and/or hit you in the pocket via a reduced compensation award.  You can read more about funding options here.

Proven Track Record

Ask your solicitor if they have experience of dealing with Personal Injury claims and if so, for how long.  Have they represented clients in similar circumstances to yours?  Do they have testimonials from previous cases?

Nationwide Service

We represent clients nationally across England and Wales from our offices in Stockport and Tarporley.  View our location details here.   If it is important for you to receive home visits you should ask your solicitor if they provide this service.  Our solicitors routinely visit clients at home right across the country.  Other clients prefer to deal with their cases in writing, or over the phone, or visit us at our offices, or a combination of all.  Make sure your solicitor offers your preferred way of communicating before you instruct them.  We also represent clients of many nationalities, so if you worry about your English language skills, we can arrange interpreters to assist.

Practical & Personal

Finally, it is important that you feel comfortable with your solicitor.  As well as being experts in their fields, all our solicitors are approachable and friendly.  We understand that a personal injury claim is more than just ‘case processing’.  A good personal injury solicitor should provide tailored advice, skilled representation and personal support.  We achieve these goals by being available to speak to you, to listen to you, to understand the outcome you are looking to achieve, and to fight hard for you and your family.

If you have suffered a personal injury, or have another legal problem you need help with, please contact our specialist solicitors today for a free no obligation discussion.

You can call us on 0161 989 9400 or complete the contact us form.

LLB Solicitors 20/04/2021