Get Fair Compensation With Road Accident Solicitors

Most of us don’t come into contact with road accident solicitors very often and we all hope we will never need to. All the same, accidents do happen, so imagine this. You’re going about your business driving in your car when you’re hit in the rear by another car. You weren’t to blame for the accident. As you are legally obliged to, you stop and exchange insurance details and go about getting home, planning to contact your insurance company later in the day.

Then, also imagine that at home, before you have even found the time to call your insurers, a representative from the other driver’s insurance company knocks on your door. He or she then offers to write you a cheque on the spot in compensation for your injuries and losses. So you think, this is super!

However, road accident solicitors might advise you to stop and reflect on whether this is such a great deal after all. More and more insurance companies are contacting the claimant offering to settle their claim right away. It is no accident that insurers usually do this very swiftly after the accident. There have even been some reports of insurance company employees making offers of settlements at the very scene of the accident.

Of course, this all seems like very efficient service on the insurance companies’ parts, but road accident solicitors warn against the practice. Think about the reasons why insurance companies would want claims settled so quickly. Think about why an honest insurer would want to compensate a driver for their injuries before they had even seen a doctor or received legal advice.

Many road accident solicitors and personal injury lawyer associations are warning that companies are actually trying to save themselves some money whilst claiming to provide efficient service. This is because, should they agree to the proposed amount of compensation, the insurance company requires the claimant to sign a form stating that they accept the offer in full and final settlement of the claim. In other words, once that form is signed the claim is legal concluded and regardless of what happens there is no going back and claiming any further money, even with the help of road accident solicitors.

Consumers therefore run the risk of accepting a claim worth less than what they’re entitled to and what they may need. After a road accident it is not uncommon for the full extent of injuries to become clear after several days or even weeks. It is important to remember that amongst other things, compensation money is intended to pay for any ongoing treatment that may be required, so it is important to understand the injuries before accepting a settlement. Road accident solicitors therefore advise that consumers should seek legal and medical advice before agreeing to any settlement.

The Association of British Insurers has created a voluntary code of practice to try to protect consumers from being left out of pocket by this practice. It states that insurers attempting to settle claims early with the claimant must make sure that he or she is aware of their right to independent legal advice. It also suggests that making initial contact by letter or telephone rather than in person at a claimant’s address avoids intimidation.

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