What do I need to make a personal injury claim?

However, the documents needed generally vary on the circumstances of the individual case.

Evidence requirements for an accident claim

Once you have decided on your solicitor, at the outset of your claim, they will explain the documents you will need to produce to support your claim. You will be known as the Claimant (the party that is bringing the claim) meaning you will need to prove it with a sufficient amount of evidence showing who is to be held liable.

Below we will discuss the required documents at the outset of a compensation claim.

Evidence and documents required at the outset

The documents needed will relate to identification and funding issues. With regards to money laundering regulations, your solicitor may request identification documents at the outset of your claim thus enabling your solicitor to comply with certain regulations and open up your file correctly.

The initial matter that will be discussed between you and your solicitor will be how you, as the Claimant, intend to fund your claim. Following this, you may be asked to provide copies of insurance policies you have which may include, motor or household insurance – these will be checked in order to see if you’ve acquired pre-existing legal expense insurance which may be able to assist with the funding of your claim.

Proving liability

Prior to deciding whether you’d like to proceed with your claim, your solicitor will assess your chances of success. To do this, your solicitor will require:

– Any written reports covering any details and/or specifics about the accident i.e. where the accident happened; if any police attended etc.
– Documentation you have from any witnesses
– Photos from the location of the accident
– Photos of your injuries

These types of documents may also be required a little later on through your claim if liability becomes an issue. Under these particular circumstances, you will be asked to provide the other party’s insurance company with further documentation and evidence. Varying on the type of accident, this may involve:

– Accident in the workplace – specifications of damaged machinery that is responsible for the accident
– Industrial disease – any medical evidence that presents the cause of the industrial disease and how it links to the company responsible
– Road traffic accident – sketch plan of the position of vehicles and any photos of the road markings
– Trip or slip – Photos that capture a raised paving slab or any other tripping hazard that is responsible for your fall

Photographic evidence

It will be useful for you to take photos of your injuries as these will help with the value of your claim. This is a crucial step if you have come out of an accident with scarring.

Log the events

It is advised to log the events that occurred, recalling everything from the circumstances that lead up to the accident (regarding a road traffic accident, the4 weather conditions, visibility levels and the speed/flow of the traffic) to the events that immediately followed the accident (conversations with witnesses, calls made to and from your GP and/or insurance companies, conversation with the other party/employers).

Make note of family and friends who had helped you if you were in the hospital; who visited and what assistance you needed from them etc.

For further information on personal injury law and personal injury Northampton, please get in touch.