Car crash - Personal Injury Lawyers/Insurance claim

dorsetmiss_2

Haven't a clue where to post this so apologies if in wrong place. It just seems vaguely insurance-related

I was involved in a car crash a couple of days ago, (as a passenger), and despite extensive damage to both cars everyone managed to walk away seemingly unhurt. Each driver insisted it was the other's fault and there were no other witnesses and so the police said it would just be left to the insurance companies to sort things out.

I was surprised to get a phone call yesterday from a firm of personal injury lawyers saying that they had been appointed to deal with the case and would I like them to act on my behalf to make a claim. They knew so much information about me and the circumstances of the accident that I was quite unnerved. The thought of claiming for anything hadn't even entered my head as quite frankly I was just glad to be alive!

However, it now transpires that I do have a couple of problems with soft tissue damage and neck pain and because of this I saw my GP yesterday for pain relief. My GP has advised me to pursue a claim for damages as unfortunately one of the new injuries is in the area of an existing problem and could possibly have repercussions medically in the future.

I have not had any experience of anything like this before and have always despised those 'ambulance-chasing' - type of personal injury lawyers. I really do not know what to do. Is it worth pursuing a claim? If so, should I go with the firm that say they have been 'appointed', (will they be independent or might they be connected with one of the driver's insurance companies?), or should I find one myself?

I really would appreciate any thoughts or comments......

Astaroth

The Legal Expenses cover of the vehicle you were in at the time will almost certainly cover the cost of legal representation for you to make a claim. As strange as it may seem it is cheaper for them to fund a claim for you to get compensation from them this way than it is for you to go through a no win no fee option.

As liability is going to be in dispute then it is worth looking to see if you have any other legal expenses cover (eg RAC membership, possibly home insurance) which would also cover the claim to avoid the conflict of interests. If you do not have your own LE cover then you need to ensure that the firm of solicitors representing yourself is different to the one representing the driver of the vehicle you are in.

As to is it worth claiming? That ultimately is only something you can decide on (though you do have 3 years to make the decision). A PI claim doesnt get settled over night and will most likely involving prying into your medical history (esp as you mention you have a pre-existing condition/ injury) and being prodded and poked by medical experts to assess the extent of your pain, suffering and loss of amenities