Month: June 2014

Injured in a road traffic accident? Within a matter of hours you are likely to be referred by an insurer to a solicitor without even realising it. The solicitors are often owned by an insurer. Your claim will be dealt with by an unqualified claim handler who you will never see and may not be able to speak to. Their knowledge of the law will be limited because of their lack of qualifications and training. It is likely you will be seen within a few weeks by a GP and your claim could be settled within a matter of weeks.

It doesn’t have to be like this.  A solicitor should be the first point of contact for an injured claimant. Better still, a solicitor should see the claimant at their home or work at time convenient to them.

Most importantly, I believe it is important that injuries are assessed properly by suitable qualified experts.

At ASD I ensure that injured claimants are seen ‘face to face’ by a solicitor immediately. Full details are taken and arrangements are made for the client to see an orthopaedic surgeon in every case where there’s an injury to the neck or back. The client isn’t examined until at least two and a half months post accident. This ensures the injury is properly investigated and the client gets a proper settlement. If an MRI scan is required we fund it. In about 1 in 15 cases a scan is recommended of those about 1 in 10 of our clients have damage to their spine in the form of a prolapsed disc or bulge. The difference in value can be significant.

I am passionate about acting for local people who have been injured on the road or at work. I believe clients would be much better served by a local firm rather than a national one.

Richard Meggitt

Solicitor / Director

Accident Solicitors Direct

Sheffield

The first point of contact for an injured person should be a Solicitor. Sadly since the late 1990s many injury victims have been drawn into contacting claims management companies. These unqualified claims handlers exist only to make money by selling the details of the injured person to a solicitor.

Claims companies often mislead and provide inaccurate advice, claimants do not understand the agreements they are entering into. At the end of the claim, fees are deducted that the claimant was unaware of. A claims company may insist on the medic the solicitor uses. The claim will be sold to the highest bidder even if that solicitor is not local.

At ASD we have been acting for people in Sheffield and the surrounding area for over 30 years. We are solicitors and do not accept referrals from claims companies. We are an accredited practice by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. I ensure that our no win no fee scheme is transparent and understood by all our clients. I guarantee a home visit by a solicitor within three hours of the initial call. Clients receive expert advice from day one from a local specialist firm. Keep away from unqualified claims firms and go direct to local specialist.

I am passionate about acting for people in Sheffield and the surrounding area who have been injured on the road or at work. I believe clients would be much better served by a local firm rather than a national one.

Richard Meggitt Solicitor / Director

Accident Solicitors Direct

People making claims for compensation are not usually offered the facility of a face to face meeting with a qualified Solicitor.  Many never meet their Lawyer!  The majority of Solicitors simply send out confusing questionnaires for clients to complete and return. The claim is often dealt with by non-qualified staff.

I do not regard this as a professional approach to an injury claim and it is not my idea of “service”.  We can do better!

At ASD our priority is to provide the highest possible standard of service to clients. I recognise that injured people already have enough stress to cope with.  They do not need any extra hassle from their Solicitor.  When a new client contacts me with an enquiry about making a claim for compensation I arrange an immediate home visit with a Solicitor. The initial meeting often takes place the same day as the first call. I find clients are impressed by our immediate response and appreciate a meeting in their own home, without the stress and inconvenience of having to visit the Solicitor’s office, or worse deal with unqualified person over the phone or by email.

I give clear and concise advice to clients in ordinary language so that people can make an informed decision about whether or not to proceed with the claim.

I am passionate about acting for local people in Sheffield and the surrounding area who have been injured on the road or at work. I believe clients would be much better served by a local firm rather than a national one.

Richard Meggitt

Solicitor / Director

Accident Solicitors Direct

Sheffield

Many people that I speak to believe that the value of a personal injury claim is fixed, and not dependent upon the Solicitor that is used. This is fundamentally wrong. The value of a claim is not fixed but is ultimately determined by the quality of the medical evidence obtained. The medical evidence is often said to be the building blocks of a claim – get the wrong expert and you will get the wrong result.

At ASD we only act for local people and we therefore only use proven local medical experts who operate from outstanding hospitals such as the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield. Unlike the vast majority of Solicitors we do not generally instruct experts through medical agencies, but instruct the expert direct. In many situations a personal injury Solicitor has no choice but to use the agency because of a financial interest, often not disclosed to the client. In those circumstances it will be the medical agency and not the Solicitor who chooses the expert. Because we are local we have built relationships with local experts in the Sheffield area over many years. We know the type of report they provide and the likely timescales – this is not true of remote solicitors who use medical agencies because they are obliged to.

I am passionate about acting for local people who have been injured on the road or at work. I believe clients would be much better served by a local firm rather than a national one.

You can make a workplace accident claim or a serious injury if you call on  0114 2678780, email Richard Meggitt at [email protected], or complete our online form today.

Richard Meggitt

Solicitor / Director

Accident Solicitors Direct

Sheffield

+Richard Meggitt