Personal injury claim cases rely on information to be processed effectively. Without this key information, a case can be challenged and the chances of claim success are greatly reduced. As such, it’s critical that you provide your accident advice company with all of the information that they need, information which will be requested from you during the claims process.
To begin with, your accident advice company will ask two questions:
- Where and when did the accident happen?
- How did the accident happen?
As long as you have sustained an injury as a result of an accident that was somebody else’s fault, and that accident happened within the last three years, you will have a strong case and the right to make a claim for compensation. If you were a minor at the time of the accident, that three year claim timeframe can be extended, and so too in the case of industrial diseases.
Once you have established your eligibility to make a claim for compensation, your accident advice company will require a number of documents to process your claim. Each document has a purpose and will strengthen your claim and this will reduce the risk of it being challenged.
Typical documents that may be requested by your accident advice company include:
- A comprehensive write-up of how the accident happened;
- Police reports in the case of a road traffic accident or criminal injury;
- CCTV recordings if they are available;
- Eye-witness statements if at all possible;
- Medical records and a doctor’s certificate from a medical examination.
Of course, documents required vary from case to case. The above covers what information may be requested of you for your injury, however to seek compensation for loss of earnings, your accident advice company will need different information. This information might include:
- Proof of loss of earnings and lost overtime;
- Receipts and expense records as a result of your injury.
Your claim for compensation will be made up of general damages (injury) and special damages (out-of-pocket expenses). If you have had an accident that has impacted your earnings and has led to financial hardship, your accident advice company will need all relevant information surrounding this in order to process your claim effectively.
You do not have to provide your accident advice company with:
- Personal information that’s unrelated to your accident;
- Financial information that’s unrelated to your accident;
- Information about family, friends, and others unrelated to the accident.
To find out more about accident claims and the information you may need to provide your accident advice company, please call the free and no obligation accident and advice helpline on 0800 689 0500 or from your mobile on 0333 500 0993.