When making a personal injury claim, it is important that you feel comfortable with your Solicitor if you appoint one. Experience and transparency are important for ensuring that you understand the process and are successful. It is essential that you are confident in your Solicitor’s abilities.
So that you can be sure of your choice, we have put together a short guide on what you should bear in mind when choosing a Solicitor to deal with your claim. The questions below are designed to ensure that you receive the information you need before proceeding.
Ask About Their Personal Injury Case Experience
Is the firm suitable for my case?
Solicitor’s firms come in all sizes and capacities. Even an experienced personal injury firm might not always have the people or resources to assist you fully.
The Irish Claims Board has a Certified Panel of experts including solicitors, and we can ensure a solicitor appropriate for you particular circumstances advises you on you claim.
Have you dealt with personal injury cases like mine before?
A Solicitor who has dealt with similar cases has a better chance at successfully representing your personal injury claim or medical negligence claim.
With that in mind, the Irish Claims Board has operated for over 20 years and have helped tens of thousands of clients with personal injury cases and medical negligence cases.
Our Solicitors are highly experienced litigators, who have worked on every type of personal injury claim, medical negligence claim and other civil matters. For example, they have represented clients who have suffered spinal injuries as a consequence of a car accident, burn injuries as a result of a workplace accident, a broken finger as a result of a farm accident and a broken wrists as a result of a fall on a footpath.
Over the last four decades, they have represented clients who have experienced both catastrophic injuries and minor injuries. No matter how big or small a client feels their claim is, they are committed to the claim and will ensure you are represented with the best expertise.
Who will handle my case?
The ICB Certified Experts have extensive experience in personal injury claims and medical negligence claims, putting you in capable hands. Upon contacting us, you will be put in contact with an expert who will deal with your query.
Ask About Personal Injury Claim Fees and Timelines
What are the fees?
Do not be afraid to ask your Solicitor about their legal fees. It is important that you have all the information you need upfront. A Solicitor is legally obliged to give you information about their charges.
However, when it comes to litigation and Solicitor fees in Ireland, it is not always possible for the Solicitor to give the client an exact figure at the initial stages. Where that is not possible, they must offer an estimation of their actual costs. Where neither of these is possible or practicable, they must tell you what they will base their charges on. For more information on Solicitor fees in Ireland, please see the Law Society website.
Note that, in contentious business, a Solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage of any award or settlement.
“No win no fee” Solicitors
A term commonly used in relation to Solicitors fees, (particularly in personal injury cases and medical negligence cases), is “no win no fee”. This essentially means that if you lose your case, your Solicitor will not charge a professional fee for his/her work. No win no fee arrangements allow people, who may not have the funds to pursue a claim to do so. However, it is important to note that if you lose your case, you may be liable to pay the other sides costs, and possibly the costs of your own reports and outlay etc.
How long does the process take typically for a personal injury claim like mine?
An experienced Solicitor will be able to estimate a timeline based on similar cases. There are of course multiple variants that can cause a claim to process faster or slower. Your Solicitor should be dedicated to ensuring that your claim is processed as quickly as possible.
What are the time limits for a personal injury claim?
There are strict time limits within which personal injury claims and medical negligence cases must be taken.
Generally speaking the time limit is two years but on occasions, the time limits may be shorter or longer. If you have suffered an injury, you should contact a member of our team as soon as possible.
Ask About Your Own Personal Injury Claim
Can I make a personal injury claim?
To successfully represent you in your case, an expert has to first understand your story.
Every personal injury case and medical negligence case is different so it is important to review your case with an experienced personal injury Solicitor.
At the Irish Claims Board, our Certified Solicitors will meet with you to understand your story. They are always happy to accommodate you at a time and place that best suits your needs. If you would like to speak to a member of our team outside of office hours then this of course can be arranged. They represent clients from all over the Country and are happy to accommodate a virtual consultation, via Zoom or otherwise also.
Will my case go to trial?
Some cases do go to trial, but most cases are settled by the parties involved before that.
What is my case worth?
In previous years, the Book of Quantum was used as a guide for calculating damages in personal injury cases. As of April 2021, the Personal Injuries Guidelines have replaced the Book of Quantum.
The Personal Injuries Guidelines, published by the Judicial Council, provide assistance in determining the amount of compensations payable for certain types of injuries. These guidelines aim to bring about consistency across personal injury awards.
Contact us Now
If you are looking for an assessment of your claim, either us the online calculator on this website, of submit your claim details for a free assessment on both merit and quantum by a certified expert.
