Q&A - With the country in lockdown can I still make a claim for accident injuries?

Q:  Two years ago, I was involved in a road traffic accident. A van crashed into the side of my car on a roundabout and I suffered a fracture to my elbow which needed an operation.

At the time I did not bother making a claim for personal injury. My boss had paid me in full for the time I had off work and my car insurers sorted out the vehicle claim, so I didn’t really feel a claim was necessary. However, my arm still is not right and recently I have been thinking about my accident and wondering whether I should claim before it is too late. With the country in lockdown though, I am assuming there is no point in contacting a solicitor to make a claim at the moment?

A:  You would be wrong to make that assumption. You should certainly contact a solicitor, particularly as you have not fully recovered from your injuries. It is also important to explore what is causing your ongoing pain and to see whether you would benefit from further medical treatment or other therapies (such as physiotherapy).

Thousands of personal injury solicitors across the country are working from home and a vital part of that work includes taking on new claims. Your claim can be dealt with without face to face contact with your solicitor, as solicitors have adapted their usual working practices and are able to effectively communicate with clients by telephone, email and letter.

One aspect of your claim which might be slightly delayed is in obtaining a medical report, due to social distancing. However, in many cases it is still possible if the expert is able to assess your injuries by video call.

You should contact a local solicitor to get your claim in motion, as the time limit for bringing a personal injury claim is 3 years from the date of your accident. Don’t delay!

Article 18/05/2020

This question has been answered by Claire Parfitt a Solicitor with GHP Legal.  If you would like to speak to someone about this or any other legal matter it is still possible and we are doing everything we can to ensure that we continue to offer our high levels of service to our clients.  In accordance with government guidelines, most of our lawyers are currently working remotely which means you may not now receive a response as promptly as you may expect. Please kindly bear with us and we will respond as soon as we are able.

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