The most common questions we get asked at an initial consult are, “how much is the claim worth?”, “how much will it cost?”, and “will it be worth it in the end?”.
While we don’t know the answer to the first two questions right at the beginning, our experience across thousands of compensation claims means that we have a fairly accurate radar on whether the end result is going to justify the time, energy and cost involved in making a claim.
When you decide to make a personal injury claim
If you’ve suffered an injury, been in an accident, or you are ill, you should fully understand your legal rights before you consider making a claim. That is, talk to an expert.
If your financial circumstances make you feel like you’re limited or unable to access quality legal representation, don’t feel tempted to jump the gun and DIY (self-represent). Most compensation lawyers offer a free initial consultation, where you’ll gain a better understanding of your situation and whether you have legitimate grounds for a claim.
If you decide to claim, these are a few of the expenses we would consider:
- how your injury already has, and may continue to, impact your life
- pain and suffering
- future loss of income-earning capacity
- future out of pocket expenses
- care and assistance both in the past and in the future.
We look at the full impact this particular event has had / will continue to have on your life, and we aim to achieve a reasonable compensation amount (which tends to be more than just covering the out of pocket expenses an insurer is likely to offer you, personally).
It’s at this stage we can generally tell you how much you’ll likely receive and how difficult it might be to get it, so you’ll have a good idea whether you think it will be worth it.
When it’s worth it in the end
Whilst often, no sum of money can be enough to make up for the impact of a life-altering permanent injury, we only rarely see clients who are unsatisfied with the end result of the claim.
And if they aren’t feeling satisfied, it’s usually not the sum of compensation that results in any lack of satisfaction. It’s generally the fact that the insurer or respondent has not admitted fault or that the personalities involved in the defence of the claim made for an unpleasant claim experience.
Always seek expert advice
The legal system and the compensation claims process is complex and when you aren’t familiar with the process and your legal rights, it’s easy to feel misled or hard done by or even trying to make a claim is too hard and not worth the physical and emotional effort. This is where knowledge is key.
Although you can choose self-representation, when you have an expert in your corner fighting for you, you’re more likely to be awarded a reasonable compensation amount; more of the money you’re entitled to. Let’s not forget the emotional support and relief you’ll feel with a trusted adviser helping you. Take advantage of our free, obligation-free initial consultations if you’d like, talk to one of our experts about your claim. We’ll help you understand the options available to you so you can figure out if you think it’ll be worth it.