For most people going through a personal injury case, the experience can be quite the whirlwind. You might not really be in a place to throw yourself into legal proceedings when you’re recovering from an injury, or defending yourself against an allegation, for example, as a business owner. While many of the people involved in a case may not have a huge amount of facetime with the claimant and defendant – often these two can be kept away from the finer negotiations and jargon-filled arbitration periods – there’s value in knowing who you’re dealing with as a claimant or defendant and who can help you during a case.
Solicitors
The solicitor can be a single lawyer, an entire firm that represents the plaintiff (the one making the claim) or the defendant (the one defending against the claim). You may appoint one yourself, or be appointed one by your insurer. Essentially, they’re your proxy throughout a claim, representing the case you have and are responsible for securing compensation for you. The difficulty with personal injury claims is the wide variety of circumstances that fall under the definition. The type of injury often dictates how the case is defended, and the likelihood of winning a claim. That’s why you’ll find many specialist firms who can offer representation for road accidents or injuries received in employment, for example. A common thread in all cases is that you have to trust your solicitor implicitly and be transparent in how events unfolded if you want a strong case to be presented.
Insurer
You’re likely to be speaking with your insurers quite soon following an incident in which you’ve received an injury as they’re the ones footing the bill for representation and are likely to be able to decide whether a claim is valid in the first place. Insurers are fundamentally businesses, so try and remember that their priority is avoiding paying out large sums from their side. They’ll support you, but they have loyalty to preserve their business too – and so securing written agreements and commitments to cover costs with them should be maintained on your side. Familiar Faces: Who You Need To Know In A Personal Injury Case
Case Manager
A case manager is only going to feature in your life if you win your case, but effectively they’ll be an individual who is qualified in therapy, nursing and rehabilitation, paid for by the losing party. Case managers are really vital people in personal injury, and often one of the few who really understand what an injured party might be going through. Compensation doesn’t heal everything, and it’s these kinds of people who make a huge difference to a successful claimant’s road to recovery.
Personal Injury Assessment Boards
Assessment Boards like the PIAB in Ireland analyse claims and help decide some of the fundamental figures involved, like compensatory amounts, and will help decide whether a claim can proceed once raised. You as a plaintiff or defendant will almost certainly never actually witness these individuals, but they hold significant sway over the structure of a claim before it’s validated.
Litigation Friends
In the cases where a person is too young to represent themselves, enter the litigation friend. This can be a parent or guardian who will act as a proxy in cases where an injured person might be a minor or unable to claim for themselves. Often compensation is either secured and kept safe by litigation friends or paid to them, to be then used in the recovery process of the claimant. They are one demonstration of the importance of friends and family during emotionally-taxing processes like making a personal injury claim. The above people are scratching the surface of the many moving parts in a legal case, and personal injury is a variant of law where stakes can often be much higher than a standard dispute. Trust is a huge part of personal injury claims, more than you might initially expect. You may never have met a solicitor before, asked a friend to represent you in a case, or worked with a case manager in your life. However, these are people who you can end up having to put a huge amount of trust into when the unfortunate happens and can be responsible for helping you find your feet again and regain the quality of life you deserve.
