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August 2024 Page 3 AD SALES 01204 478812 Advertiser’sannouncement 1. A SOLICITOR WILL GET YOU MORE COMPENSATION THAN IF YOU DEAL WITH THE INSURERS DIRECT Defendant’s insurers love it when they bypass the lawyers and deal with you direct. Why?  Because it saves them money! They know that they can prob- ably get away with paying you less, sometimes substantially less, than your claim is worth. So, use a solicitor and maximise the amount of compen- sation you receive. 2. YOU ONLY HAVE THREE YEARS TO CLAIM Actually, you only have three years less one day to issue your claim at court and there’s a lot of work that needs to be done before you are able to do this. If you don’t your claimwill be time barred and you will not be able to bring it. There are exceptions but you must be aware of this ticking time bomb. 3. YOU CAN STILL CLAIM COMPENSATION EVEN IF THE ACCIDENT WAS PARTLY YOUR FAULT Partial blame doesn’t rule out a claim. If you are 30 per cent at fault that means the other party was 70 per cent at fault and will have to pay you 70 per cent of the compensation you would normally get. So, it’s still worth claiming. 4. IT’S UNLIKELY YOU WILL HAVE TO GO TO COURT Even when the other side disputes liability for the accident, the vast majority of cases settle without the need for a court hearing. So, don’t be put off by worrying about going to court - it’s unlikely to happen. 5. IT DOESN’T TAKE YEARS TO MAKE A CLAIM Recent changes in the way compensa- tion claims are dealt with mean that most claims are settled in a matter of months, not years. Cases involving very serious injuries and/or very com- plex liability issues can take longer but these are the exceptions to the general rule. 6. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE 18 OR OVER TO MAKE A CLAIM Children (which means people not yet 18) can claim compensation. A parent or some other person acts as the child’s Litigation Friend and deal with the claim on the child’s behalf. Any settlement must be approved by a judge and the compensation is invested by the court until the child is 18, although it can be paid out sooner in certain circumstances. 7. YOU CAN STILL CLAIM IF YOU ARE INJURED BY AN UNINSURED DRIVER If an uninsured driver has caused your injuries, you can still claim against them, and your compensation is paid by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. They will claim the compensation back from the uninsured driver but they, not the driver, have to pay you. 8. EVEN IF IT’S ‘NO WIN NO FEE’ YOU WILL PROBABLY LOSE SOME OF YOUR COMPENSATION IF YOU WIN Most ‘No Win No Fee’ arrangements By Chris Macwilliam – partner and personal injury specialist at Clough & Willis Solicitors Tenthingsyoushouldknowabout claimingpersonal injurycompensation TREASURED child- hood memories have come flooding back for Helen Pervaiz in her role as matron at a care home for veterans. Helen, from Bury, worked in the NHS for 30 years in a variety of roles, initially as a ward staff nurse before moving into community psychiat- ric nursing. In 2008, she began specialising in caring for older people and those with dementia and spent 16 years in total work- ing across care homes in the Tameside and Glos- sop areas. But, when the chance came along to join Broughton House Veteran Care Village in Salford, she knew it was meant to be. Helen was a frequent visitor to Broughton House as a youngster spending precious time with her maternal grandfather Henry Atkinson, a former serviceman who lived there for several years before he passed away in the mid-1980s. Mum-of-two Helen said: “I have clear memories of the old Broughton House building and its grandeur, and my visits to see my grandpa with my parents when I was a schoolgirl. He was a widower, and moved in because he had become frail due to various health problems. “We used to come to Broughton House every week or two, and it was always a special time for me. “I’d not been back since he passed away and it’s been a wonderful and emo- tive experience coming to work here. It’s as if it was meant to be – that the job had my name on it.” Broughton House has cared for more than 8,000 veterans since it opened its doors to the ex-service community in 1916. It has recently been rede- veloped into a complex with a 64-bed care home, includ- ing two 16-bed households dedicated to veterans with dementia, as well as independent living apart- ments, an array of modern facilities, a museum, gym, hairdressing and barber’s salon, and a restaurant and bar for residents. Matron’s role: Helen Pervaiz and her grandfather Henry Atkinson in uniform. Also pictured is Helen aged three with Henry and his wife Doris Matron Helen’s precious memories mean that you should pay nothing if you lose and only pay your solicitor if you win. However, and this is sometimes not made clear, your solicitor will look to keep some of your compensation as a “success fee” if you win. You will normally get at least 75 per cent of the compensation you recover if you win. Your solicitor should explain how this works in practice. 9. IT’S IN YOUR INTERESTS TO USE A SPECIALIST PERSONAL INJURY SOLICITOR Why? Because they understand this area of work better than a non-spe- cialist and will be better placed to get you the maximum amount of compensation. You wouldn’t ask a plumber to fix your broken car, so don’t ask a cor- porate lawyer to deal with your per- sonal injury claim.  It’s your claim so get a specialist to deal with it for you. 10. IGNORE THE ‘COMPENSATION CULTURE’ MYTH - YOU ARE ENTITLED TO MAKE A CLAIM Despite the press headlines, there is no such thing as the ‘compensation culture’. That is a myth encouraged by the insurance industry to deter people from claiming. If someone causes an accident and you end up injured, why shouldn’t you claim compensation? If you cannot work, how can you pay your bills? Ignore the media hype and look after your own interest! l If you need further information about personal injury claims contact Chris Macwilliam for a free, no ob- ligation interview on 0161 764 5266.