If you have suffered an accident it is your legal right to obtain compensation particularly where there has been negligence involved. But when do the services of a personal injury lawyer come into play?
Firstly a personal injury lawyer can advise you and this doesn’t have to cost anything. Many personal injury lawyers offer a free consultation that assesses your claim. By having your claim assessed you can:
- Establish all your entitlements
- Find out if you have a good case
- Establish if there has been any negligence
- Find out what steps you need to take
- Have your case assessed for a ‘no win no fee’ arrangement
- Find out if your require legal representation
- Find out what you may be awarded
Once you’ve had your case reviewed you will then know where you stand and can take the necessary steps towards obtaining legal compensation. Legal compensation is your legal right and the compensation you are owed can help you recover from your injury enabling you to get your life back on track as best you can.
Obtaining legal advice early on is a good idea as there is a limitation period that applies to the claims process. This can be anything from 6 months to 3 years depending on the situation and type of claim.
Quite often injuries need time to settle. After a personal injury has settled a proper assessment can be carried out of the injuries to determine if there is any permanent impairment.
For accidents where there has been negligence you may be entitled to a common law claim, depending on which State or Territory the accident took place. Laws across Australia are very different and so are your rights to compensation. When speaking with a personal injury lawyer, be sure to speak with one who specialises in the specific State or Territory where the injury occurred.
If you are advised by a personal injury lawyer that you indeed do have a good case you may also require the services of a personal injury lawyer to represent you.
Representation isn’t just available to those who can afford it. A number of personal injury lawyers take cases on a ‘no win no fee’ or ‘no win no pay’ basis. This usually means there are zero up-front or ongoing fees. Any legal fees will be payable only when you receive your claim for compensation. Although lawyers in Australia do not charge a percentage of your claim, the professional legal fees usually amount to around 20-25% of the claim amount awarded. Do be careful when selecting a lawyer as they all have their own approach to costing and it is important to have their approach to costing clarified before signing up.
Be especially wary if you intend to ‘shop around’ for a lawyer. Some offer ‘no win no fee’ arrangements but these can vary considerably and you need to make sure you clarify exactly what that means.
By contacting Legal Compensation you can be put in touch with a personal injury lawyer who won’t charge you anything if for any reason they do not win your claim for compensation, others may still charge some legal fees.
