EXPERT PERSONAL INJURY SOLICITOR UK

Areas of law :-

• Road Traffic Acts
• Occupiers Liability Act
• Motor Insurance Bureau
• Vicarious Liability
• Contributory Negligence
• Common Law of Negligence
• Health and Safety at Work Act
• Consumer Protection Act 1987
• Employers Liability
• Civil Evidence Acts 1968 and 1971
• Substantial knowledge of the relationship between injury work and social security benefits.
• Fatal Accident Act 1976
• European Community legislation relevant to the work

Ethical Issues :-

• Proper disclosure of medical reports
• Proper use of expert witnesses
• Avoidance of conflict – acting appropriately when :-
  • instructing an expert witness when they had previously been a client
  • acting for a client after acting for that client's employer who is a party to the proceedings
  • In the case of a road accident, acting for a driver and passengers
  • Mistakenly receiving the papers of an opponent solicitor

Professional Skills :-

General Skills :-
• Advising Clients
• Interviewing
• Negotiating
• Drafting
• Appraising Issues
Specialist Skills :-
• Conducting investigation and research
• Drafting pleadings
• Using expert witnesses
• Managing cases
• Calculating damages and interest
• Complying with DSS procedure
• Acting for disabled people

Advocacy Skills :-

• Panel members should be fully committed to take appropriate cases to a full hearing

Requirements for solicitors’ firms are equally stringent. Individual personal injury solicitor experts must satisfy criteria for selection to the Law Society specialist panel, and the firm that they work for must be accredited. They must show that they are professional, competent, and capable, and that they have the facilities and resources to support the panel members. They are required to have resources, procedures, and systems in place facilitating :-

• correct and accurate monitoring of the progress of claims
• a scrupulous check on :-
  • timing regarding the issuing of writ or summons
  • times involved in the service of the claim form
  • limitation periods
  • ensuring absolute compliance with interim time limits
  • incidences of inactivity of case files
• the availability of an experienced back up solicitor who will also monitor cases
• keeping a close check on any potential conflicts of interest between clients
• the existence of a professional and strong reference system
• full compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995
• systematic and efficient filing of all correspondence, documents, reports, pleadings, etc.
• general monitoring of solicitors’ undertakings
• The provision of a resourceful library which will contain relevant books and journals
• full availability of all sources of information in respect to the selection of professional experts
• The guarantee of adequate training of solicitors, and of monitoring their continued professional development

Furthermore, The Law Society offers a set of Practice Rules governing the way in which a personal injury solicitor behaves. These include the requirements that :-

• A solicitor may not act if your interests as a client may potentially conflict with another client’s interests
• Unless it conflicts with a solicitor's duty to uphold justice as an "Officer of the Supreme Court", he or she must always act in their client's interest.
• All client details are kept confidential
• Until solicitors have been qualified for three years, they may not may not set up on their own or supervise an office
• Clients' money must be held in a separate bank account.

To talk to a specialist, without obligation, about risk free accident compensation claims, simply complete and send the contact form. One of our solicitors who deals exclusively in personal injury compensation claims will phone you to provide free, useful advice and information. Of course, if after talking to him or her you decide not to take matters further you are under no obligation to do so. You will not be charged for anything at all.