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Depending on the type of accident you have been involved in on Britain's roads you may not require the assistance of a solicitor to pursue a third party for compensation. Unless you have been injured in an accident the majority of law firms would advise you to seek recompense through your own insurer for any physical damages to property or lost wages as a result. Indeed, many people already have legal representation at their disposal as insuring against legal costs is generally an option attached to your vehicle insurance either at a cost or as a promotional "freebie".
You do not have to use the advocacy services of your insurer in regards to a claim but if the amounts are quite low then it may be your best course of action. Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion before proceeding, though, as in the insurer's haste to process claims as efficiently as possible you don't want anything to have been missed. Most solicitors, or at least their qualified staff, will be happy to have a discussion with you over the telephone to set your mind at rest over which route to go down.
If you were injured in the road accident in your car, van or on your motorcycle, whether as the driver, passenger or simply a pedestrian crossing the road, then make sure to document as much as possible. Some individuals do take this too far such as taking photos of the damage and their injuries at the scene of the accident before telephoning for assistance or holding up traffic until they can get their solicitor on the phone for advice. The normal process of accident recovery and administration is often enough for any evidential hearing on the matter. The police will make a report, your injuries will be attended to by a paramedic or at the hospital should you go there yourself and the damage to your vehicle will be documented by the repair centre. Even attending your G.P. the following day for injuries such as whiplash, which often does not display it's symptoms immediately, is perfectly acceptable in almost all cases. You do not need to affect a citizens arrest on the third party at the scene to ensure you will be adequately compensated. Call your local government appointed advice bureau to get advice on what to do should you be involved in such an accident to confirm current laws and statutes. It is always helpful to know should you be unlucky enough to be involved in another accident in the future.
Sometimes the perpetrator does not give you a chance to get sufficient information such as with a hit and run. This could be either on purpose or as the result of the driver of the offending vehicle not noticing they have collided with you. In these situations of an un-traced driver whether in a car or on a motorbike, and when the individual who has injured you is un-insured, you will have to make a claim to the Motor Insurer's Bureau (MIB) which has been set up to compensate victims of uninsured and untraced drivers. Such cases will normally result in a conditional fee arrangement being made with the solicitor representing you. This means they will take a percentage of your compensation as their legal fees. You do not have to use a solicitor to make a claim to the MIB, check their site for more details on how to proceed yourself, but don't be afraid to get the opinion of a solicitor as to whether your case could benefit from their assistance.
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