What is the procedure for making a claim?
At Digby Brown we are aware that an accident can leave people feeling vulnerable and
frustrated, which is why we have a highly trained and experienced team to give you all the support
you need. The process begins as soon as you get in touch, call us on
0845 273 2323 or fill in our brief
enquiry form and someone
will contact you. We will take details of the accident and you can speak to one of our
experienced lawyers who will be able to give you initial advice on your claim. Wherever
possible we like to follow up the initial conversation by arranging a face to face meeting with new
clients. This gives the client an opportunity to meet the person who will be handling the case and
it allows us to take a detailed statement about the accident and your injuries. Sometimes
geographical difficulties make it difficult to arrange an immediate meeting and in that event we
will take a detailed statement over the phone. If your injuries prevent you attending one of
our offices, we will be happy to visit you at your home or in hospital.
At this first meeting we will explain exactly what steps we will be taking to get you
compensation and let you know what you can do to help us. We never charge for the initial
meeting. We operate on a no win, no fee basis and we will explain the funding of the
case. It is very important that if you have a previous medical history which may be
relevant to the claim, you should tell us straight away.
Following this meeting we will submit a claim on your behalf by writing to the person
responsible for the accident telling them why we believe they are liable to pay you
compensation. In almost all cases we will be dealing not with the person who caused the
accident but with their insurers.
We will need to obtain a medical report so that we can value your case (
see What other expenses
can I recover?). We will also calculate any loss of past or future earnings as well as any
other head of claim that might apply. Depending on the severity of your injuries we may
advise you to wait before getting a medical report if, for example, you are still undergoing
treatment or awaiting an operation. In that event we really have to wait for your medical
condition to stabilise although it may be possible for us to obtain an interim payment.