Dear Claudine,

I was involved in an accident recently and suffered injuries to my neck, back and shoulders. I would appreciate your advice as to the benefits of retaining a Solicitor when dealing with the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (InjuriesBoard.ie).*

Thank you,

Richard

Dear Richard,

I would advise any person to seek legal advice from a Solicitor where they propose entering into any legal transaction.

Here are ten good reasons to retain a Solicitor when dealing with the Injuries Board:

1. A Solicitor will advise you of the strict time limits in which you can bring your claim.

2. A Solicitor will know exactly who should be sued, as there may be other legal entities who should be named.

3. It is important that you make a full recovery from your personal injuries. As such, when you retain a Solicitor, in relation to your dealings with the Injuries Board, you are ensuring that you obtain the best medical treatment as your Solicitor through liaising with your Doctors will know the best Specialist medical treatment that you require.

4. A Solicitor will ensure that the Respondents are provided with the minimum necessary information to proceed with your claim within the Injuries Board and that you are not subsequently prejudiced should it be necessary for your Claim to go to a Court Hearing.

5. There is no oral Hearing within the Injuries Board process and a Solicitor through continuous correspondence with the Injuries Board will ensure that the Injuries Board have full details of your personal injuries and their effect(s) on your daily life.

6. You will require a Solicitor to ascertain as to whether or not an Assessment, made by the Injuries Board, adequately compensates you for your injuries and as such it is prudent to retain a Solicitor from the beginning of the Injuries Board process.

7. A Solicitor will ensure that the Respondent has adequate resources to pay an award of compensation as assessed by the Injuries Board or whether another Respondent may have a responsibility for your injuries.

8. Your Application to the Injuries Board should be correct from the beginning as the Injuries Board will not allow a Claimant to withdraw a Claim and subsequently re-submit it and therefore you should retain a Solicitor from the beginning to make sure that your Application to the Injuries Board is fully completed and correct.

9. There are certain instances where a Claim must be taken straight to Court, within a certain timeframe, and the Injuries Board do not have jurisdiction to deal with these types of cases. A Solicitor will advise you if your case is a suitable one to go before the Injuries Board or not.

10. Finally, a Solicitor will take the stress of dealing with your claim and allow you to focus on making a full recovery.

In conclusion a prudent Claimant (injured party) will ensure to instruct a Solicitor when dealing with the Injuries Board in order to fully protect their interests.

With Every Good Wish.

Claudine.

*”In contentious business a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award of settlement”