How to Make a Car Accident Claim in Northern Ireland?

A step-by-step guide from Lacey Solicitors Belfast to bringing a claim for compensation after a car accident for those in NI.

Car accidents are neither rare nor easy to deal with. Every year in Northern Ireland the PSNI reports around 5,000 collisions, with casualties in 2023 alone reaching 7,985 people. These extraordinary numbers reflect an ongoing problem with road safety – a problem which could impact you if you have a road traffic accident (RTA).

RTAs leave you in physical and emotional pain. Understanding the steps you can take to make a car accident claim for compensation can help you recover some of the losses you experienced due to your accident. Whether you were a passenger in a collision in Newry, rear ended in Lisburn, or injured as a pedestrian in Armagh, let Lacey Solicitors firm guide you through the challenges of claiming compensation after your accident.


What is a Car Accident Claim?

 

If you become injured in a car accident and it was not your fault, then you could claim compensation against the at-fault party. Speeding, lack of care, dangerous driving, and driving while under the influence of alcohol are all common causes of car accidents. No matter the cause, though, car accidents are costly both in terms of health and recovery.


How to Make a Claim for Compensation After a Car Accident in NI?

There are simple steps to making a claim for compensation after your accident. Follow the advice outlined below for the best chance at receiving the maximum possible compensation for your injuries.

At the Time of the Accident

Immediately after the accident has happened, follow these steps:

  •       Make yourself safe
  •       Get medical attention
  •       Speak to the police and report the accident
  •       Gather witness details and driver contact details
  •       Take photos

This will give you the best evidence to support your claim from the get go.

Following the Accident

After your accident has occurred, make sure that you get in touch with the best car accident solicitors near you. Lacey Solicitors Belfast are known and respected as car accident experts and will be able to guide you safely through the legal quagmire of motor accident compensation claims.

Once you have chosen the Best Injury Solicitor in NI, proceed with the following:

  1. Act quickly – you have three years to make your claim but do not delay.  
  2. Assist your solicitor by providing a full statement along with any images to allow them to determine who was at fault and gather evidence.
  3. Carefully document your injuries and recovery time so that you can relay them to the medical examiner arranged by your solicitor. 
  4. Provide your solicitor with any ‘special damages‘ or out of pocket expenses such as loss of earnings, hire car costs, medical expenses so that they can add them to your claim.
  5. Approve the medical report with your solicitor as soon as you receive it so that there are no delays.

Your Solicitor and The Settlement Process

Your solicitor will seek to negotiate a settlement from the insurance company on your behalf.

All you must do is trust them to perform. If your claim needs to go to court then your car accident solicitor in NI will help you with the process. At Lacey Solicitors, our own experience is that less than 10% of car accident claims dealt with by our solicitors ever see the the inside of a courtroom. 

The very vast amount of our claims are settled outside of the courtroom which speaks to the reputation and negotation skills of our solicitors.


Trusted Car Accident Solicitors in Northern Ireland

 

Lacey Solicitors are a trusted law firm operating across Northern Ireland. Contact us today using our online portal to discuss the details of your car accident so that we may begin working on your compensation claim together.

Injured at Work in Northern Ireland? Legal Fees and Starting a Work Accident Claim Explained.

NI work accidents occur when your employer fails to make your workplace a safe working environment. Work accidents can have serious repercussions, leaving you unable to work, losing income and in pain.

Making a claim for compensation will help you recover your losses after a trip, fall, fall from height, manual handling accident, or any other form of accident at work. Lacey Solicitors are an experienced team able to provide you with representation to guide you through your work accident claim.

Here is what you need to know about NI work accident compensation claims before you begin.


Eligibility: Are You Eligible for a Work Accident Claim?

 

Before you can bring a claim for compensation after an accident at work, you must meet the conditions which make you eligible. Firstly, you must make the claim within three years of the date of the workplace accident. Next, you must prove that your accident happened due to a third party’s negligence.


How Much Compensation Can You Get for a Work Accident in Belfast?

 

Medical expenses, any lost income, and the price allocated to your pain and suffering are all considered when you make a claim for compensation after an accident at work. The level of compensation awarded to you in respect to your pain and suffering varies but is designed to measure the hardships you have endured thanks to your NI/Belfast accident.


How Do You Start a Claim for a Work Accident in NI?

 

From Antrim to Fermanagh the process for making a claim for compensation after a workplace accident in NI is the same. The process for making a claim is as follows:

  •       Make yourself safe and ensure the safety of others.
  •       Seek medical attention to address your immediate injuries.
  •       Report your accident, including using an accident book to record it within the workplace.  This should stop the accident happening to one of your colleagues.
  •       Contact a work accident claims solicitor near you.
  •       The solicitor will investigate the accident and give you some preliminary advice.
  •       Your solicitor will need a medical report on your injuries and will send you to a Consultant for an examination and prognosis.
  •       Your solicitor will obtain an admission of liabilty and will enter into negotiations with the third party.
  •       If negotiations are sucessful, the claim will resolve and you will receive the compensation.
  •       If negotiations are unsucessful your solicitor will advise you on the next steps.

No Win, No Fee Solicitors for Work Accident Claims in NI?

 

Many people are unaware that no win, no fee agreements are prohibited within Northern Ireland. While no win, no fee compensation claims might be the norm in England and Wales, they do not apply in Northern Ireland.

Any solicitor in NI acting on a no win no fee basis may be doing so unlawfully.

If you are successful in your claim, then your court or solicitor costs will be covered by the other party involved.


Experienced Work Accident Claim Solicitors Near You

 

Whether you live in Armagh or Derry or Cork you can find the help you need through Lacey Solicitors. We can give you expert guidance and insider knowledge on how to proceed after an accident at work. If you have been injured by a work vehicle, have mishandled hazardous substances due to lack of training, or are injured using poorly maintained equipment, you may be eligible to make a claim.

Contact Lacey Solicitors using our Online Portal and a Solicitor will contact you within 24 hours to discuss your claim.

What is a Workplace Accident Claim in NI: Guidance from Lacey Solicitors Belfast

Have you had an accident while you were at work? Did it seriously impact your health or your ability to earn? Has an industrial accident changed your life? Making a work accident claim could help you secure the financial resources you need during your recovery.

Having an accident in the workplace can leave you with health concerns that you do not know how to deal with. If you feel you do not know where to turn in the event of a workplace accident, then seeking legal advice could be your best course of action.

Forewarned is forearmed. If you understand the process of making a work accident claim in Northern Ireland, then you are better equipped if it happens to you.


What is A Work Accident Claim?

 

When you are injured in the workplace through negligence or a breach in the duty of care your employer has towards you, then you may make a claim for compensation for your injuries. Your employer has a statutory duty towards you while you are in the workplace. This duty, broadly speaking, is to protect you from any harm the tasks they hire you to complete might cause.


Can You Make a Workplace Accident Claim in NI?

 

To make a claim for compensation after an accident at work in NI, you must make the claim within three years of the date of your accident taking place. If you meet this criteria, then you must also prove that your employer broke their statutory duty towards you. This breach of their duty to care for you while on their premises or conducting work-related activities must have resulted in an accident.


What is a Statutory Duty of Care?

 

The Statutory Duty of Care is part of your employer’s responsibilities towards you while you are working for them. Your employer has a duty to ensure your health and safety while you conduct work related activities. Your employer must take all possible reasonable actions to protect your safety. An example is making machinery safe, implementing risk assessments, and ensuring that you have the correct safety gear for the job.

Failing to protect you from harm while you are performing tasks on your employer’s behalf is a breach of this duty. If you make a claim for compensation after a work accident in Belfast or the surrounding areas then you must prove that your employer breached this duty.


Types of Workplace Accident in NI

 

There are many different kinds of workplace accident. If you experience any of the following, then you should seek legal advice:

  •       Slips, trips, and falls which could have been avoided
  •       Falling from heights and injuring yourself, for example by falling from scaffolding.
  •       Lack of protective equipment can cause injuries, disease, or worse.
  •       Failure to implement appropriate safety measures, particularly in regard to machinery and safe operation.
  •       Lack of training – those expected to operate heavy equipment without appropriate training cannot be blamed should something go wrong.
  •       Old or ineffective equipment such as blunt tools
  •       Contact with toxic or hazardous chemicals
  •       Lifting and carrying incorrectly
  •       Fleet or vehicular incidents

What To Do If You are Injured at Work?

 

If you encounter an accident at work and you live in Northern Ireland, then there are steps you should take after your accident to legally protect your interests.

First, seek medical help and ensure your safety. Next, report the accident to the appropriate managers. Make sure you fill in an accident report form. Afterwards, begin the process of evidence gathering to back up your claim.

Finally, reach out to Lacey Solicitors using our secure Online Portal. Our law firm can offer expert legal advice which could help you achieve the compensation you deserve.