If you have been injured in an accident and are making a claim for compensation, your solicitor needs as much information as possible about your injuries and their consequences so that the full extent of your claim is understood and you can be properly compensated.
Most solicitors specialising in personal injury work will have a system of questionnaires or standardised questions to make sure, as far as possible, that no issues are left unexplored.
We hope that, by highlighting the following matters, it will help you to understand the sort of issues which could be crucial in your particular circumstances.
The injury questions to answer so you maximise the value of your claim will be different in each case. It is unlikely that all of the questions will be relevant to you, but many of them will be.
We hope that at least one or two of them might make you think about things you had not considered before now.
Injury questions
- Do you still have any pain or discomfort or have your injuries fully healed by now?
- Are your symptoms improving, stuck at the same level, or getting worse?
- Do you think that any medical condition that you had before the accident has been worsened as a result of your injuries?
- Do you have difficulty sleeping?
- Do you have any scarring as a result of your injury or any other disfigurement?
- Do you have to take any medication as a result of your injuries and, if so, what is it?
- Have you become dependent on prescription medication, alcohol or drugs since the accident?
- Are you having any memory problems as a result of the accident?
- Have you had to employ anyone, or have you required services from a relative, to assist you with housework or other daily chores since the accident?
- Have you lost your job as a result of the accident or have you been passed over for promotion?
- Are there any types of work you cannot do any more as a result of your accident?
- Has your sex drive or performance been affected by the accident?
- Does standing or sitting for any length of time cause you discomfort or pain?
- Has your relationship with your spouse or partner been impacted by the accident?
- Has your relationship with family members or friends deteriorated since the accident?
- Have you suffered flashbacks, nightmares or panic attacks related to the accident?
- Are you nervous as a passenger (“travel anxiety”) when you travel anywhere since the accident?
- Have you developed any eating disorders, or gained or lost significant amounts of weight, since the accident?
- Have you been given any medical opinion suggesting that you may suffer from arthritis or any other complications in the future, due to the accident?
- Have you been told that you may need surgery in the future?
- Have your injuries meant you need any aids or devices, or special modifications to vehicles or equipment?
- Is your ability to undertake physical activities such as walking, gardening or sport reduced due to your injury?
Better to provide too much information
As you can see, there is a very wide range of issues which can be relevant to the extent of your loss and therefore the valuation of your claim.
It is important to be aware that your solicitor will only be able to maximise the value of your claim if he or she is aware of every fact or circumstance which might be classifiable as a “loss” to you as a result of the accident and injuries.
From your solicitor’s point of view, it is always preferable to have too much information from you than not enough.
Part of the solicitor’s job is to sift through the information you provide and determine what is relevant.
If in doubt, pass on the information to your solicitor. They want to maximise the value of your claim as much as you do and they also want to minimise the risk of failing to include some aspect of your loss which could make a significant difference to the value of the claim.
How we can help
If you have any questions regarding the content of this article or in relation to any aspect of our personal injury claims services, please get in touch with us.
All initial enquires are free of charge and without obligation.
You can contact Peter or Marie on 01343 544077 or by sending us a Free Online Enquiry.
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