How does evidence support a claim?
When you make a personal injury claim, you need evidence to support your compensation claim. A personal injury claim is where you suffer an injury due to an accident or action which was someone else's fault. It is possible to get compensation for various accidents and injuries such as:
Evidence supports your personal injury claim as it helps you to prove your claim that your injury was due to another person or organisation. This could be due to an accident or simply by them acting negligently.
What evidence is needed for a personal injury claim?
The more evidence you can get hold of to support your claim, the better chance you have of a successful personal injury compensation claim. However, the evidence you need will depend on the nature of your personal injury claim. There are many different types of evidence needed for a personal injury claim and these include:
details of all involved in the accident or injury
details of any witnesses
where the accident occurred
when the accident happened, including the time
what type of accident happened
details of the injuries he suffered
any independent medical expert report
details of all medical visits to follow up for your injury
photos of your injury
any diagrams to explain the accident that happened
any emergency services reports
any diary you kept where you describe your injury and how it affects you
receipts and details of expenses you paid due to your injury
records of financial losses as a result of the accident
any official record of the accident such as in an accident at work report book
How to get your NHS medical records
As part of claiming personal injury compensation, you will need to get your NHS medical records to provide evidence for the personal injury claim.
You can do this by requesting your GP health record. This will contain details of the care your GP has provided you. This includes:
medicines prescribed by your GP
details of any allergies you suffer from
what vaccinations you have had
diagnosis of any conditions
appointment notes
results of tests your GP arranged
hospital letters your GP received on your behalf
You can view your GP record online by creating an account using your proof of identity and logging in via the NHS website or an NHS app. If the information about your accident is not there, it may be because it is old information. In that case, you will need to ask your GP surgery to add it to the online record.
What is a witness statement?
A witness statement is very helpful evidence towards a successful personal injury compensation claim. It is a legal document which records a person's evidence. They sign the witness statement as proof that what it contains is correct. A witness statement will contain:
what the witness saw happen
anything the witness heard
how the witness felt
anything which could open up new avenues of enquiry
anything the witness can tell which can help gather other information
How do you write a witness statement for an accident?
Witness statements should be written as soon as possible after your accident as this means your injury is still fresh in your witnesses mind. It also means they are less likely to have discussed what they witnessed with other people. A witness statement should be:
written
written in your own words
concise
directly to the point
contain only what the person has direct knowledge of
signed by the witness
Also, any changes throughout the statement must be initialled by the witness.
Will I need to go to court?
When you decide to make a personal injury compensation claim you may wonder if you will need to go to court. It is totally normal to wonder about this and to find this prospect a little nerve-wracking.
However, it is very unlikely you will need to go to court for your personal injury compensation claim. Although you will probably receive a date to potentially attend court, there rarely ends up being any need to go. This is because once the counterclaim begins, often the party you claim is responsible for your personal injury may admit liability. Where this happens, the court attendance date is cancelled.
We are very proud at National Accident Helpline, that only 5% of our personal injury claims require court attendance meaning we have an excellent record of early success in personal injury compensation claims.
How to start a personal injury claim
If you want to start a personal injury claim, you can begin online. If you have been injured or suffered an accident and it was the fault of another, it is only fair that you make a compensation claim. Your life changed due to your personal injury and you likely suffered losses and upset. It is now your turn to try to make some of that right.
When you start a personal injury claim with us at National Accident Helpline, it is a very simple process. The last thing we want to do is add stress and complications back into your life. We even give you a heads-up about how much potential compensation you could get if you go online and use our compensation calculator.
The first step to starting your personal injury claim is by having a friendly chat with one of our kind and helpful helpline advisors. They are there to find out exactly how your personal injury happened. They are keen to ensure you get any compensation you rightly deserve from a claim. And you can rest assured that our advisors will keep your information confidential.
The second step is your claim being passed to one of our specialist solicitors who will complete the claim, which includes gathering evidence for your claim.
With National Accident Helpline, you can even make a no win no fee basis personal injury claim. When you make a no win no fee claim with us your personal injury lawyer will take out insurance on your behalf that will cover all your claim costs and expenses including medical report fees, court fees and any barrister fees; so long as you comply with their terms and conditions, you won't have to pay any costs upfront, and there are no hidden surprises.
If you have had an accident or suffered a personal injury you may be due personal injury compensation. So give us a call today at 0800 376 0150 to make your personal injury compensation claim. If you prefer, you can ask us to call you back or even begin your claim online.