Nobody asks for it and you hope it never happens to you, an accident. A bicycle collision, a chain collision or an accident at work due to a faulty machine or slippery floor. If you are injured as a result, we speak of an injury. If someone else is at fault for the occurrence of this injury, you can claim compensation for the injury you sustained as a result of the accident.
You can, of course, try to hold the other party liable yourself and recover your personal injury from the liable party or its insurance company. But many people use a personal injury lawyer (Dutch: letselschade advocaat) in case of injury as a result of an accident. But why would you hire a personal injury lawyer in Utrecht (Dutch: letselschade advocaat Utrecht) or elsewhere in the Netherlands? In other words, what does a personal injury lawyer do?
Who is liable in the event of an accident?
Sometimes it is immediately clear who is at fault in an accident. Think of the situation where someone is hit from behind at a traffic light or in a traffic jam. In such a rear-end collision or chain collision, it is usually immediately clear that the rear vehicle is at fault for causing the collision. The rear vehicle is then liable and must pay compensation for the injury.
Sometimes, however, it is not immediately clear who is to blame for an accident. You are of the opinion that you had priority, but the other party argues that he or she should have been given priority by you and holds you liable. Or the other party’s non-life insurer states that there is force majeure. In all these cases it is nice if there is a personal injury lawyer who can assist you.
A personal injury lawyer knows exactly how the law works. He or she is therefore the right person to help you in an accident where the other party refuses to admit liability. The personal injury lawyer can call in a traffic expert and, if necessary, start legal proceedings to have the liability recognized.
Drafting a liability statement
If it is established who is guilty of the occurrence of the collision, a liability statement must be drawn up. It contains important information:
– Your data
– The details of the liable party
– A liability statement
– An overview of the injuries you suffered as a result of the accident
– The damage items that apply in your case, such as loss of income, medical costs, and damages
– An interruption of the statute of limitations
– The request for an advance on the total compensation
Drafting a liability statement is not easy. Then it is nice if a personal injury lawyer can help you with this. He also knows exactly what must be included in the notice of liability and ensures that the limitation period of your claim is interrupted in time.
Prepare damage statement and obtain advance payment
Has the other party admitted liability? Then you are entitled to personal injury compensation. A personal injury lawyer can recover this damage for you. He or she does this by means of a damage report. This overview lists all damage items that apply to your personal situation, followed by a calculation of this damage.
Based on the state of damage, your personal injury lawyer will then request an advance on your compensation. This is important because you already incur costs and loss of income immediately after the accident.
What else does a personal injury lawyer do?
In addition to investigating who is guilty of the accident and drawing up a statement of liability, a personal injury lawyer does much more. For example, he or she negotiates with the other party or its non-life insurance company about the amount of compensation and a personal injury lawyer ensures that you receive the highest possible compensation.
