Do You Need a New Lawyer to Handle Your Personal Injury Claim?

If you’re unhappy with the way your personal injury claim is being handled, you may be thinking about whether you can change solicitor.

Can I change my Personal Injury Solicitor?

At Mooneerams Solicitors, we are often contacted by people who feel let down by their current personal injury solicitor and want to make a fresh start with a new solicitor. But how easy is it to do this? The answer is that changing solicitors is usually much more straightforward than you would expect.

If you are considering switching personal injury solicitors, here are the main things you should know about.

If you’re not happy with the solicitor handling your personal injury claim, medical negligence claim or asbestos disease claim, you can switch to another solicitor. In most cases, the changeover won’t cost you anything.

It’s hardly surprising that so many injury claimants lose confidence in their solicitor. Often, people who decide to pursue personal injury claims end up with a solicitor they did not choose themselves.

Insurance companies, claims management firms, trade unions, and even vehicle body repair shops often pass claims directly to solicitors firms they have existing arrangements with.

You may be referred to a firm selected for you rather than one you chose. You might think that’s not the best way to start the solicitor-client relationship off on the right footing!

What are people’s reasons for switching personal injury solicitors?

Some of the most common reasons include:

• Not being kept informed and having to chase the law firm for updates.
• The claim appears to be moving slowly, with long periods of silence or unexplained delay.
• There is no consistent point of contact, let alone a qualified solicitor who knows your case.
• You lack confidence in the advice you are being given.
• You feel under pressure to settle the claim before your injuries or losses have been assessed.
• You are concerned your claim is not being handled with the level of skill required.
• No interim payment has been requested from the other side, despite liability being admitted.
• You have lost faith in how your claim is being handled.
• The person handling your claim has left the firm, or your case has been transferred without prior agreement.
• The law firm has closed, but my claim has not been settled.

If any of these apply to your case, changing personal injury solicitor may be the right next step.

Is it difficult to change solicitors?

No. The whole process is usually straightforward. Once you decide on the new solicitor you want to instruct, contact them, and they will handle the transfer of your file and contact the previous firm on your behalf.

Changing solicitor does not mean your claim has to be re-started or is now more at risk because of the change. Your new solicitor will quickly get up to speed on what they need to do next, and the case will continue from its current stage, with more impetus!

Will it cost me anything to switch solicitors?

In most cases, switching solicitors will not cost you anything. Your new solicitor will agree to include your former solicitor’s costs at the end of your claim. This agreement between solicitors is called ‘giving an undertaking in relation to costs.’

It’s understandable that people worry about the potential cost of changing solicitors. There’s no need to be.

At Mooneerams Solicitors, we fund almost all personal injury claims we handle on a No Win No Fee basis. We will explain to you how this works (in plain English) before you enter into an agreement for us to take on your claim.

If you would like to discuss whether changing solicitors is right for you, you can speak to one of our solicitors in confidence and without obligation on 029 2199 1927

Why choose Mooneerams to take over your claim?

If you decide to move your claim, here are some of the reasons clients choose Mooneerams.

• We only take on personal injury and clinical negligence work. It’s all we do.
• Your claim will be conducted by a qualified solicitor
• We provide a personal service, with a named point of contact who remains involved throughout your claim.
• We keep our clients informed and explain what is happening at each stage of the claim.
• We have many years of experience in acting on behalf of injured people across England and Wales.
• We give honest advice about what your claim may be worth and how long it is likely to take to settle or go to court.
• You don’t need to just take our word for all this – check out what our clients have to say on ReviewSolicitors.

Some final thoughts

Once a claim is settled, that’s it. It can’t be reopened. So, if you don’t believe you are getting the service your claim deserves, don’t feel you have to stay with your current solicitor.

At Mooneerams, we have specialised in helping people pursue personal injury claims for over twenty-two years.

If you would like to discuss changing your solicitor, please contact Mooneerams on 029 2199 1927 and one of our solicitors will speak to you in confidence and without obligation. If you prefer to email us, please use enquiries@mooneerams.com.