compensation and accident claims lawyers in edinburgh, glasgow and throughout scotland

Accident and personal injury compensation claim solicitors Scotland.

Frequently asked questions and answers from Bonnar and Company Solicitors

These are some of the questions that Bonnar and Company Solicitors are frequently asked by new clients.

WHY DO I NEED A LAWYER?

Whoever is at fault for your injury, it is their insurance company that will defend your claim for damages. Insurance companies are not registered charities and they will be delighted to deal with you directly. The stark reality is that the insurance industry is mobilised to entirely repudiate or at least minimise the value of your claim.

Insurance companies make money by collecting premiums and investing the proceeds. You will know that they generally need to be persuaded to pay out on their own clients’ legitimate claims, so imagine just how much harder it can be to get them to pay out on your claim for damages against their client.

Insurance companies know that personal injury claimants don’t know how to collect evidence, nor what expert witness to instruct nor what their claim is really worth. You need a lawyer to ensure that your personal injury claim is properly prepared and presented in order to achieve the maximum amount of compensation possible.

DON'T GET INJURED TWICE - GET A LAWYER!

WHY BONNAR AND COMPANY?

Bonnar and Company has a very successful track record in helping personal accident and injury claimants in Scotland receive the maximum amount of compensation and we would be delighted to help you.

Bonnar and Company works exclusively for claimants on a ‘no win no fee’ basis, which means that if we take your case you don’t pay us a penny if we lose.

When you call us you will be put straight through to a qualified personal injury claims solicitor - we are not a claims handling call centre - who will discuss your claim in detail and give you same day legal advice.

You may be assured that Bonnar and Company takes a highly pro-active approach with defenders’ insurance companies by energetically pressing home our clients’ claims from the outset.

We will not sit about and wait for a response nor will we always accept the first offer we receive. When appropriate, Bonnar and Company will pursue your claim in the courts and take all necessary steps to extract the best possible settlement on your behalf.

WHAT DOES "NO WIN, NO FEE' MEAN?

If you appoint Bonnar and Company Solicitors to handle your personal injury claim you immediately gain access to all the resources of our firm and you will not pay us a penny unless we are successful in winning compensation on your behalf. This means that we only get paid if we win.

NO WIN, NO FEE. THAT'S THE BONNAR AND COMPANY GUARANTEE.

WHAT ABOUT CLAIMS HANDLING FIRMS?

Claims handlers are not firms of solicitors, however, sooner or later, many of these companies end up referring your case to one.

Despite what national claims handling companies imply in their television advertising, under the Scottish legal system they are not allowed to offer 100% compensation deals in this country - therefore any suggestion to the contrary is at best misleading.

They are unregulated, have no specialist training or qualifications and don’t know what evidence you will need to prove your case. Why pay for fresh air when you can access expert legal help now?

Only you can decide if you want to deal with an operator in a call centre or entrust your personal injury claim to a specialist at Bonnar and Company, who has your interests at heart.

HOW MUCH IS MY CLAIM WORTH?

The impact of a fatal accident on family life is devastating and a claim under these circumstances invariably results in a very substantial settlement.

However, a seemingly minor accident might also result in a substantial compensation claim if the injured party is prevented from earning a living. This is why it can be misleading to give a definitive opinion on each and every possible case without having knowledge of the factors involved in the accident.

The figures quoted on this page are presented for guidance purposes only.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO SETTLE MY CLAIM?

Bonnar & Company has many years experience in presenting personal injury cases which achieve the maximum possible level of compensation for our clients and you can be assured that we will be working flat out to get a result for you as quickly as practicable.

In some cases, however, when insurers reject a claim or offer an unrealistic settlement, we will have no option but to raise court proceedings. We may also decide to initiate court proceedings ourselves if we believe that your case would benefit from this approach.

Should we find ourselves in this position, your appointed solicitor, who remains in overall charge of your case throughout, will keep you fully informed of all important developments

How Much Is My Claim Worth?

Damages in Scotland are awarded under the following headings:
1.	General Damages or Solatium This relates to the amount the courts think is reasonable for the pain and suffering of the accident victim.
2.	Property Losses If your property is damaged in an accident e.g. your vehicle is written off in a car accident, you can obtain compensation to the value of the lost item.
3.	Past and Future Wage Loss This relates to loss of earnings caused by the accident both for the past and in the future.
4.	Services Costs This relates to services provided to you as a result of your accident. Awards may range from modest amounts for help with domestic housekeeping, to very large sums where there has been catastrophic injury and constant nursing care may be required.

General Damages Awards

If you read a newspaper report of a big award, you can be sure that the sum will be made up of past and future wage loss for a serious injury which significantly affects employment, or a catastrophic injury e.g. brain damage where extensive nursing care will be required.

Whilst every claim is different, the following are outline examples of general damages awards:
1.	Whiplash injury involving absence from work, and full recovery after around 3 months. Around £1,000 - £1500.
2.	Fractured elbow with complete recovery. Around £3,000.
3.	Deafness with tinnitus. Around £6,000.
4.	Ruptured achilles tendon with complete recovery. Around £7,500.
5.	Loss of index finger in dominant hand. Up to £9,500.
6.	Moderately severe occupational asthma. Around £15,000.
7.	Loss of thumb in dominant hand. Up to £28,000.
8.	Loss of an eye. Around £30,000.
9.	Loss of leg amputated below knee. Around £55,000.

This page gives a general outline of quite a complicated area of law. You should not rely on it either to reassure yourself that there is plenty of time to claim, or to become convinced that your claim is necessarily time barred. You should contact us for free advice on the matter.

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