Unhappy With Your Motorbike Accident Solicitor?
We often receive enquiries from motorbike accident victims who want a second opinion on an offer from the insurance company acting for the defendant, or who are simply unhappy with the service their current solicitors are providing.
If you’re the victim of a motorbike accident, you may already have your own solicitor, whether it’s a firm you’ve found yourself or one your insurance company has appointed from its panel. Using an insurer’s panel solicitor may seem easy and straightforward, but you can also seek independent legal advice and speak to a solicitor of your own choosing.
If you are relying on legal expenses insurance to cover your legal costs, your policy may initially require you to use one of the insurer’s panel solicitors. However, once the claim reaches the stage where legal proceedings need to be started, you should normally be allowed to choose your own solicitor. There may also be circumstances where you can choose your own solicitor earlier, such as where there is a conflict of interest or other exceptional circumstances.
If you would prefer a specialist motorbike accident solicitor to handle your claim, speak to us about your options. We can explain how changing solicitors may affect your claim and any legal expenses insurance you have in place.
Mr Ronnie Hutcheon, our senior motorbike accident solicitor, explains:
“Many injured accident clients often transfer their old solicitor’s claim to us because they are unhappy with the service. In one case, a lady called Mrs Walton had several solicitors and solicitor clerks dealing with her claim. The last solicitor dealing with her motorbike claim left at a particularly bad time, when the defendant made an offer to settle with a 21-day deadline that, if not accepted, could have resulted in severe cost penalties. Luckily, we obtained the file and advised her to reject the offer. As a result of the transfer, she received an additional £75,000 by the time I settled the bike injury claim.
“I understand that some bike injury victims are nervous about changing solicitors. However, whether you change to my firm for a second opinion or because you are not happy with the solicitor’s service, it is as simple as signing a one-page authority to transfer the file. I will inform your old solicitors that I will deal with their costs at the end of the case so they will not lose out. Once the motorbike claim is settled and compensation is paid, I will recover my costs and your old solicitors’ costs. As a result, there is no problem with transferring the file to new solicitors. My firm always runs accident claims under our no win, no fee agreement, so there is nothing to lose or worry about by transferring to us.”
Sometimes a second opinion can help, and changing solicitors may be the answer. We are often approached by clients who just want a sounding board for a second opinion about apportionment of blame or an offer made. We cannot provide advice over the phone without the file being transferred, but victims injured in an accident are often right about their opinions, and when we receive the file, we commonly obtain improved settlement terms.
Ultimately, it can pay to transfer your accident claim to R. James Hutcheon Solicitors without fear of costs or being penalised by your insurance company’s panel solicitors.
