I was approached by a client who had suffered serious injury as a pedestrian in a road traffic collision to take over his file from an existing solicitor firm who acted for him. They needed a specialist serious injury solicitor to take control of their case.
The client had sustained multiple serious injuries in the incident and been attended to by the Air Ambulance crew at the scene before being taken to the Major Trauma Centre at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where he spent many weeks as an inpatient.
The clients existing solicitor had never visited him in person with all contact via a family relative by telephone and following discharge from hospital whilst a case manager had been put into place that was done by the solicitor instructed on behalf of the motor insurer – so his opponent.
The case manager had expressed to the client some concern over the lack of involvement by the existing solicitor causing the client to make alternative enquiries of well known solicitors recognised as market leaders in acting for those with serious injury.
I was recommended to the client as a specialist serious injury solicitor. Having met with the client and his family at their home I agreed to assume conduct of his claim from his then former solicitor.
The former solicitor was not known for personal injury work but rather general practice and so they agreed to transfer the client’s file to the Serious injury team at Moore Barlow. On review of the file much needed to be done including regularising the case manager instruction from unilateral instruction to one of joint instruction under the Rehabilitation Code 2015. I then set about progressing matters.
Having assumed conduct of the case I remember telephoning the solicitor for the insurance company that represented our opponent. I had dealt with this solicitor on other complex matters who was relieved to receive my call in the knowledge that our client was now represented by an experienced solicitor firm specialising in serious injury therefore progress could be made. Most insurers just want to progress claims and understand their potential financial exposure.
The case rumbled on but the client was supported by his legal team at Moore Barlow and felt involved in the process. The case settled on favourable terms and we were pleased to receive from our client Mohamed a 5 Star TrustPilot review:
“Matthew Claxson had handled my case and supported me giving updates throughout the whole process. He and his team helped me when I was down and needed to bounce back in my life and he helped me to do that. Moving to a specialist solicitor like Moore Barlow definitely was the best move as they handled my case professionally and put it back on track for a good result. I would recommend them to those who need the right positive result. Thank you”.
The takeaway from the above, where you have suffered serious injury is don’t feel you can’t ask a solicitor to demonstrate their experience of acting for other persons of serious injury and what accreditations they have to evidence their specialism – you are ultimately looking to employ the services of a specialist serious injury solicitor.
Matthew Claxson is a partner in the Serious injury team at Moore Barlow. Our team acts for clients who have suffered serious injury or bereavement and we help those clients to access rehabilitation, receive interim payments and compensation to help them rebuild their lives.
Contact a specialist serious injury solicitor on Freephone 0800 157 7611 or by email claim@moorebarlow.com
