Chances are you’ve seen an ad for a personal injury lawyer. On television, on the side of buses and on highway billboards, these days there are many such firms seeking to represent you in a personal injury claim. But essentially, what do personal injury lawyers do, and why should you consider engaging one if you believe you have a claim for compensation after suffering an injury?

We’ll attempt to answer that question in this post while emphasising that there are essential priorities when it comes to choosing a personal injury lawyer: 1) whether they are a compensation specialist and 2) how much experience they have pursuing compensation claims.

Depending on the nature of the claim, compensation law can be a complex area. While most firms practice in a range of different areas of the law, including personal injury, Lifestyle Injury Lawyers are specialists in this area. That’s what we do, all day, every day: personal injury law.

The work of a personal injury lawyer

Perhaps you’ve slipped, tripped and injured your back at a shopping centre or on a council footpath. Maybe you injured yourself while at work or did so in a motor vehicle accident. Is the injury more serious, requiring you to try and access Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) insurance? There are many different ways a personal injury claim might arise.

Once it does, however, and you believe the injury occurred due to the negligence of another party – a driver, a manager, a council – then you may have grounds for compensation.

And that’s where the work begins. The claims process can be lengthy, highly detailed and, all in all, an awful lot of paperwork. From accident reports to multiple assessments of the injury by doctors, witness statements and negotiations with the insurer, there is a lot to do in making a compensation claim.

Most people simply don’t have the time to collate all the information involved, as they also try and recover from injury while maintaining an income and a lifestyle. A good personal injury lawyer does all this legwork for you. They take the stress and worry out of the claims process by gathering together all you need to properly support your claim.

Apart from the work, why else would I need a lawyer?

Dealing with large insurance companies – which is generally what is involved in making a personal injury claim – does not rank as one of life’s more pleasant experiences.

The insurer will not automatically agree to a claim for compensation. On most occasions, the insurer will conduct its own investigation into the claim. This may require the injured person to submit to a medical assessment by a practitioner of the insurance company’s choosing. The insurer may also intensely question other aspects of the supporting evidence or point to a clause in a policy that excludes the policy-holder from liability.

It might also suggest that the injured person somehow contributed to their injury through their actions (or lack of action) and should therefore only be entitled to a reduced amount of damages.

All of these factors can become quite technical and time-consuming, but practised personal injury lawyers deal with these scenarios every day and can help expedite your claim in ways you are not likely to be able to do representing yourself.



Importantly, any compensation claim involves meeting strict time limits in which to submit a claim, receive a response, respond to the response, and on and on.

For a person with a busy life, keeping track of the deadlines involved in making a personal injury claim can be daunting. Your personal injury lawyer, by contrast, is paid to take notice of these important dates.

What’s the best way to choose a personal injury lawyer?

As mentioned earlier, personal injury is a competitive area. Choosing the right legal representative for you should be a careful and considered process but, in the end, a good rapport with the person representing you is the most important element.

Referrals from family, friends and acquaintances can help narrow the field. Most people who’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident, or at a workplace, will have some experience as personal injury lawyers.

Make an appointment. An obligation-free consultation to discuss your case will help set your mind at ease about the claims process and the firm’s ability to handle it on your behalf. This is where you can assess whether you’ll receive personal, caring service in regard to your claim.

Be sure to ask about the basic terms of the firm’s client agreement, particularly if their services are offered on a ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis. This term does not mean you won’t pay anything – you will usually still have to pay for court lodgment fees and other costs associated with the claim, so it’s important to be clear on what this means from the start.

Again, an important consideration is a speciality the law firm offers. Choosing lawyers who devote all their time to compensation claims means you will be accessing assistance from a legal practitioner with a comprehensive knowledge of this area of the law.

Call Lifestyle Injury Lawyers for a consultation

At Personal Injury Lawyers, we’re a boutique firm specialising in personal injury compensation. Bigger is not always better. We have helped thousands of people receive recognition of their injury through compensation, helping them get back to the lifestyle to which they’re accustomed.

Our ‘no win, no fee’ guarantee makes legal action more affordable. Come and chat with us Gold Coast compensation lawyers about your case today.