Why does it matter if I go to a local law firm?
First of all, there are many differences between personal injury law in Scotland and personal injury law in England, the most crucial difference being that a law firm in England cannot raise a court action in Scotland — and therefore, if the accident happened in Scotland, you need a Scottish firm to act for you. Of course, an English firm might try and tell you that the case will settle long before there is any need to go to court. Be aware this means that your case and claim are likely to be significantly under-settled because the defending party will know that your solicitor can’t take your case to court. It is therefore important that you begin the process by selecting a Scottish firm to represent you.
Not all lawyers and law firms will have specialist knowledge of personal injury law. Personal injury is a highly specialist area of law with many regulations and statutes surrounding it. Just because you are a solicitor does not mean you have the requisite knowledge of the specific area of the law concerned or access to the essential tools required to achieve the right outcome – you might win the case but you may not achieve the correct amount of damages. Digby Brown are asked to look over many cases which have already been settled and often see huge differences in the value versus settlement.
It is therefore crucial that if you have been the victim of an accident that you have access to a specialist solicitor who can properly represent your interests throughout the claims process.
How can a specialist personal injury lawyer help me?
Using an expert in the area of personal injury is primarily about ensuring the right amount of compensation; however, your lawyer can assist you in other ways, too. They can help you with your recovery as they will have access to rehabilitation providers and medical experts who are leaders in their fields. Your lawyer can also support you emotionally during a very difficult period in your life. Additionally, your lawyer can apply for interim payments which could mean you receive payments before your compensation claim is settled to help you pay for daily living expenses and ultimately obtain the highest award of damages possible at the conclusion of your claim.
A specialist personal injury lawyer will fight the party at fault’s insurers on your behalf and will not under-settle your claim.
Many people may hear the word ‘specialist’ and immediately think ‘expensive’. However, selecting a specialist law firm does not necessarily mean any more expense to you. The term “no win no fee” was first devised because of the expense that these type of cases can incur. It wouldn’t be possible for most people to fund these expenses themselves if a solicitor was to charge out fees in a traditional model (on a monthly basis). The model of not charging fees until the case is completed and the client received rightful damages was therefore created; and, in a case where the other side have to accept responsibility for the claim, they also have to reimburse all fees incurred including those of the pursuing lawyer.
If the case is lost, then the model ensures that as the client, you do not bear the cost. The onus is on the solicitor to build a case which is successful — and if it isn’t, we accept responsibility for the loss and all the expenses that have been incurred. This is partly why Digby Brown charges a success fee: this mitigates the loss if a case is unsuccessful. At Digby Brown, we use our in house funding vehicle «Compensate» which allows us access to the resources required to get the best possible result in your case without any financial risk to you.
Why does it matter if I go to a local law firm?
Firstly, we should define local. With seven offices across Scotland, we believe we have the right to say we are local. These offices aren’t just addresses — they are fully functioning centres of excellence staffed with experienced solicitors.
Being local as a solicitor ensures (as simple as it sounds) a familiarity of the surrounding region. For example: the roads network, notorious junctions and black spots where accidents occur. Being local, as a solicitor, you gain an understanding of businesses and industries which operate in the region and this allows for experience to be built up on the types of injuries or incidents which occur in the area. In turn this can translate into an understanding of specifics like equipment failings or procedural shortfalls. From Inverness to Ayr, Digby Brown has offices with the relevant knowledge and experience to shortcut the learning when they are presented with a scenario and the circumstances of someone who has been in an accident.
Of course, being local means you can readily meet your solicitor — and that counts for a lot. They won’t be a faceless person at the end of a phone or an email; you can meet with them in person to discuss the progress of your case and receive the necessary support for your recovery.
Many cases will be dealt with in the local Sheriff Courts, with which your solicitor will be very familiar.
The best personal injury lawyers
At Digby Brown, all of our lawyers specialise in personal injury law. You will be represented by a specialist lawyer who is local to your area. We recognise that, to provide excellent client service, it is essential that you are represented by a local lawyer.
We have offices across Scotland in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Kirkcaldy, Aberdeen, Inverness and Ayr from which our solicitors are able to keep in regular contact with our clients and to ensure that they remain properly informed and supported through each step of their claim.
Due to our experience in this particular field, we have access to local medical experts across Scotland who are willing to travel so you don’t have to. We also have access to the local Sheriff Courts as well as access to the Court of Session and the Specialist Personal Injury Court in Edinburgh.
Our team will strive to provide you with the best possible level of service, whilst achieving the best possible result. If it matters to you, it matters to us.
