If you have been involved in an accident it may be the case that you have been approached directly by the insurer for the other person involved and have been made an offer to settle your claim.
This behaviour from insurance companies appears to be on the increase, particularly with road traffic accidents, and has caused the Financial Services Authority to investigate. The practice is known in the industry as ‘Third Party Capture’.
Case Study – Mr White
Mr White was a client of Bartletts who was involved in a road traffic accident. He was stationary at traffic lights when Mrs Green drove into the rear of his vehicle. Before he instructed Bartletts to deal with his claim he had been approached by Mrs Green’s insurance company with an offer to settle his claim at £1,000.00 and asked that he sign a form to accept.
Fortunately Mr White did not accept the offer and after instructing Bartletts he was examined by a medical expert (at no cost to himself) who prepared a report on his injuries. Mr White’s claim settled for over £3,000.00 and he received 100% of his compensation.
Better to Instruct Bartletts
This case highlights the fact that the offers made by insurance companies are often far lower than the true value of your claim. Often the insurance company will ask you to sign a form to accept the offer. In Mr White’s case he wisely did not sign the form to accept the offer and after taking legal advice from Bartletts received the compensation his was legally entitled to.
The offer is often too low as it is made without the benefit of a medical expert’s report on your injuries and often without taking into account out of pocket expenses that you may have incurred.
At Bartletts we ensure that you are examined by an appropriate medical expert so that we may find out the true extent of your injury and the value of your claim. We will also claim for any out of pocket expenses on your behalf to ensure that you are fully compensated for your losses. We act on a no win no fee basis so you receive 100% of the compensation (we claim our costs from your opponent).
If you have been involved in an accident and would like advice on how to make a claim please contact us.
