"Injured people deserve our empathy and understanding. As a nation we should be focused on what genuinely injured people need, rather than on myths about their motivation" – Association of Personal Injury Lawyers

The misconception about people who make Personal Injury + Medical Negligence claims

Over the years, and since the rise of claims management companies and television infomercials depicting a workman falling off a ladder or a business woman slipping on a polished floor (we all know the ones!), there has been a growing and worrying attitude spreading across the UK which aims to shame anyone who has been injured in an accident that could have otherwise been prevented.

The insurers have further assisted in fuelling the misunderstanding and stigma by blaming fraudulent claims for the on-going rise in insurance premiums. Obviously this is in their interest as they stand to benefit financially from every injured person who feels too ashamed to claim.

Sadly, a mixture of the above has caused a stigma to be attached to injured parties considering a claim, clients who make claims and the specialist lawyers who work to secure rehabilitation and funding for those needlessly injured.

Personal Injury specialist Lauren Martin, of local law firm Thatcher + Hallam, explores this issue in and advises people what to do if they've experienced an injury as a result of an accident that wasn't their fault.

In Personal Injury + Medical Negligence there are no winners

It is often reported in the media that claimants 'won' compensation and there is almost always the illusion that money is the main motivator for claiming. This is false. Injury claims are not a 'get rich quick' scheme nor is there a winner in such cases.

We support people who have been injured to varying degrees, many with severe life altering lifelong conditions who require financial support for the rest of their lives.

Why we need to shake off the stigma and encourage people to come forward and claim

All too often, those who judge others for making claims either a) have never suffered an accident due to someone else's negligence which, whether for the short term or long term, has disturbed their life in some meaningful way and/or b) have a fundamental misunderstanding of the mechanism of injury claims and their purpose.

I have clients instruct me with the opinion that 'I didn't want to make a claim, I don't agree with compensation culture'. However, they feel they are forced to claim when they aren't getting better and their injuries start to affect their ability to work, to earn money and to carry out their normal day to day activities.

It's simple. People who have been hurt in an accident that could and should have been avoided should claim so that they have access to advice, support, rehabilitation and justice.

Nothing would improve or change if claims were not pursued for accidents at work, road traffic accidents where drivers have acted dangerously or incidents where medical errors were made, and the ones who were hurt would suffer the burden of their injuries, as would their families.

What to do if you have been injured and those injuries are affecting your life

You should always speak to a Personal Injury or Medical Negligence Lawyer and have an honest discussion about what happened to you, about how they might be able to assist you and whether you might be able to claim.

You will find that we are, more often than not, a compassionate, caring and non-judgmental sector as we work with injured people and their families' day in and day out, all through the year.

Local high street firms – such as Thatcher + Hallam – or larger city law firms are usually a good place to enquire but do steer clear of any claims management companies who often work as 'claim factories' and seek only to settle the claim as quickly as possible, usually with very little understanding, care or compassion for the injured party.

At the end of the day, as injury lawyers, our main aim is and always will be to rebuild shattered lives, help rehabilitate clients and provide them with emotional, legal, medical and financial support throughout the duration of their claim.

For more information on how Thatcher + Hallam can support you with a potential personal injury or medical negligence claim please click HERE the award-winning law firm's site