The 10 Steps

There is a set procedure to be followed prior to going to Court. Should you fail to follow this then your case could be stopped or even struck out. Alternatively you could have to pay all the other side's costs of going to Court. In personal injury cases the procedure is set out in a pre-action protocol. Where there is no injury a practice direction applies.

The needs of any particular case vary.  However, a case can generally be broken down into a number of simple steps as follows:

1. Instruct a lawyer to act on your behalf (you may skip this bit, but if you do you are likely to run into problems later) and make sure you have legal expenses insurance to pursue the claim.  The insurance can be bought after the accident or you may already have it.
2. Consider what evidence, if any, needs to be obtained before you tell the other side a claim is to be brought.
3. Send a letter of claim to the other side and wait for the relevant period to expire.
4. If they dispute responsibility or fail to respond you can go to court, but should obtain your basic evidence before doing so.
5. Where you are injured and bringing a claim for personal injury you are likely to need medical evidence to support your claim.
6. You should try to resolve the claim before going to Court.
7. Go to Court. If you lose you will have to pay the other side's costs.
8. Prepare for trial. Get it wrong and the case may be struck out before you even get to trial.
9. Trial - win or lose.
10. Win and you then have to know how to make the other side pay, otherwise it was all for nothing. Lose and without insurance you will find yourself having to pay a hefty legal bill you could have avoided.

We can be appointed at no costs risk to you and arrange insurance against the other side's costs, so why do it yourself? Call us on (0800) 783 6191 to discuss your situation.

Don't be someone else's learning curve. Call our 24 hour help hotline on 0800 783 6191 for clear, expert legal help or e-mail us at contact@whitedalton.co.uk

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