Urgent advice on PI claim

[MadAboutTennis]

Hi there,

 

I have a personal injury claim currently underway at the moment.

 

The third party insurer has admitted liability and I have had an appointment with a 'medical expert'.

 

My solicitors have sent me a copy of the medical report, the contents of which I am satisfied with.

 

At the same time they have placed a valuation on the claim,

 

They have also sent me a form to sign with three different options:

 

Option 1: Agreement with the contents of the report and wish to settle claim on the basis of this report

and authorising the solicitors to settle my claim between their valuation figures as FULL & FINAL

 

Option 2: Disagreement with the content of the report

 

Option 3: Agreement with report but settlement is delayed pending prognosis period, etc...

 

My question is

 

how can they ask me to settle my claim based on their settlement figures and sign to this effect

until we have had an offer from the TP insurers?

 

What happens if the figure I am offered is higher than their valuation figures?

 

I'm not happy with signing anything until I have had an offer from the TP insurer.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

[Slimm]

This is completely standard. They're essentially asking for your delegated authority so they don't need to bother calling you every time an offer/counter is made. They get paid a flat rate for this kind of work so the less time they spend contacting you the more profit they make.

 

 

In the unlikely event that the insurers make an offer above their own values they'll accept it without hesitation.

[Ganymede]

Hi there,

 

I have a personal injury claim currently underway at the moment.

 

The third party insurer has admitted liability and I have had an appointment with a 'medical expert'.

 

My solicitors have sent me a copy of the medical report, the contents of which I am satisfied with.

 

At the same time they have placed a valuation on the claim,

 

They have also sent me a form to sign with three different options:

 

Option 1: Agreement with the contents of the report and wish to settle claim on the basis of this report

and authorising the solicitors to settle my claim between their valuation figures as FULL & FINAL

 

Option 2: Disagreement with the content of the report

 

Option 3: Agreement with report but settlement is delayed pending prognosis period, etc...

 

My question is

 

how can they ask me to settle my claim based on their settlement figures and sign to this effect

until we have had an offer from the TP insurers?

 

What happens if the figure I am offered is higher than their valuation figures?

 

I'm not happy with signing anything until I have had an offer from the TP insurer.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

You're paying a solicitor for legal advice, why not ask them?

[SuperVillain]

I believe it's a set procedure as your claim is most likely going through the Rapid Claims Portal. (it's like an online claims thingy)

 

Once the medical report is sent to the other side your solicitors have 15 working days to send them what's called a Stage 2 settlement Pack.

 

Upon receipt the Defendant has 15 days to respond by agreeing the offer or making a counter offer. Then there is a further 20 day negotiation period. If they make an offer within 5 days of the end of this 35 day period there is a 5 day extension.

 

If agreement can't be reached the claim drops out of the portal and goes to Court, but the Court will use the settlement packs to determine the value.