Can You Handle Your Own Claim

Handling your own road accident claim is genuinely possible. It works best where fault is not disputed and the insurer responds reasonably. It takes time, organisation and persistence rather than legal training.

Some points in a claim make it much harder. A disputed fault or a low offer are the usual ones.

If you start alone, keep every receipt, medical letter and message from the insurer from day one. Missing records start to cost you when the first offer arrives.

What managing it yourself actually involves

Expect to gather your own police report, medical records and receipts. Follow up regularly with the insurer or their adjuster. Read any correspondence carefully rather than skimming it.

None of this requires legal training. It does require steady attention over a long process.

Keep a dated log of every call with the insurer: who you spoke to, what was said and what they promised to send. Answer letters in writing and keep copies. A log like this is useful evidence if the insurer later changes its position.

Where it tends to stay manageable

A case with clear fault, a cooperative insurer, and well documented costs is often manageable alone. Start organising your records early.

What you can include in your claim makes this considerably easier from the outset.

Where it usually gets harder

Fault being disputed is one common sticking point. An offer that looks low against your actual costs is another. So is a long silence from the insurer.

Reviewing a settlement offer explains how to judge whether a number you receive is reasonable, before you respond to it.

You do not have to decide once and stick with it

You can start alone and bring in a lawyer later. Do it before you sign anything that ends your right to ask for more.

That is the point where an independent lawyer can take over the file. Send the accident date, where it happened, whether anyone was injured (yes/no) and the police report status.

To weigh the bigger picture first, read is it worth making a claim.