Dwyer Law Group

The plaintiff is the person making the claim (you), and the defendant, as the term suggests, defends the claim. Many people think that the person who caused the accident actually defends the action and pays the compensation. This is not so. If they are insured, their insurance company will cover the cost of appointing solicitors to defend your action, and if you are successful, it is the insurance company who pays the compensation - not them personally.

In assessing your damages, we will look to the following things: How much pain you have suffered in the past/likely to suffer in the future, & the effects of your injuries on your life generally? How much income you have lost & are likely to lose in the future? How much money you spent on medical services, pharmaceuticals, treatment etc? What assistance you obtained from other people whilst recovering? Any refunds you will have to pay? Any future costs you may have?

Many cases settle out of court, although sometimes not until the day of trial. Sometimes the defendant's insurer will have obtained evidence to contradict the evidence we have obtained. Where there is a divergence in the evidence, it may be difficult to determine how much compensation you should receive. We have to be ready to go to court if it becomes necessary. There is no need for this to concern you. We are skilled & experienced in this type of litigation, so let us take care of everything.

We will carry out some preliminary investigations into the circumstances of your injury/claim to determine if you have good prospects of winning. This could take up to a few months depending on how complicated your claim is. If we think you have good prospects of winning, we will continue your claim and offer our advice. We estimated that from the time we are able to start your case it will take 12 to 24 months to finish, but sometimes cases do not always run according to plan.

We require that you provide us with all relevant information so that we can obtain the best results in your claim. Without this information, we cannot do our job. We also need you to do things such as attend on doctors at our request, provide us with your taxation history, provide us with your employment history, sign and return documents to us, keep us updated on your personal information, and update us on any changes in your lifestyle, employment & circumstances.