If you have suffered a whiplash injury after a car accident how to you know who to believe? You may for the very first time have to choose a whiplash solicitor, how can you know where to start?

We have put together our Whiplash Myths and Facts Guide so that you know the facts from the myths so that you can then move forward to make your whiplash claim.

Whiplash Myth Number 1

You Can Have All Of Your Whiplash Compensation And Pay No Legal Costs

Whiplash Fact or Myth: Fact

We all know that solicitors are not generally working for charity (although a lot do provide free services, called pro bono work). They are trying to make a living just like everybody else. The difference with whiplash claims is that the law says that if they win a claim for whiplash compensation the losing side (ie the insurance company for the other driver) must pick up the winners legal costs. Therefore, you can really make a claim for whiplash compensation and have your legal costs paid for you.

Whiplash Fact or Myth Number 2

If You Have A Legal Expenses Insurance Policy, They Have The Right To Choose Your Whiplash Solicitor

Whiplash Fact Or Myth: Myth

The English legal system says that you (the injured victim) has the right to choose their own solicitor. No one can take this right away from you. However, what the English legal system does not tell you is that the Legal Expenses Insurer will normally make the solicitor pay them several hundred pounds for every client that they introduce to the solicitor. So it is definitely in their interest to make you use the solicitor that they want you to. You do not have to and you should choose a solicitor that you are completely comfortable with as you will be pursuing your whiplash claim for a few months.

Whiplash Fact or Myth Number 3

You Have To Use A Claims Company To Make A Whiplash Claim

Whiplash Fact: False

Once again this is a whiplash myth. You have choices available to you. You can choose to go straight to a solicitor and ask them to help you, or you can choose a specialist whiplash claims company to help you to recover compensation for your injuries. The benefit of choosing a whiplash claims company is that they will usually choose the solicitors based on how efficient they are and the quality of their service. After all, if the claims company that you choose sends you to a solicitor that you are not happy with, you are unlikely to use them again.

Whiplash Fact or Myth Number 4

Every Claims Company Provides A Free Whiplash Claims Service

Whiplash Fact: False

Unfortunately this is not true. We believe that every claims company should provide a free claims service, but sadly that is not the case. Many will often hide an "administration fee" of several hundred pounds within their small print. Make sure you are incredibly careful in your choice of claims company and specifically ask the question "Will you take any of my compensation away from me at the end of the claim?"