Accidents in America – No Win, No Fee Compensation Claims

There is a popular assumption that almost any misfortune that may occur to you in America will give rise to a case against someone, somewhere followed swiftly by a mult-million dollar settlement. The press and internet abound with stories of overweight claimants pursuing burger chains and burglars suing their intended victims when they injure themselves on the job. We at Pannone know that the reality is somewhat different.

Whilst it is true to say that awards of damages for serious personal injury in the USA can dwarf awards in similar UK cases this type of case is relatively rare. For less serious injuries the US system can be far from user friendly and many states are clamping down on levels of damages with caps on awards or thresholds before any damages can be awarded.

One area of law that often comes as a surprise to UK citizens is motor insurance law in the USA . In many states third party liability insurance is not compulsory and where it does not exist there is no equivalent to our safety net of the Motor Insurers Bureau. Even where insurance is available or compulsory it can capped at as little as $20,000. Unless the negligent driver who has caused your injury is wealthy (and if he is wealthy why would he not be insured?) there may be little point pursuing a claim. Many Americans resort to taking out insurance against them being in collision with someone who has no insurance!

As well as federal laws each state of the USA has it's own legal system and the rules relating to liability to pay damages, time limits and a multitude of other factors vary greatly. It may also be fair to say that there is evidence of a much more aggressive and sharp way of conducting personal injury claims among US lawyers when compared to other countries. Equally there are some highly skilled and dedicated litigators. Above all the key to success in deciding whether to embark upon a claim in the USA is having the right contacts. At Pannone we have these contacts. We have been working with US lawyers for over 20 years and are long standing members of the American Association For Justice (formerly ATLA).

Here are some of the cases we have worked on with US attorneys:

• PanAm Lockerbie bombing
• Piper Alpha Disaster
• $2million award for English road traffic accident victim in California
• $1.1milion award for passengers in a Florida Hire car crash
• $500,000 for a film crew member injured in a helicopter crash landing.

Call 0800 0384 384 now for a free consultation with a Pannone Personal Injury Solicitor or Lawyer