If you are injured in an accident, for example a traffic or industrial accident, it is wise to call in specialized legal assistance. There are numerous providers of legal assistance for personal injury claims. Some promise you mountains of gold on the internet. But you have to be careful, because there are big differences in quality.
A personal injury lawyer, personal injury expert or personal injury specialist are not lawyers. A lawyer has completed one or more specialization courses in addition to an academic law course and the vocational course for the legal profession. That is why lawyers are the top specialists in their field. This does not apply to personal injury lawyers, personal injury experts or personal injury specialists.
Safeguards
Moreover, it is important to know that the title ‘personal injury expert’ is not protected. This means that anyone, including people without any legal background, can call themselves that.
Unlike the profession of personal injury expert, the profession of lawyer is protected. Only persons who are registered with the Netherlands Bar Association may call themselves lawyers. In addition, there are a large number of important differences, including:
- Lawyers may litigate (go to court)
- Lawyers have professional secrecy
- Lawyers are bound by strict rules of conduct
- Lawyers are subject to disciplinary law
- Lawyers must meet high training requirements every year in order to keep their knowledge up-to-date
These guarantees do not apply to personal injury experts.
Find a lawyer
If you want to play it safe when choosing an expert personal injury lawyer, choose a lawyer. On the website of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers LSA you can search for a personal injury lawyer in your area.