Accident helplines are becoming more popular, as people would now rather seek out legal advice in the comfort of their homes than on the high street. The good news is that there are a wide range of excellent helplines out there. Here are 5 tips to spot the best of them:
- Is the helpline operated by an established law firm?
Accident helplines are operated by law firms, and just as you would read up on the reputation of a law firm before you worked with them, you should look up the reputation of the operating law firm to see what kind of service you can expect from their helpline. The best helplines are always run by long-established law firms. For example, this accident helpline in the UK was established in 2000. It is run by Accident Advice Helpline.
- Is the helpline free?
Accident helplines should always be free to call. Calls to 0800 and 0808 numbers are free, while other numbers may incur a charge. You should avoid helplines that operate premium rate numbers, such as 0870 because there are better free alternatives out there.
- Always check out the reviews
Google or another popular search engine is your best tool to assess the reputability of the accident helplines you are interested in calling. Simply search for “helpline + reviews” (replace helpline with the company’s respective name) and see what comes up. You should now have a page of search results with people talking about that helpline. Alternatively, check out the company’s social media pages, to see if people have left any reviews there.
- Can the helpline take your claim further?
It’s all well and good calling a claims helpline for advice, but if they are unable to process your claim afterwards, what’s the point? So, when you do call, you should establish straight away whether the helpline in question processes your kind of claim. This could save you a lot of time. If they do, then you can ask them to take your claim further. If they do not, then you should do some more research to find a good law firm to take on your claim.
- Is the helpline offered without obligation?
Pressure-selling is illegal, and immoral. When you call a helpline, the last thing you want is for the claims advisor to push you towards making a claim. The advice you receive should be given in complete confidence, with no selling whatsoever. So, before you make your call, make sure that you rear about the law firm’s policy. If they do not state that the helpline is offered without obligation, then you should be wary of them and consider going elsewhere.
