EWJ June 2024 web - Journal - Page 63
A Day in the Life of a Newly
Qualified Personal Injury Solicitor
Navigating Cases with Grace Donnelly
My name is Grace Donnelly. After completing my
training contract at Hodge Jones & Allen (HJA) in
March 2023, I qualified into the Personal Injury (PI)
team. I run my own cases, including road traffic accidents, public liability claims, and occupiers’ liability
claims.
to the client for their comments yesterday. This morning, I received my client’s comments by email. I reviewed the comments and assessed the claim risk. I
decide that the claim has merit and think it is proportionate to instruct Counsel to advise on liability and
prospects. I approve this with my supervisor, draft the
instructions to Counsel, and collate a corresponding
bundle of exhibits. I email the instructions and bundle to Counsel’s clerk. I update the client accordingly.
During my training contract, my seats included PI,
housing, and crime. Before joining HJA, I was a commercial and residential property paralegal. I chose
HJA because I am committed to helping those in need
and “fighting for what’s right”. The firm puts the
client at the heart of everything it does and listens to
both the client and their families to help them work towards a brighter future. As part of the PI team, I have
fought for our clients who have been injured through
no fault of their own and helped ‘put things right’, by
arranging early rehabilitation and obtaining interim
payments to help aid recovery.
3:15: I call the Defendant’s Insurer on a matter where
I am waiting for them to respond to my Part 36 offer.
They answer the phone, and we negotiate my client’s
settlement. I already have instructions from the client,
so I am in a position to accept their counter-offer. After
settling the claim, I draft a letter to the Defendant’s
Insurer and client confirming the settlement.
4:00 I recently received my client’s medical report
following their medico-legal assessment. I reviewed
the report and drafted a corresponding letter to the
client, enclosing the report and explaining the expert’s findings. The expert has given a final prognosis, so subject to my client’s instructions, we can move
towards settling the claim.
I have detailed my day in the life for any budding
lawyer who is curious to learn more about this area of
law or those interested in the adjustment from trainee
solicitor to Newly Qualified Solicitor.
Day in the life
9:30 Arrive in the office, make tea, check/respond
to my email, consider my task list and prioritise
accordingly.
5:15 I go through the post I received today and allocate it to my files. I check that all my outstanding tasks
are complete, update my task list for the following day,
shut down my computer and go home…
10:30 Today, I have been allocated a new case. As soon
as I receive the documents for a new client, I review
them in order to progress the matter. I have been allocated a fast-track claim (which is a claim valued
under £25,000). I will, therefore, be submitting a
Claims Notification Form (CNF) through the MOJ
Portal (a tool for processing PI claims valued at
£25,000 or under). I have a few questions for the client
before I do that, so I give the client a call. Fortunately,
they answered the phone and provided all the relevant information I needed to progress the claim. I
then complete and submit the CNF. I ensure key dates
are in my diary, send the relevant documents to the
client and update them on the next stage.
Reflections – the transition from Trainee Solicitor
to Newly Qualified Solicitor
My first seat as a trainee solicitor at HJA was PI. Before
that seat, I had no previous experience in PI, so when
I qualified a year later, it took some adjustment. I had
to familiarise myself with new processes and refresh
my knowledge. However, with my supervisor’s and
the team’s support, it was a smooth transition, and I
felt very comfortable back in the department.
If you are apprehensive about the transition, communicate your anxieties to team members and supervisors who are there to support you. It also helps to
keep in contact with fellow ex-trainees who are going
through the same transition.
11:30 Today, I am assisting Daniel Denton, a partner
in the PI team, with a presentation to University Students about how Road Traffic Accident Claims run.
Daniel has helped establish connections with different
universities to launch legal clinics offering free advice
on personal injury claims.
As a Newly Qualified
Solicitor in the Personal
Injury team, it has been
a privilege to support
individuals in what is
often a very challenging
period of their lives.
www.hja.net/legal-services/personal-injury/
1:00 I have lunch with some of my colleagues in the
department. We try our best to get out of the office
and enjoy some fresh air.
2:00 I received a denial of liability from the
Defendant’s Insurer on a case a few days ago. I sent it
EXPERT WITNESS JOURNAL
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JUNE 2024