If you have been injured in an accident then why should you instruct local solicitors Thatcher + Hallam? Surely it is easier to call up one of those claims firms that advertise so regularly on daytime television?

Thatcher + Hallam are of course sponsors of your local Nub News here in Midsomer Norton and committed to supporting local businesses.

To properly answer this question we sent our own reporter along to speak directly with Lauren Martin.

Lauren Martin has been working in the Personal Injury and Litigation team at Thatcher + Hallam for three years. She works closely with the firm's Managing Partner William Weller, who heads up the team. Lauren herself is very often the first point of contact for clients with a personal injury claim.

This is what Lauren had to tell Nub News:

Nub News: So, why should our readers ask Thatcher + Hallam to handle their accident claim?

Lauren Martin: Our team has a wealth of experience in handling and winning claims and our service comes with a local friendliness that is hard to come by at other firms. We handle claims from simple slip and trip accidents right up to complex and life-changing injury claims. Our department is headed up by William Weller. He is a specialist personal injury and clinical negligence Solicitor with well over 30 years of experience. Will is on the Law Society's Personal Injury Panel as well as the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers with whom he is a Senior Accredited Litigator.

His qualifications speak for themselves when you are looking for quality representation.

What sort of claims does the firm handle?

Lauren: Everything, from the most serious life-changing catastrophic claims involving brain and spinal injuries, to sports injuries and accidents at work and injuries involving motor vehicles including motor bikes. This list is not exhaustive, Anyone who has had an accident that was not their fault is urged to get in touch with us. We offer free no obligation assessment and it is never too much trouble to talk through a potential claim with someone who may be a bit uncertain.

Does the firm offer No Win No Fee?

Lauren: Yes, of course. All of our personal injury clients are offered a No Win No Fee agreement upon instructions being accepted so that legal remedy for injury is accessible to anyone regardless of how much or how little money they have.

What marks Thatcher + Hallam apart from their competitors in the personal injury sector?

Lauren: One of the reasons is the same as what motivated me to come and work here in the first place. We are not a claims factory working from a call centre in a warehouse miles away and the claim will not be passed from lawyer to lawyer as it progresses, as you might expect at larger law firms. Instead, we are local and accessible and make a real effort to get to know the clients we work on the behalf of. In my opinion, personal care and attention to the client is everything. At Thatcher + Hallam LLP, provided that we are able to do so safely, we often visit injured or ill clients either at their home or in hospital. Accidents can ruin lives, so it is important that where possible there be that face to face contact with the lawyer handling your claim.

What advantage is there in using a smaller firm such as Thatcher + Hallam?

Lauren: The firm may be smaller in size than the large regional heavyweights, however the expertise and legal skills of William often exceed those of our larger rivals.

William Weller is also able to offer years of experience and our team has won millions of pounds in compensation for our clients. A great deal comes down to personal attention, and in any larger organisation this is often lost. I would also note that, as a smaller firm, we often have the flexibility to take on unusual cases that do not fit into a larger firm's more compartmentalised and regimented profile of work they will usually undertake.

We are now increasingly and regularly instructed by clients who are unhappy at being passed from pillar to post by their existing large personal injury firm and would rather have the personal touch but without ever compromising on the quality and clout that you might expect from the larger firms.

Any other reason why we should use Thatcher + Hallam to handle our accident claim?

Lauren: Yes. A commitment to justice. From the outset there is a focus from everyone here on firstly to get for the client the medical advice and treatment that they need to hopefully recover from their injuries. Secondly, the client needs to be compensated fully for every aspect of injury and personal loss that they have suffered.

If someone's life has been shattered by an accident, then no amount of money will be able to compensate for what has happened. However, knowing that there is a strong legal team fighting your corner can make a big difference.

What is biggest misconception that clients have when contacting you about a possible claim?

Lauren: If you have had a motoring accident you do not need to use your insurer's legal team to pursue a personal injury claim! Following an accident many people contact their insurers. The insurer will then tell them that one of their panel solicitors will be able to handle the injury aspect of the claim. It often ends up going to a large firm half way up the country and you never see, and barely speak, to your claims handler.

You do not have to use a 'panel' solicitor based miles away as recommended by your insurer. You can instruct whoever you want to win your claim. At Thatcher + Hallam LLP we offer a 'no win, no fee' agreement exactly as any panel solicitor would. I am always happy to discuss with anyone who may be a little unsure.

Many of our readers will already know of Thatcher + Hallam's weekly free Legal Surgery. But what has happened to it during the coronavirus?

Lauren: I am delighted to say that the legal surgery adapted to become an extremely successful Virtual Legal Surgery, where clients can contact us from the comfort of their own home either via an enquiry form on our website or direct via telephone. Whether clients have an enquiry about a personal injury claim or another area of law, the service does of course remain free. After 35 years of successfully providing access to legal advice to the community, there was no way that this service was going to be allowed to fade away. As soon as we are able to safely do so, we shall announce the resumption of the face to face surgeries, but in the meantime clients can remain assured that our Virtual Legal Surgery will continue to be available to all for the foreseeable future

If you have a claim or potential claim that you would like to talk through, then please do not hesitate to contact either Will Weller or Lauren Martin on 01761 414646 or email [email protected] or [email protected] Alternatively, further details including on how to obtain help from the Virtual Legal Surgery can be obtained from the firm's website here: