Firstly, you are on what is called the fast track system which is nothing to worry about from your point of view, it is simply a legal procedure that solicitors and insurers follow in lesser value claims, usually up to around the Â?10,000 mark.
However, if the third party denies liability or the claim is assessed as being worth more, then it will be transferred to what is called Multi track, again just a sllight difference in prcedure and nothing for you to worry about.
Your solicitor really should give you regular updates, but sometimes regular can mean every 2 or 3 months dependant on the type of case, however there is no excuse for not returning your calls or emails, and unfortunately the treatment you have experienced is symptomatic of using legal expenses appointed law firms, you are just a number on their conveyor belt.
The independent medical examination tends to be quite simple, or at least appear quite simple, but the quality of expert is dependant on who has been instructed and there are some who are better than others.
Where the examination takes place is imaterial by and large. Sometimes they may take place at a private clinic, a hospital or a local health centre, it all depends on who had been instructed, so do not read anything into where the examination was carried out.
If you were the only person injured, then regardless of how many injuries you sustained, it is dealt with as one case.
The compensation for your actual injuries and pain and suffering is called General Damages, and then for your out of pocket expenses and other losses, these are called Special Damages and the two are then added together. This is a simple explanation although in reality it is a bit more complicated.
If after receiving treatment, your symptoms are still ongoing, then keep a diary of problems you experience so that a chronological order of events are maintained and it can be shown that even after the time period expressed by the expert you still have ongoing problems.
Given that your injuries were sustained in November, don't expect a settlement for possibly another 12 months at the earliest.
Given your ongoing problems, if your claim is settled too quickly, it usually means that it has been undervalued and the other side will rub their hands with glee.
Their may be a requirement for a further medical, so that a long term prognosis can be made and this will affect the level of compensation you can expect to receive.
Normally for minor injuries, settlement is around 12 - 18 months, for more serious injuries, 18 - 24 months and in serious cases, 36+ months.
As to how much your case is worth, only your solicitor can answer this as he has access to your medical records and file notes. It can be anything from Â?1,000 t over Â?10,000 depending on the severity.
If you are unhappy with your current solicitor, tell your legal expenses insurer as such ands either they will arrange for another firm to take over your case, or you can go to another firm of your choice and get representation under a Conditional Fee Agreement (no win no fee).
I would advise against a claims management firm as many of the compalints in road crash cases relate to the way claims management firms sell on their cases.
