Personal Injury Attorney in Nice and the French Riviera
Nathalie Harrop is an experienced Personal Injury attorney who is able to cut through the red tape and protect her clients’ rights against predatory insurance companies and attorneys who will work hard to make sure you receive as little compensation as possible.
Filing a personal injury claim in the French legal system:
The French legal system is extremely different than that of most English-speaking countries that use a Common Law system versus our Civil Law system.
Also, French laws are often different, as are many of the procedures.
I can assist you in many areas from car accidents to slips and falls, medical malpractice, injuries sustained on Cruise ships and even from terrorist attacks.
Some of the most common injury claims are work related. If you are injured at work then there are many laws designed to help secure you if you are unable to continue working.
Dealing with Personal Injury Insurance Claims
You may think that insurance companies are there to protect you and stand up for you but you will often find that many insurance companies offer you money quickly because they know that you can get more if you are assisted by a personal injury attorney.
I am often contacted by English-speaking clients, seeking reparation for injuries suffered.
Unfortunately, they too often reach out to me too late, missing important elements which would otherwise enhance their case such as evidence-gathering (especially eye-witness testimonies or in obtaining those witnesses’ contact information), things that are vital to building a strong case.
If you or someone you love has already been injured then you need to contact a Personal Injury Lawyer immediately to begin safe-guarding your rights.
Indeed, in the French legal system, the burden of proof is on the claimant, i.e. the victim, and the proof cannot be obtained as it can in the Common Law system back-home.
You cannot subpoena apprehensive witnesses and compel them to testify in Court, even an employee from the company you are suing. In France, in civil matters, that cannot happen (it is rare even in Criminal matters).
You can only rely on the testimonies you would have gathered, pictures you would have taken, or the bailiff’s report.
Private investigators in France don’t have much means to obtain the information you might need; nor have they the same freedom than the private investigators might have in your home legal system. For instance, you fall on the floor of a hotel, write to them to get them to reply and acknowledge what happened, or get them to write down an incident report and give you copy. Otherwise, you won’t have any proof later it did happen there in that hotel, knowing you will have to face the burden of proof, they will just deny any fall on their premises.
I have unfortunately seen many cases end before they began because of the lack of proof, with clients used to the Common Law system and how it offers plenty of means of obtaining proof.
The French legal system won’t help you there. You must protect your rights from the very beginning.
If you have already had an accident then it is vital that you contact me right away so that I can help you to begin building a solid case against them.
Contact Nathalie today to schedule a consultation.