The Value of Experience in Complex Claims
Suffering a personal injury can leave people facing a great deal of uncertainty. Alongside dealing with the injury itself, there can be questions about what happens next and how a claim will progress.
At Carpenters Group, supporting clients through that uncertainty relies on the experience and judgement of the people handling their claim. As cases become more complex, that can mean knowing when to question an approach while making sure the client understands what is happening and why.
Peter Core, Manager of Carpenters’ Intermediate Track Team, uses the experience he has built throughout his career not only to guide clients through more complex claims, but to help colleagues develop their own judgement too. An important part of that is remembering that while the legal process may be familiar to the person handling the claim, it is often completely unfamiliar to the client.
“We deal with personal injury claims every day, but for the client this may be the first time they’ve ever had to go through anything like this. They want to understand what is happening with their case and know that it is being taken seriously. A big part of our job is giving people clarity and making sure they feel supported throughout the process.”
As cases become more complex, that reassurance becomes particularly important. There may not always be an immediate answer, and more complicated cases can require different approaches. For the client, however, what matters is knowing that the person handling their claim has the experience to determine the best way forward.
“Behind every file is a person, and that is something you can never lose sight of. However technical a case becomes, you’re ultimately dealing with someone who wants to know that their claim is in capable hands and that we’re doing the right thing for them.”
While the legal issues may require greater scrutiny, the client still needs clear advice about what those developments mean for them and their case.
For Peter, experience is not just about knowing the law or having dealt with a similar issue before. It is about knowing how to apply that knowledge to the individual circumstances of the claim. No two cases are ever exactly the same, and an approach that has worked previously will not necessarily be the right one for every client. Sometimes a case needs a different perspective, while in others, bringing in specialist expertise can help establish the best way forward.
“Experience teaches you that you don’t always have to have the answer immediately. Sometimes the most important thing is knowing what questions to ask, when to seek input from someone else and what is going to give the client the best way forward.”
The judgement that comes with experience is also something he wants to pass on to others in the Intermediate Track Team. When colleagues encounter an unfamiliar issue, his focus is on helping them understand the reasoning behind an approach rather than simply telling them what to do.
“If someone comes to me with a difficult issue, I want them to understand why we’re taking a particular approach. It helps them build their own judgement, so the next time they come across something similar, they’re better equipped to work through it themselves.”
Sharing that experience across the team means knowledge gained through difficult cases can influence how future claims are approached. Ultimately, it is the client who benefits as colleagues develop greater confidence in their own judgement.
Technology is becoming part of that conversation too. AI has the potential to support legal teams and make some areas of work more efficient, but Peter believes there will always be a need for professional judgement.
“There’s clearly a role for AI in legal work, but every claim has its own circumstances, and you still need someone who understands the evidence in context and takes responsibility for the advice being given.”
The legal process is only one part of what has been a difficult period in someone's life. Having experienced people handling their claim can help remove some of the uncertainty and give them confidence in what happens next.
It is about making sure the team’s expertise translates into the best possible support for each client. Every case brings its own challenges, but the focus remains on finding the right way forward and achieving the best possible outcome.
