So sorry that happened to you, b awful experience and doesn't put you in the most objective position for resolving it on your own.
You've lost me there. The only personal injury claim I've ever made - mentioned on the forum before - was the result of being shunted, car written off and I was in a surgical collar for a week. Pre no win, no fee, the solicitor was financed through a scheme jointly run by the Vehicle Builders and Repairers Association and the Association of British Insurers. I actually got into the scheme through their offer of a free hire car. The only slight hiccup was that I returned the hire car on the day I collected the replacement for my written off car but the hire company continued to charge the scheme for months. Between them, they had to sort that out but no problem for me, other than confirming precisely when I had returned the hire car, easily done because I had every scrap of documentation.
As I've posted elsewhere before, long after the crash - possibly more than a year - I received a call out of the blue from a solicitor somewhere in Merseyside. She outlined the offer from the insurer, explaining it was too low but to get more, it would mean being prepared to go to court. She was pleased to hear I was not frightened of giving evidence, having done so at Leeds Assizes, Sessions and Crown Court, as well as regularly prosecuting in various magistrates' courts. She was back on the phone within a few minutes and the offer had been considerably increased (about double IIRC) She said she thought the offer was a good one, that I might get more by going to court but might end up with a big costs bill if the court agreed that the offer was correct. I was more than happy to accept her advice on that and the payout was very smooth. I can see that a good result like that might affect my objectivity but OTOH, it illustrates the value of a decent solicitor. And even with quite extensive experience of the criminal courts, I'd not launch a DIY compo claim.
If I've written something ambiguous which has led to a misunderstanding I'll correct it