If you have suffered a personal injury and it was someone else's fault, a
no win no fee personal injury solicitor can help you claim compensation for your injury and lost earnings. Using a no win no fee solicitor means you will not have to pay a fee if you lose your case. Even if you win, the other side will usually be liable for your fees and expenses, meaning you can claim 100% of your compensation.
Why would a solicitor take on a case, knowing they might not be paid for their work?
No win no fee personal injury solicitors take on personal injury cases on the understanding that, should they lose the case, they will not be paid for their work. To balance this risk, the solicitor is entitled to claim an extra success fee from the other side, on top of their regular fee, should you win your case. This is how solicitors can take on no win no fee cases despite the potential risk of losing and forfeiting their fees.
How to choose a no win no fee personal injury solicitor
There are now a number of legal firms and claims companies specialising in no win no fee claims. It is important to find an appropriate specialist solicitor to deal with your particular personal injury case, and to ensure your chosen solicitor is reliable and well experienced in the no win no fee space.
To do this, you can either contact law firms directly or contact a reputable personal injury claims company, who will be able to put you in touch with a specialist solicitor in your area who is willing to take on your case.
What will happen next?
Once you have found your solicitor, they will talk you through the claims process and give you any advice and information you need.
Letter of claim
Once you have spoken to your solicitor and agreed to go ahead with your compensation claim, they will send a ‘letter of claim' to the defendant, stating that you are claiming compensation from them.
Medical assessment
Though your personal injury solicitor will be able to complete most of the paperwork on your behalf, you will usually be expected to undergo a medical assessment to determine the nature of your injury. This is one reason why an early claim is more likely to be a success, since your injury will usually be easier to assess soon after the accident.
Schedule of losses
Next, your solicitor will prepare a schedule of losses, showing what you intend to claim for and asking for the defendant to pay compensation.
Claim accepted / claim disputed
The claim is then either accepted, meaning the defendant has agreed to pay compensation, in which case your solicitor will negotiate with them on your behalf, or the claim is disputed. If an agreement cannot be reached, the case will subsequently go to court.
Case won / case lost
If the court case is lost you will not have to pay any costs or fees because the case was taken on on a no win no fee basis. If you win, you should keep all of your compensation and all fees and expenses will usually be paid by the other side.