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Conditional Fee Agreements - No Win No Fee
If you want to pursue a personal injury claim in the UK without having to pay out huge legal fees it is possible to come to a no win, no fee legal agreement with a solicitor.
If anyone is pursuing a personal injury claim because of an injury at workplace or in a road traffic accident, you are unlikely to be eligible for legal aid. This would put the claimant at the risk of having to pay high legal costs up front and face the risk of losing it if the courts ruled against your claim. In order to protect clients from losing their money, lawyers can now take these personal injury claims on what is known as a conditional fee basis.
Conditional fee cases are better know as no win no fee legal arrangements. If your personal injury case is thrown out of court you will not owe your solicitor any fees. The costs are usually claimed from those defending the case.
Be warned, even though armed with a no win, no fee legal agreement, you may still face costs. You could be asked to purchase"after the event" insurance protection by your solicitor. This insures you against having to personally pay the opposition's legal costs should your compensation claim fail. There is no compulsion to purchase "after the event" insurance, but it is wise to consult with your solicitor on the matter.
Despite the premise of not having to pay legal fees there may still be other expenses that you will have to folk out for. For example, in a personal injury compensation claim ,the complainant will almost certainly have to pay for medical and accident reports, court fees and possibly expert witness fees. These costs can become very significant and are not covered by the conditional fee agreement.
So it is advisable to confirm with your solicitor what fees and expenses they are likely to be, as well as an estimation of costs before signing any no win, no fee legal agreement. It is also important to check the fine details of the contract to see if you will have to pay out should the case be dropped or you refuse a settlement. In short, read the small print very carefully.
If the case is lost than you will not be liable for any solicitors fees. If the case is won than you will pay your solicitor a success fee. This fee is usually recovered from the losing side but the court can sometimes decide that the loser should not be liable for the full cost of your solicitors fees. In this event you will have to make up the shortfall yourself from your compensation award.
Before coming to a no win, no fee legal agreement with a solicitor, it is best to ask him his success fee. That fee should be compared with the amount of compensation you hope to win. If the success fee is too high, consider using another solicitor.
Different solicitors charge different sets of fess, so look around to find the best deal for you.
About the Author How To Claim Compensation UK is an independent Internet resource with information for anyone looking to claim compensation for legal, medical or professional negligence. Visit the site for free information on how to file a claim, how to find a good compensation solicitor and advice on taking a claim forward
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