Is my accident claim completely free?
Back in the mid to late 90s the British government was apparently being faced with legal aid cost's which where spiralling out of control. To replace legal aid the term no win no fee* was born and has been extremely popular ever since.
The new no win no fee* system meant that lawyers could claim their legal costs from the other side if they were to win the case. A no win no fee* lawyer can charge a certain percentage of the compensation being paid out, this is usually added on top of the original compensation payout.
Things to watch out for with other No win no fee* Lawyers
On some occasions a no win no fee* lawyer may ask you to pay the legal fees upfront on the basis that they will be re-inversed to you by the other side if you where to win the case. If you do agree to this then it is important to remember that the courts have a ‘reasonable fees policy', if you have agreed to this policy then there may be a chance that you don't receive 100% of your claim.
It is also important to remember to check who will pay for the opponents legal costs and the court fees if you where to lose your case, Accidents Direct makes sure it's personal injury solicitors have appropiate insurance which makes sure you never pay any fees.
Why is my no win no fee* claim free?
If you have made you accident claim on a no win no fee* basis then it should be free provided you have asked all the right questions, if you are not on a no win no fee* basis then you may be liable for your legal fees if you lose.
The no win no fee* system was set up to allow a greater access to justice to those who normally would not be able to afford to make a claim. Injury lawyers operating under a no win no fee* basis recoup their legal fees from the other side if they win the case, this can be anything up to 40 percent of the compensation received.
This means that it is a lot easier and fairer to try and be compensated for any pain suffering or lose due to another party's negligence.
The important thing to remember is if a solicitor takes on your claim on a no win no fee* basis then you should not incur any charges whilst making your claim.
Updated on 29/01/2009