Legal costs for a personal injury

If you are looking to take legal action for compensation in regard to a personal injury then be aware that this can be a costly process. This is why many people prefer to have legal representation rather than doing it themselves as the costs can be prohibitively expensive.

No win no fee

If your claim is handled under a no win no fee agreement then this means that your lawyer or solicitor does not receive any payment if you lose your case.

But, be aware that you may have to pay costs and expenses for the other party. However your lawyer or solicitor will advise you take out insurance to protect yourself in case this happens. This insurance will cover any costs incurred as a result.

If you win then your lawyer or solicitor’s fees and expenses will be paid for by the guilty party.

No win no fee is discussed in more detail in a separate section.

Legal aid

Legal aid is a system which is designed to enable people on a low income to access free advice from a legal representative. This includes a lawyer, solicitor or other legal adviser.

The lawyer or solicitor must be under contract with the Legal Services Commission (LSC) which enables them to provide this type of help.

(Source: Citizens Advice Bureau: Advice Guide)

Legal aid will cover the costs of help you may need to prepare a case to go to court. However, it will not cover the cost of initiating or taking on a claim for compensation; or to pay a lawyer or solicitor to represent you in court.

But there may be other similar forms of help available. Ask for advice about this from your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Alternately, visit the Community Legal Advice website at www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk. This website offers free advice to anyone living in England and Wales.

You may have to contribute towards the cost of legal aid if you win your personal injury case. Plus you will have to pay your lawyer or solicitor’s fees out of your compensation payout.

But, this may be waived if your solicitor feels that this would cause serious financial hardship.

Your lawyer or solicitor will discuss the issue of a statutory charge with you before proceeding with your case.

As Legal aid doesn’t usually pay for compensation cases such as those for personal injury then it may be preferable to obtain help under the ‘no win no fee’ system.

To find out more visit our no win no fee section.

Other sources of legal help

There are other options in respect of legal help and advice although these depend upon the type of problem. Not all of these offer help and advice about personal injury compensation.

These include:

• Fixed fee consultation with a solicitor
• Trade unions
• Insurance companies
• Law centres

A fixed fee consultation is where you are offered a 30 minute interview at a fixed rate. This is useful in that it enables you to see if you have a strong case for compensation or not.

If you are a member of a trade union then they may provide free representation. Check with your trade union about this.

There are insurance companies who provide polices which include expenses for a range of legal issues which include personal injuries. Check your insurance policy or contact your insurance company.

There are law centres in some parts of the UK which provide free legal advice. They tend to mainly deal with housing, social security benefit and employment issues. But they may have a contract to provide legal aid so it is worth seeking their advice.

Other options include LawWorks and Bar Pro Bono Unit. Their details can be found in our links page.