If you’re looking to claim compensation for your injury after a no-fault accident, the single most important decision you will have to make about claiming is choosing the right person to represent you.
‘But aren’t all No Win No Fee Lawyers the same?’ I hear you ask.
The short answer is no.
All solicitors must be qualified yes, but the level of skill and experience varies tremendously.
Some may also offer their services on a no win no fee basis while others do not.
If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve suffered an injury that wasn’t your fault and are looking to claim compensation for the losses you have suffered.
What Is No Win, No Fee?
This is one of the most common questions we get asked by people who are looking into making a claim.
To put it simply it’s an agreement between plaintiffs and law firms.
The main advantage for claimants is that if for any reason a claim is not successful, clients won’t be left with any hefty legal fees.
When claims are successful, the fee (which is usually already agreed upon prior to starting a claim) will be taken from the settlement money.
Not all law firms offer this arrangement, so it is always important to check this with them before agreeing to proceed with your claim.
Important Things to Look Out For
Choosing someone who can offer you no win, no charge isn’t the only thing you need to look out for when selecting a candidate, but it should definitely be towards the top of your checklist.
Here are a few other things to look out for:
- Free Initial Advice
Before even starting a claim, you want to know whether or not you have a case to present and whether or not you will be successful.
Because they are responsible for the costs if your case is not won, they will let you know straight away if you have a claim.
- Experience:
Ensuring that any prospective solicitors have experience in cases like yours is probably the most important thing you would need to check.
Its no use processing your claim with a solicitor who deals with public liability claims if your personal injury claim is for whiplash as a result of a car accident.
- Fixed Fees:
Choosing a firm that offers fixed fees will save you from having to pay any scary legal fees when your case is settled.
Most law firms will agree on a fee with you before proceeding with your claim.
- Local knowledge:
Because of the legislation changes from state to state, it is important that whoever is representing you is familiar the particular laws for your specific state.
Why Do Lawyers Offer Such arrangements?
It’s no secret that hiring a lawyer can be quite expensive and not everyone has the ability to finance their own proceedings.
No win-no fee was introduced as a way to give everyone a fair chance at claiming the compensation they are entitled to.
It Benefits You Both
As I previously mentioned when you work with with a No Win No Charge solicitor, if your case is not successful, they will have to foot the legal costs incurred during your case.
Because of this, you can be sure that whoever is acting on your behalf will fight their utmost hardest to ensure that your case is a successful one.
To put it simply, if you lose, they lose.
Who Is Eligible?
No win no pay lawyers services are available to all plaintiffs regardless of their financial situation.
Even if you have the funds available to pay the legal fees for your compensation claim, you are still entitled to process your claim without paying any upfront fees.
What Kind of Claims Are Eligible?
Most personal injury companies offer their services on a no win no pay basis regardless of what type of compensation claim you need to make.
The most common types of accident compensation claims are:
- Motor vehicle accidents (Including whiplash)
- Work accidents
- Public liability claims
- Medical negligence
Whether you’ve had a slip in the supermarket or been involved in a car crash, you should be eligible to make a risk-free claim.
Why Is It So Important?
Most lawyers will tell you straight away whether or not they think you have a successful claim because if your case is not won, they end up footing the costs.
However, if you make a claim with someone that doesn’t offer such agreements, then those costs are down to you to pay and depending on how long your claim has taken to process could be quite high.
In Conclusion
Working with a no win no pay solicitor will protect you from the get-go of being left out of pocket if your case is not won.
If a firm has taken on your case, it is because they are almost certain that your case will be successful. After all, if it’s not, they will not be paid for their time and effort.
Most law firms offer these types of arrangements, but not all of them.
Ensure you research any prospective candidates thoroughly along with the services they offer before proceeding with your personal injury claim. This will give you the best chance of receiving maximum compensation and you won’t need to worry about any surprises in terms of legal fees.