FAQ

 

How is my compensation calculated?

 

Your compensation is in two parts:

a. A lump sum for the injuries you suffered and the ways in which your life has been affected by those injuries

b. Your losses and expenses caused by the accident E.g. Car repairs / writes off value Recovery and storage Loss of earnings Care provided because of your injuries Prescriptions and painkillers Travelling expenses It is important that you keep a note of all expenses as they arise, and retain all invoices and receipts safely.

 

Will I have to pay legal costs?

 

If you wish we are happy to offer you a No Win No Fee Agreement which protects you against paying our costs if you lose. We will also happily offer you a free initial discussion about your accident claim, without any obligation. This means that you can obtain free expert legal advice about whether you are likely to win your claim. If you prefer, we can act for you without a No win No Fee Agreement – you pay us for the work we do on your claim. If the claim wins you normally recover most, if not all, of your legal costs from the Defendant on top of your compensation. We are happy to offer a free initial chat, without obligation.

 

Can I get legal aid?

 

No, except in very rare cases. Legal aid was withdrawn for most personal injury cases and replaced by No Win No Fee Agreements. You can still get legal aid for clinical negligence cases. Our Clinical Negligence Department would be happy to advise and act for you under a Legal Aid Certificate if you qualify for legal aid help.

 

Is there a time limit?

 

Yes. Normally it is 3 years from the date of your accident. By the end of 3 years you must have settled your claim or started a court action, otherwise your claim may be time-barred. In Industrial Disease cases (deafness, asbestos, VWF, stress etc) complex rules apply to when the 3 year period starts. We can advise you about this in more detail during our initial free discussion. For children’s claims, the 3 years does not start to run until their 18th birthday. The time limit is therefore their 21st birthday. For some sea and aircraft accidents the limit is only 2 years. Time limits for accidents outside the UK may be governed by local laws where the accident occurred. Some foreign time limits are extremely short – sometimes only a few months! We are happy to offer a free initial chat, without obligation.

 

Can a child claim?

 

Yes. The only differences are:

a. An adult (normally a parent) must act for the child. That adult is called the child’s Litigation Friend.

b. Any compensation settlement must be approved by a court. The approval process is streamlined, quick and easy. This ensures that the court is happy that the settlement reached is a good one for the child.

c. The compensation is normally invested on behalf of the child until his/her 18th birthday. We are happy to offer a free initial chat, without obligation.