In the UK there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of lawyers, and firms of lawyers, advertising for business in personal injury cases. The principle behind which these accident lawyer firms operate is that if you have an accident which was the fault of some other person then you will be able to claim compensation for your injuries and for any other loss, such as loss of income. In the UK the law allows the solicitor to operate on a “No Win, No Fee” basis so the solicitor does not get paid unless you win the case. Additionally, the solicitor can claim his fees from the other party in the case (the loser). This means that the claimant will get to keep all of the compensation awarded.

When you choose an accident lawyer it is a good idea to look into the specialism of that firm of lawyers. For example some may be specialized in industrial injuries, while others may specialize in road traffic accident injuries. Some firms even specialize in making claims for medical negligence injuries. Picking the right firm will ensure that your lawyer is familiar with all the legislation specific to your particular problem.

As well as looking in the Yellow Pages, and on the internet, you can use other services when choosing a lawyer. The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) can give you a recommendation for a local lawyer specializing in your type of case. Other sources of advice are the Law Society, the Citizens Advice Bureau, and the Community Legal Service Office.

There are different ways available to fund your case. If you are a member of a trade union you may be entitled to some form of free legal assistance. This especially applies if you are claiming for a work related injury, but some unions also offer help to spouses and family members, and help with non work related cases.

If you have home insurance you may find that you have some cover for family legal costs. One disadvantage of this is that the insurer may insist on choosing your solicitor for you, or may only offer a limited panel of choices for you to select from.

Lastly there is the possibility of retaining a solicitor on a “No Win, No Fee” basis. Under UK law solicitors are allowed to take on certain types of litigation on this basis. If you lose the case, then your solicitor doesn’t get paid anything. Solicitors will therefore only take your case on if they think you have a good chance of winning!

If you win the case the solicitor claims his costs from the other side. That way you get to keep 100% of the compensation awarded.

Although your personal injury lawyer will be operating on a “No Win, No Fee” principle there may be other costs involved in any case, such as medical reports, court costs etc. If you win then these costs will be paid by the other side, but if you lose then the court might award these costs against you. Your accident lawyer will therefore probably require you to take out “after-the-event” legal insurance which will pay these costs for you if you lose.

Author Bio: If you have suffered a personal injury in Ottawa, you need excellent Ottawa lawyers. Be sure to visit one of your local Ottawa law firms concentrating its work in serious injuries, accident, dog bite and disability claims.

Category: Legal
Keywords: law firm, lawyer, injury, accident, insurance claim, legal, law, family, business, society