How does No Win No Fee work?
No Win No Fee agreements were introduced into law to give people who couldn’t afford legal representation the chance to access the justice they were entitled to. This means that everyone is now able to make a compensation claim after being injured in an accident that wasn’t their fault.
Our No Win No Fee solicitors will take a success fee from the compensation you are awarded for a successful claim in the form of a percentage of your damages. This could be up to 25% but it won't be more than that, except in cases of road traffic accidents. Changing laws mean our solicitors will now take a payment of 30% of the final compensation amount plus VAT for all road traffic accident claims.
This percentage – and any other costs – will be explained to you before beginning your claim so you won’t have to worry about any unexpected costs.
Your solicitor may take out an insurance policy – known as ‘after the event’ insurance – on your behalf. This will cover costs such as court fees. If your claim is successful, the cost of this policy will usually be deducted from your final compensation amount.
When you make a No Win No Fee claim, you will typically claim against the insurer of the person or organisation responsible for your accident. This means you won’t be claiming directly against the individual or company, which can be reassuring in certain cases – particularly those involving workplace injuries.
Types of No Win No Fee cases
You can apply No Win No Fee to a number of civil justice cases, including but not limited to:
Personal injury claims
If you were hurt in an injury that wasn’t your fault in the last three years, you could make a No Win No Fee personal injury claim. Our specialist accident solicitors will work to get you the compensation you deserve, as well as any further care you may need. This may take the form of medical treatment such as physiotherapy.
Medical negligence claims
Medical negligence can be devastating, but we are here to help you get through it and get back on your feet. Whether you’ve suffered a misdiagnosis, surgical negligence or even cosmetic surgery negligence, you are entitled to justice.
Road traffic accident claims
Road traffic accidents are highly distressing – but when you’re hurt in one that wasn’t your fault, it can be even more upsetting. If you’ve suffered an injury in a road accident – whether minor or life-changing – you could make a No Win No Fee claim for compensation.
Accident at work claims
Making a claim for an accident at work can be daunting if you don’t want to cause any conflict at work. But when you make a No Win No Fee workplace accident claim, you claim against your employer’s insurer, not them directly. This means your claim won’t negatively affect your employer or colleagues.
Slip, trip and fall claims
A slip, trip or fall can hurt more than just your pride. If you’ve suffered an injury in public after a fall, you can make a claim for compensation. This will be done against the organisation responsible for the building or public space you were in – whether that’s the local authority or shop owner.
Industrial disease claims
As well as accidents in the workplace, you could end up suffering from an industrial disease, particularly if you work with hazardous materials. If your employer did not take the appropriate actions to keep you safe, you could make a No Win No Fee claim for compensation.
You could make a No Win No Fee accident claim for many other injuries if they were caused by someone else’s negligence. If you’re not sure whether you are able to, just get in touch to find out more.
How can I make a No Win No Fee claim?
The first thing to do is to find out whether you can make a No Win No Fee claim. You can do this simply by getting in touch with us. Our advisors are happy to talk you through your case and explain your options.
If you then decide that you’d like to go ahead with a claim, we will introduce you to one of our specialist No Win No Fee solicitors.
Your lawyer will then talk you through the process, ensuring that you know what will happen in the coming months. They will make sure you are comfortable with the percentage of the compensation you will pay them if you’re successful.
After getting your approval to continue, your lawyer will begin building your case by investigating what happened and putting together the available evidence. They may arrange for you to have a medical assessment by an expert, which could provide strong evidence.
Your solicitor will then submit your claim to the party responsible for your accident and begin negotiations for an appropriate settlement figure. If they don’t think the offered figure is enough to cover the pain and suffering you’ve been through, they will continue to negotiate until they are satisfied you are receiving the compensation you deserve.
Is there a time limit for No Win No Fee claims?
In most cases, you will have three years to make a No Win No Fee accident claim for an injury caused by someone else’s negligence.
But there are some exceptions. If you are claiming on behalf of someone who lacks the capacity to claim for themselves, you won’t face a deadline unless they regain capacity.
Children will also be able to make a claim at any point until their 18th birthday, when they will then have three years to claim. This means they can begin a No Win No Fee claim up until they turn 21.
Meanwhile, if you only discover that you were the victim of negligence after the three-year deadline has passed, when symptoms start showing, you could still be able to make a claim. You will be able to make a claim up to three years from the date you found out you were the victim of negligence. This is particularly relevant to industrial disease and medical negligence claims.