The Personal Injury & Accident Claim Settlement Process

How do I take the first steps in my personal injury claim?

You can begin the claims process in a number of different ways:

• Call one of our advisors - our lines are open seven days a week until late and we'll give you an immediate assessment of your claim.
• Fill out our simple form with your name, number and type of accident. We'll give you a call back at no charge.
• Use our calculator tool for an instant and genuine valuation of your compensation. Via the tool, you may even be able to go through the entire accident injury claim process online.

How does the personal injury claim settlement process work?

Once we've decided you have a legitimate claim, the settlement process usually follows these steps:

1. Your solicitor will get an understanding of how your injuries have affected you. This may require you to provide evidence, such as medical records, your doctor's notes or photographs.
2. Once they have all the details, your solicitor will get in touch with the party responsible for your accident to let them know you are making a claim.
3. If that party accepts the blame, your case should be able to move quickly to settlement. If they contest it, your solicitor will start negotiating on your behalf.
4. If you win your case, you will receive your compensation and your solicitor will take their payment as a pre-agreed percentage. If you lose your case, you won't receive any compensation but there won't be anything for you to pay.

Can I go through the accident injury claim process online?

Our calculator tool gives you an estimated compensation valuation, as well as letting you know if you can pursue the personal injury claim process online.

How long will my claim take?

The first step of the personal injury claim settlement process is that we'll let you know straight away if you may have a case. If you do, your solicitor will provide end-to-end support until a resolution is reached.

All claims are different, however, so it's impossible to offer a simple answer to this question. The time it takes to settle your case will depend on a number of factors, such as the extent of your injuries and whether the other party accepts the blame for what happened.

Is my claim likely to go to court?

Most of the personal injury claims we process do not go to court. However, if the other party contests your claim, it may have to be decided through formal proceedings in front of a judge.

If that happens to you, don't worry. Your solicitor will take care of all the legal legwork and support you every step of the way.

How much compensation can I win?

Each personal injury claim process is made up of different details, such as the nature of the accident and the extent of your injuries. That means it's hard to say exactly how much you could win. When assessing compensation, we follow the 15th edition of the Judicial College Guidelines. These also inform our industry-leading calculator tool.

How much do I pay my solicitor if I win?

If you win your case, depending on your claim type and value, your opponent (the person or parties held responsible) may be required to contribute towards your legal costs. In most cases this contribution will only cover part of your legal costs and your solicitor will make a deduction from your compensation to cover costs such as:

• The cost of any insurance policy required to make your claim risk free
• Any legal costs, including fixed fees which are not recovered from the other side
• Where applicable a “success fee” which takes account of the fact if the claim is unsuccessful the solicitors won't get paid at all

Your solicitor will discuss this with you in advance, so you'll know what to expect when your claim settles. There are no hidden costs or surprises.

Any deduction from your compensation will be capped at a level that your solicitor will discuss with you beforehand. Your solicitor will talk through all of this at the start of the accident injury claim process, so there'll be no unpleasant surprises once you reach a settlement

You can feel confident that your solicitor will agree how much you will pay which will only ever be deducted and taken from your compensation amount should you win your case.

The main thing to remember is that if your case loses you pay nothing - so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain - to make sure you get the money you need for your recovery.

Do I need no win no fee insurance?

Before you start the personal injury claim settlement process, we want you to have complete peace of mind. That's why we recommend taking out After the Event (ATE) Insurance which ensures your claim is risk-free.

It's a policy that covers any of your legal expenses throughout the case, meaning that even if you lose, you don't pay a penny at the end.

We will organise this insurance for you and there are no fees upfront. You'll only have to pay the premium if you win your claim, but those costs are included in our cap on all charges.

What happens if I lose my case?

In the unlikely event that you are unsuccessful in your claim, there will be nothing for you to pay. That's because most of the personal injury claims we process are on a no win no fee basis.