Road Traffic Accident Compensation Claim Solicitors

What is a no win no fee claim and how does it work?

When you make a no win no fee claim, you pay nothing if your case loses. It's also known as a conditional fee agreement and it acts as a contract between you and your road traffic accident solicitor.

No win no fee agreements were introduced as a way of giving claimants a fair chance of obtaining justice for an accident that wasn't their fault without being responsible for any upfront fees or costs. You will only pay if you win and your solicitor will make sure that all the costs are covered during the case. Your claim will be completely funded for you and you'll never be out of pocket - it's as simple as that.

Am I eligible to claim for road accident compensation?

If you've been hurt in a road traffic accident in the last three years and someone else was to blame, you have the right to seek compensation. Our panel of solicitors work on a no win no fee basis and can support you in assessing your claim free of charge.

We'll offer a fast claim assessment and, if your solicitor agrees to take on your case, you can treat that as a sign that they feel confident of winning. There are no upfront charges and you only pay if you win. If you don't, you won't owe a penny, provided you stick to the terms of your agreement and have suitable Legal protection insurance in place. That's the beauty of risk-free no win no fee.

You can also make a road accident claim for someone else, if their injuries have left them unable to do so.

How do I start claiming for a road traffic accident?

You can begin your claim for road accident compensation in a few different ways:

• Pick up the phone and call one of our advisors on 0800 587 0344. Our lines are open seven days a week until late and we'll give you a fast assessment of your claim.
• Fill out our form with your name, number and type of accident. We'll call you back at no cost to you.
• Use our road accident compensation calculator tool for an immediate valuation. You may be able to pursue your claim entirely online.

How does the claims process work?

Once your solictor takes on your case, your claim will usually move forward as follows:

1. Your road accident solicitor will listen to how your injury has affected you. They may ask for evidence such as photographs or medical records.
2. When they have everything they need, your solicitor will inform the party who was at fault for the incident.
3. That person or business will either accept the blame or contest it. If it's the latter, your solicitor will begin negotiations on your behalf.
4. If you win your claim, you will receive your compensation and your solicitor will take their payment as a percentage of that figure. In the unlikely event that your claim loses, you won't have anything to pay.

Can I make a road accident claim online?

Yes. Other companies use their calculator tool to encourage you to get in touch with them. But here at ClaimsPeople, we use ours to give you a genuine valuation of your potential compensation. It will also let you know if you can continue with your case online.

How long will my road accident claim take?

We'll assess your claim and let you know on the call if we think you have a case. Your road accident solicitor will provide end-to-end support, taking care of all the legal legwork and keeping you updated with what's happening at all times.

Some road traffic accident claims can take longer to settle than others. The timeframe will depend on things such as the extent of your injuries, how much evidence needs to be gathered and whether the other person accepts responsibility for what happened.

How much compensation can I win?

All road accident claims are different, so it's hard to offer a straightforward answer to this question. When assessing damages, we follow the Judicial College Guidelines. These also inform our compensation calculator.

How much will I pay my solicitor if I win?

If you are successful in claiming road accident compensation, the party responsible may be required to contribute towards your legal costs and your solicitor will take a percentage of your damages to cover the rest. This could include any success fee to be paid to your solicitor, as well as any insurance you've taken out to make your claim risk-free.

We want you to have complete peace of mind when making a road accident claim. If your case doesn't fall into the whiplash (small claims process) as described below, we usually recommend that insurance is put in place to ensure yours is risk-free. This is usually achieved by taking out what's known as After the Event (ATE) insurance.

Any deduction made from your compensation will be capped at a level that you agree to. Your road accident solicitor will discuss all of this with you before you start, so there will be no nasty surprises.

Do I need to take out no win no fee insurance?

We want you to have complete peace of mind when making a road accident claim and we usually recommend that insurance is put in place to ensure yours is risk-free. This is usually achieved by taking out what's known as After the Event (ATE) insurance.

This policy covers expenses paid out on your behalf, including expert reports, barristers' fees and court fees. If you lose your case, your insurance takes care of these charges, so you don't have to.

The important thing to note is that we organise all this for you and there are no upfront costs for this cover. The insurance premium is only paid if you win your road accident claim and the costs of this are included in our overall cap on charges, so there really are no surprises.

Is my claim likely to go to court?

Most road traffic accident claims are settled without going to court. However, if the other party refuses to accept the blame for what happened and an agreement cannot be reached, your case may need to be decided in front of a judge.

But there's no need to worry if that happens to you. Your solicitor will handle all of the legal proceedings and keep you up to date with any developments.

What if I lose my road traffic accident claim?

In the unlikely event that your claim is unsuccessful, rest assured there'll be nothing for you to pay. That's because we take most of our cases on a no win no fee basis.

How much will my solicitor get paid if I win a whiplash claim valued under £5,000?

If your claim is for whiplash injuries as a driver or passenger, which are valued at less than £5,000 then you can self-service your claim through the government official injury claim portal.

However, if you choose to make the claim using it, you'll need to build the claim yourself setting out your allegations as to why the other party is at fault. You may also need to review medical evidence and collect proof of any financial losses you may have suffered. You'll then need to negotiate with the other side's insurance company yourself. If this sounds too daunting or time consuming, you can choose to use us to complete the process on your behalf.

We will manage the process on a No Win No Fee basis. So, if you win your case, we'll charge you a fixed fee which varies depending on the value of your claim. If you lose your case, you'll not pay a penny as our solicitors will pay for all the costs involved in running the case and take on all the associated risk - so there's nothing for you to worry about.