Compensation Claim Solicitors

Many people are confused about the services of a UK claim solicitor, especially as there are many types of professionals who supposedly handle claims – be it for a traffic accident, work accident, or a medical negligence case. In an effort to clarify the role of respective professionals, here’s how you can distinguish from different professionals:

Claims handlers are NOT compensation claim solicitors

Firstly, an essential distinction between a claims handler (also known as claims manager, or claims assessor) and a solicitor is that the latter is a lawyer – that is, a legal expert – whereas the former is not.

What claims handlers do is sell cases to solicitors, for which they get a commission for referring cases. In this capacity, they act as ‘middlemen’. But a claims handler cannot take your claim to court, and will not be able to seek the adequate amount of compensation for your injury. You may also be asked to pay a percentage of compensation to the handler.

A claims handler’s role a very different from a solicitor’s

Compensation claim solicitor

A UK claim solicitor is a lawyer who has specialised in tort law, and whose regular duties involve filing complaints, setting up legal documents, and bringing cases to court. He or she is also qualified to offer legal advice. A professional UK claim solicitor will fulfil his or her relationship with you and the law in an ethical fashion. Furthermore, their legal expertise and practice translates into accurate and appropriate advice for pursuing compensation for your claim.

Qualifications for a UK claim solicitor

In order to run a private practice, solicitors must hold a practicing certificate which is issued by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. This is an independent regulator established by the Law Society to ensure solicitors working in England and Wales fulfil the requirements for conducting a practice, including adherence to a code of ethics. In effect, this practicing certificate attests that a solicitor is qualified to practice law. You may check to see if your solicitor has this certificate, which should otherwise be on display at the lawyer’s office. If you wish to check a solicitor’s qualifications, you can contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority at 0870 606 2555.

You may also ask your solicitor about quality awards attesting to high standards of practice, such as the ‘Lexcel’ quality award.

Personal injury solicitors

A UK claim solicitor should also be an accredited member of one of the Law Society’s ‘quality-assured accreditation schemes’, such as a personal injury accreditation scheme or a clinical negligence accreditation scheme, depending on the type of claim in question.

When a solicitor takes your case, he or she will assess the likelihood of you winning your claim, and help you determine the amount of compensation you could receive for sustained injuries. A qualified solicitor can help ensure that your legal costs are covered through insurance, or a ‘no win, no fee’ agreement in which you only pay your solicitor if you win your case.

We are a legal panel of over 25 specialist personal injury solicitors, who deal with cases all over England and Wales. Each of these solicitors is a well respected, practicing lawyer with membership in the appropriate industry associations. When you call our free number – or request a call back – you will be receiving impartial advice for your individual situation from someone who knows all about the process of making claims.

Fees for paying a UK claim solicitor

As previously mentioned, if you enter into a ‘no win, no fee’ agreement, also known as ‘conditional fee’ agreement, you will only have to pay your solicitor’s fees if you win your case. On the other hand, your UK claim solicitor might have to make payments on your behalf along the course of pursuing your claim, called ‘disbursement’ payments, i.e. for the costs of obtaining your medical records, or paying court fees.

If you win your case, you should be able to recover most, if not all, of the costs costs from the losing side. You may also be charged a fee for winning your case, which is sometimes different than the costs of losing your claim. You should also be able to recover these costs from the other party if win your case.

Insurance

In the event that you lose your case, you will have to pay for the winning side’s legal costs.

This is why most UK claim solicitors will recommend that you take out insurance to protect your interests. One common insurance is ‘after the event’ insurance, which covers your costs, as well as the other sides if you lose. The expense of taking out this insurance can also be retrieved from the other side, provided it doesn’t exceed what the court deems reasonable.

It should also be noted, though, that you may already have car or household insurance that will include the legal costs of making a claim. Your solicitor should further advise you about the particulars of insurance policies.

What to ask a UK claim solicitor

A solicitor should explain all the costs of entering into an agreement, so there shouldn’t be any surprises. You may also want to ask about:

• your chances of winning, as well as the risks of losing
• the total costs of proceeding with a claim
• how long your case will likely take

In addition, you may wish to learn about his or her credentials, and their success in winning cases similar to yours.

Contact us to receive free, expert advice from a UK claim solicitor

Because the law can be quite complex to navigate, it’s essential to receive advice from a legal expert. A UK claim solicitor is a law expert, and can adequately explain and protect your interests should you wish to make a claim in the UK. A solicitor can also help determine whether ‘no win no fee’ agreement is appropriate for your case, and what’s the best course of action for your individual circumstances.
For advice you can depend on, call our free number at your earliest convenience to learn more about the process of making a claim.