In most cases, a valid claim for personal injury should involve you in no expense at all. There are various ways of paying for it, and set out below are various options.

The principle in English law, at the present time at least, is that if you suffer injury through somebody else’s negligence, you are entitled to damages, and also the Defendant’s should pay the bulk of your costs.

In nearly all cases, we would expect you to recover all of your costs, any exception to that would be extremely rare, and you would be advised at a very early stage if that was the case.

Ways of funding a claim:-

• Privately

This means you have a private retainer with us, so that you are responsible for our fees, but generally speaking the cost of bringing one of these claims on a private basis is very high, and normally we would not recommend this as the appropriate way to proceed, unless there was no alternative.

• Public Funding

Public funding (or legal aid as it used to be known), is no longer generally available for personal injury claims. There are some exceptions, but in general this is very limited in various respects. It is likely to end completely in the near future.

• Legal Expenses Insurance

Many people these days have legal expenses insurance, possibly they are not even aware of it, and it is always wise to check your household or contents insurance policy (or that of a family member if you share the house); your car policy (if a road traffic accident), or perhaps even your credit card may have legal expenses insurance cover attached. If you have any insurance cover or credit card whatsoever, you should check to see whether legal expenses or family legal expenses cover is available, and to have your documentation available for your initial consultation.

Alternatively, you may perhaps be a member of a trade union, or a professional organisation, which also provides legal help for its members. Look out all the documentation, and contact the organisation in question immediately.

Sometimes legal expanses insurers, or trade or professional organisations, require you to use their own panel solicitor. See “I have legal expenses insurance, but do not want to use their panel solicitor” for further advice on this.