By instructing Trafford Law to act for you in pursuing your claim for  compensation, you are ensuring that you receive independent advice and representation and we will put your interests first to make sure that you receive the full amount of compensation you are entitled to.

We will work for you on a no win no fee basis and our initial advice is always free of charge and without obligation.

However, if you already have legal expenses insurance cover you can still instruct the solicitor of your choice.  Using your legal expenses insurance policy will mean that you receive the full amount of compensation.

No Win No Fee (Conditional Fee Agreement)

A Conditional Fee Agreement (“CFA”) means that as your solicitors, we can take on your case on a no win no fee basis i.e. we do not charge you anything if you lose the case.

This means that if your case is successful you should be awarded compensation.  Also, when you win your case, you will usually be entitled to recover some of the costs from the other party. You will need to pay us a “success fee” out of your damages, the percentage that we take from your damages will depend on the type of case we are pursuing for you. However, if you do not recover compensation then we will not charge you for the work that we have carried out. Our ability to offer such an agreement will depend upon the prospects of success in your case and will be discussed with you at the outset of your claim.

Legal Expenses Insurance

You may already have the benefit of a legal expenses insurance policy included on your motor or home insurance or credit card agreement. You will need to check carefully if you have such protection. If so, we can deal with your claim by obtaining authority from your legal expense insurance company and we can arrange this directly with them if you provide us with the policy details.

Your legal expenses insurer may say that they wish to arrange representation for you but you are free to choose your own legal representatives and are not obliged to instruct a solicitor chosen by your insurer. They are not allowed to refuse to insure you if you use a solicitor other than one on their panel.

What if you lose?

As a general principle, the party who loses a case usually has to pay the winning party’s costs and so you need to be insured against the risk of you losing and having to pay the other party’s costs and your own expenses (disbursements). Therefore, alongside a CFA, we may recommend litigation insurance. Litigation insurance covers you for disbursements, any Defendant’s legal fees which the court orders you to pay and the Defendant’s costs if you fail to beat an offer which the Defendant has made before the court hearing.

The premium for this insurance cover will not be payable until the end of your claim and only if you win. If you lose, the cost of the premium is usually self-insured i.e. covered and therefore you will not have to pay anything.

What Are “Disbursements”?

Disbursements are in short expenses which are in addition to our fees which need to be incurred in order to progress your claim. For example we will need to obtain a medical report from an independent doctor about your medical condition and the doctor will make a charge for this. I we obtain a surveyor report the surveyor will charge for this. We will also be charged by the court at various stages if we need to begin formal court proceedings. These expenses will remain your responsibility but we will arrange to pay them out on your behalf. Your opponent will refund your disbursements upon the successful conclusion of your claim. If you lose, but you are protected by insurance, your legal expenses insurer will pay these disbursements.

What do you stand to lose?

By having either legal expenses insurance or a CFA and litigation insurance this will ensure that if you win your claim, you will receive compensation at no risk to you. If you lose, your claim will have cost you nothing.

Contact one of our personal injury specialists

If you have a claim for compensation and wish to discuss how to pursue a claim for compensation and wish to discuss how to pursue this, please contact us today by completing the claims consultation form above or calling us on 01213 696969 and speak to one of our personal injury specialists.

All our initial consultation advice is free of charge and without obligation. If you do have a valid claim you wish to pursue we will be able to do this on a ‘no win no fee’ basis.