It is estimated that around three million people every year suffer a personal injury, whether that be in work, in a car, on holiday, or even through clinical negligence. In the majority of these cases, the injuries were the fault of someone else, and the injured party is well within their right to claim compensation. Here at Fonseca Law, we help people win the compensation they deserve, but a question that is frequently asked by claimants is how much does it actually cost to make a personal injury claim?

There is no standard industry-wide costs scheme for personal injury claims, so the costs you might incur during the claiming process are based on a number of factors such as the type of claim, the complexity of the claim and your funding methods. However, the one thing that’s certain is that if you've been injured, it is completely free to contact us. We offer a free initial appointment to discuss your personal injury claim, and we can even visit your home should you prefer.

Funding a personal injury claim

Once you’ve made contact with us, our solicitors will discuss your claim in detail and talk about what funding options are available to you. Unless you can afford to make the claim without any financial assistance, it is likely that one of the following four funding options will suit your needs:

Trade union funding: If you are a member of a trade union and have suffered an accident at work, your legal expenses will likely be covered by them;

Legal expenses insurance: You have likely seen an optional extra on your car or home insurance called “legal expenses insurance”, what this means is if you’re injured in a car accident for example, your insurance will cover the cost of your legal expenses;

Legal aid: The UK Government has removed access to legal aid in the UK for most personal injury claims, but there are a number of claims involving children where legal aid is still accessible. Our solicitors will be able to give you more advice on this during your initial consultation;

What will I have to pay if my claim is successful?

When making a personal injury claim, you are liable to pay solicitor’s costs, which include the cost of an accident report, travelling expenses, obtaining medical records and barrister fees if the case goes to court. If you win your claim we also charge a success fee, but the amount differs depending on the nature of your case, and a success fee can only be a maximum of 25% of the compensation you’re awarded.

If you win your case, the guilty party will pay the majority, but not all of our basic legal costs, they also won’t pay any premiums on your insurance policy or the success fee we charge. However, we can guarantee that you won’t be left out of pocket as the costs not covered by the other party will be automatically deducted from your compensation package. The UK Government has also recently increased the amount awarded to you for your suffering and loss of amenity by 10%. It is also worth noting that any compensation awarded to you at the end of your personal injury claim is not taxed.

Have you been injured through no fault of your own? If so, we can help you win the compensation you deserve. Contact our team today for free on 0800 156 0770, email: enquiries@fonsecalaw.co.uk or fill in our online claim evaluation form.