car accident injury claim

trevor8

Help my girlfriend has had a car accident which was not her fault the car is a write off and the cheque is on the way for that.She had legal cover on her insurance and she wants to claim for injurys the other car went into the back of her.A firm of solicitors has written to her they are acting on her behalf but reading through the small print the list of charges will be about £2000 the question is should we go to one of these firms that advertise no win no fee anyone have experience of these.Dont think the claim will be for more than "£2000 thanks

mattymoo

If she had the legal protection cover then there should be no charges.

Can you clarify the context of the £2000 charges please?

As for no-win no-fee , you need to remember that win = fee.

Bossyboots

I wonder what small print you are reading.

I am currently claiming under my legal expenses for injuries in a car accident and I will assume yours works the same as mine.

The insurers will contact a firm of solicitors on their approved panel who will contact the insured to act on their behalf. Although the legal expenses will cover the costs of the claim, the claimant is in fact the instructing client and therefore the solicitors have to send out their normal terms of business letter, part of which must include an estimate of the expected costs. It should also include the grade of fee earner and their charge out rates. It should then (if they are any good) inform you that although you are technically liable for the fees (for you read your g.f so I don't have to keep typing it) provided you meet the terms of the policy, the insurers will pay any legal fees not recoverable from the other party. It should also stipulate the terms on which any fees become payable by you (which is usually giving instructions contrary to advice or insisting on instructing additional medical experts or such like and failing to keep medical appointments for which a cancellation fee is charged). A forum member called andyd is a PI lawyer and is very helpful if you PM him.

Beware though - every single person I know (including myself) who has been in an accident in the recent past (sadly there are a few of them) have received letters from solicitors offering to act who have in fact been alerted to the accident by someone other than the insurer. There have also been threads on here about it a while ago and the common denominator is the notification to a bodyshop by an insurer of a potential repair or request for estimate. Therefore, it is possible this is a fishing exercise from a no-win no fee company which is not needed because legal expenses insurance will cover it.

mattmoo, I have just gone through terms of business for a friend who is claiming from the driver of vehicle she was a passenger in and there is no provision in that for her to pay any fees from her compensation if she instructs them on a no-win no-fee basis.

If you concerns have not been answered, please post back exactly what it says in the letter.