Several legal firms refer to themselves as personal injury lawyers, sometimes as compensation lawyers. These are law firms that specialize in obtaining damages for people who have sustained some type of physical or psychological damage or injury.

No win no fee

Most personal injury lawyers operate on a no-win no fee basis. This means that if or when they win the case, that legal fees are paid out of the settlement by the insurance company, and deducted from the overall settlement that has been agreed with the claimant.

If for any reason the lawyer does not win the claim, then the client is not charged anything. In theory, this is a very good way for an individual to pursue a claim when they have been injured in any way, but there are a couple of things to look out for. A lot of these claims take a long time to process and finalize, often several years or even decades. Once an individual has signed up for a no-win no fee claim, they cannot back out of it without the agreement of the law firm.

If they do, they will be liable for the expenses that the personal injury lawyer has accumulated up until that point. It is also worth checking what percentage of the final assessment the personal injury law firm will take as their fees if the claim is successful. This can vary from law firm to law firm, so it is worth checking out how much of a settlement they will take before signing up.

What is a personal injury compensation claim?

Many different types of accidents can give rise to a personal injury claim.The three main ones cover any type of motor vehicle, whether driver or passenger, injuries at work and what I'll know as public liability accidents.

In each of these areas, any individual who suffers physical or psychological damage as a result of the accident may be able to claim damages from whoever they believe is responsible for causing the accident to happen.

How to choose a personal injury lawyer

Perhaps the most important thing is to choose a lawyer or a firm of lawyers who have a history and a track record of dealing with personal injury claims, as well as operating on a no-win no fee basis.

They are likely to have significant experience in this area and are likely to know before taking someone's case the likelihood of them being able to secure a final settlement. They will know the pitfalls involved, especially around the issue of time limits for submitting a claim.

Given that any claim may take a significant time, it is worth making sure that there is some type of rapport or relationship with the lawyer involved in the case, and that they keep the client updated on all developments.

For more info, contact a local lawyer.