No win no fee is a way to fund a personal injury claim without paying anything up front. Your solicitor only gets paid if you win. If you lose, you don’t pay your solicitor’s fees. The formal name is a Conditional Fee Agreement, or CFA. It’s been the standard way of funding personal injury claims in England and Wales since the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013, and it’s available for almost every type of personal injury claim. The details of how it works, what’s deducted from your compensation, and what happens if you lose are all in the rest of this guide.

Yes. Conditional Fee Agreement is the formal name. No win no fee is the everyday name people use. A CFA is the written agreement between you and your solicitor that sets out the success fee, the disbursements, what happens on a loss, and how the case will be run. It’s the legal mechanism behind every no win no fee claim. The two terms describe the same thing: you don’t pay your solicitor unless you win, and you sign an agreement up front that spells out exactly what happens either way.

Mostly, yes, but there are a few situations where you might still pay something. The headline is straightforward: if you lose, you don’t pay your solicitor’s fees. But different firms handle disbursements (third-party costs like medical reports and court fees) differently. Some firms fund disbursements through the case at their own risk. Others ask clients to fund them upfront, or charge them back if the claim fails. After-the-Event (ATE) insurance is another variable. Always ask any solicitor before signing exactly what you’d pay on a loss. We fund all disbursements ourselves and don’t pass them on if the claim fails. For exactly what we charge if your claim wins, see our full fee position.

A success fee is the percentage of your compensation your solicitor keeps if your claim wins. It’s what the “fee” in “no win no fee” actually refers to. The success fee compensates the firm for the financial risk of running the case. If you lose, the firm absorbs the cost of running it. The cap is set by law at 25% of your general damages and past loss of earnings combined. That’s the maximum any firm can charge under the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013. Most firms charge 25%. We charge 10% if your claim settles before court proceedings are issued, 25% if proceedings are needed. For the detail on how firms decide their success fee, see our guide on what percentage no win no fee solicitors take.

Two different things. Your solicitor’s normal fees are the standard hourly rates they’d bill for running the case. The success fee is the additional percentage they take from your compensation if you win. Normal solicitor fees are usually recovered from the losing side under the standard rule that the loser pays the winner’s costs. The success fee is paid by you out of your compensation, capped at 25%. The reason for the success fee is that the firm carries the risk under a CFA. If you lose, the firm gets nothing for running the case. The success fee is the price of that risk. For more detail, see our guide on what percentage no win no fee solicitors take.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Every firm that calls itself a solicitor in England and Wales is regulated by the SRA. The SRA sets the rules on conduct, fees, transparency, and how claims have to be run. You can check any firm on the SRA register at sra.org.uk/consumers/register. Search by firm name, individual solicitor name, or SRA firm number. Carter & Carter Solicitors is SRA firm number 449466, for example. If a person or organisation you’re considering isn’t on the register, they’re not a regulated solicitor (claims management companies, for example, are regulated separately by the Financial Conduct Authority).

LASPO 2012 is the law that sets the current framework for no win no fee in England and Wales. Its full name is the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. The relevant parts came into force in April 2013 alongside the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013. Three things changed in 2013 that still shape every no win no fee claim today. First, success fees became deductible from your compensation rather than recoverable from the losing side. Second, the success fee was capped at 25% of general damages and past loss of earnings combined. Third, ATE insurance premiums were no longer recoverable from the losing side. If you’ve read older guides to no win no fee that don’t mention LASPO 2012, they may be out of date.

Up to 25% of your compensation, set by the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013. We charge 10% pre-proceedings, 25% with proceedings. For how this works in practice (what’s included in the cap, how firms set their fee, what to look for in any agreement), see our complete guide on what percentage no win no fee solicitors take.

Twenty-five percent of your general damages and past loss of earnings combined, inclusive of VAT. Future losses (lost pension, future earnings, ongoing care, future medical costs) are excluded from the cap calculation. For the full breakdown with worked examples, see our complete fee guide.

The twenty-five percent is inclusive of VAT. Firms that add VAT on top are breaking the law. Some firms apply twenty-five percent to your gross compensation and then add VAT separately, which pushes the actual deduction over the legal cap. The cap is the total. VAT included. If a firm isn’t clear about how VAT is handled, or worse, can’t explain it on the spot, treat it as a red flag and ask for the answer in writing before you sign anything.

No. The 25% cap applies only to general damages and past loss of earnings. Future losses (lost pension, future earnings, ongoing care, future medical costs) are excluded from the calculation. A firm trying to apply the success fee to future losses is breaching the rules under the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013. For the worked example, see our complete fee guide.

We charge 10% if your claim settles before court proceedings are issued, and 25% if proceedings have to be issued. Both figures are inclusive of VAT. Both come out of your general damages and past loss of earnings combined, in line with the statutory cap set by the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013. We don’t charge clients for disbursements (medical reports, court fees, expert costs) at any point during the case or if the claim loses. We fund all of that ourselves. We don’t recommend After-the-Event (ATE) insurance on every case. We assess each claim on its own facts, given that the premium can’t be recovered from the other side and QOCS already protects most claimants from losing-side costs. We’ve published our fees openly since long before the SRA Transparency Rules existed, and we still publish them today, even though the rules don’t require us to. In April 2026 we surveyed 100 UK personal injury firms. Three of them, including us, published their fee. For the full breakdown of every charge and non-charge in our no win no fee structure, see our consolidated callout in Section 8.

Because they don’t have to publish it. Personal injury is specifically exempt from the SRA Transparency Rules. The SRA Transparency Rules 2018 require regulated firms to publish prices for certain services: conveyancing, probate, immigration, motoring offences, employment tribunals, and a few others. Personal injury isn’t on that list. That means no regulator forces any PI firm to tell you their fee upfront. The firms that do publish have chosen to. The firms that don’t have their own reasons.

We publish ours because we want to be open, transparent, and honest in every dealing we have with our clients. We felt it was the right thing to do, regardless of what any other firm in the UK chooses to do. If we’re asking you to trust us with your claim, you should know exactly what we’ll charge you before you sign anything. Trust and confidence start there.

In April 2026 we surveyed 100 UK personal injury firms at random. Only three published the conditional fee they actually charge. The transparency conversation is one the profession needs to have. For our full study, see our 100-firm study spoke.

No upfront costs with us. Our fees are conditional on winning. Disbursements (the third-party costs of running a claim, like medical reports and court fees) are handled on your behalf throughout the case. We bear those costs while the claim is running. If you win, they’re recovered from the losing side. If you lose, we bear them ourselves. Other firms operate differently. Some ask clients to fund disbursements upfront. Some charge clients for disbursements if the claim fails. Each firm decides its own approach. Always ask before signing.

Disbursements are the third-party costs of running your claim. Money paid to people who aren’t your solicitor. Common disbursements include medical reports, court fees, expert witness fees, police accident reports, and counsel’s fees if a barrister is brought in. Under our no win no fee agreement, we fund disbursements through the case at our own risk. If you win, they come back from the losing party. If you lose, we bear them ourselves rather than pass them on to you. Other firms may operate differently. Some ask clients to fund disbursements upfront. Some charge clients if the claim fails. Each firm makes its own choice on this. Always ask before signing.

Almost certainly not. A success fee comes out of your compensation if you win. The cap is 25% of general damages and past loss of earnings combined. Different firms may also deduct ATE premiums, commissions, or shortfalls. With us, the agreed success fee is the only deduction. For the full breakdown of what does and doesn’t come off, see our complete fee guide.

Yes. Several charges turn up in this sector that you should ask about before signing. Inflated After-the-Event insurance premiums (sometimes over £1,000) are one. ATE premiums can’t be recovered from the losing side, which means the client funds them out of their own compensation. We assess each claim on its own facts and recommend ATE only when it’s genuinely in the client’s best interest, because under QOCS most claimants are already protected from paying the other side’s costs. Full position in our ATE insurance guide. Undisclosed commissions on ATE policies are another. Solicitors who arrange ATE can earn commission from the insurer, and SRA rules require them to declare any commission to you. Shortfalls (where the firm asks you to pay the gap between what they recover and what they’ve actually charged) are a third. And VAT added on top of the twenty-five percent cap is a breach of the rules.

With us, you pay nothing. That’s the whole point of no win no fee. Our success fee is conditional on winning, so if the claim loses, we don’t recover our costs. We absorb the loss ourselves rather than pass it to you. Other firms operate differently. Some pass disbursements (medical reports, court fees) on to clients if the claim fails. Some charge cancellation or termination fees. Some recommend ATE insurance to cover the other side’s costs if you lose, and the premium may be deducted from your compensation if you win. The point is the agreement: every firm has its own rules on what happens on a loss, and the no win no fee agreement spells them out. Read it carefully before signing.

With us, no. The success fee is conditional, so it only applies if you win. Our normal solicitor fees (the standard hourly rates we’d bill for the work) are written off if the claim fails. We don’t bill clients for those, win or lose. We fund the disbursements through the case at our own risk, so if you lose, we bear the cost rather than pass it on to you. Different firms operate differently. Some don’t absorb disbursements on a loss. Some bill clients for billed-but-unrecovered costs (called a shortfall). Always ask any firm before signing exactly what you’d pay on a loss, and get the answer in writing.

Usually no, thanks to a rule called qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS). QOCS came in under LASPO 2012 and applies to almost every personal injury claim. Under QOCS, the loser of a personal injury claim doesn’t usually have to pay the winner’s legal costs. This used to be the main reason ATE insurance was needed (to cover those costs if you lost). QOCS replaced that need in most cases. There are exceptions. If the court finds you’ve been dishonest about your claim, QOCS protection can be removed. The next Q&A explains how QOCS works in detail.

After-the-Event (ATE) insurance is a policy taken out after an accident to cover legal costs if your claim fails. The premium is typically paid only if you win and deducted from your compensation. Some firms recommend ATE on every case; we don’t. For the full mechanism (what it covers, who actually needs it, what to ask), see our ATE insurance guide.

In most cases, no. Whether ATE is needed depends on the specifics of the claim, but in many cases it isn’t, because QOCS already protects most claimants from paying the other side’s costs if they lose. We recommend ATE only where the specific facts of your claim need it. For when ATE is genuinely required and when it isn’t, see our ATE insurance guide.

QOCS is the rule that means a loser in a personal injury claim doesn’t usually have to pay the winner’s legal costs. It came in under LASPO 2012 (in force from April 2013) and applies to almost every personal injury claim in England and Wales. The “qualified” part means there are exceptions. If the court finds you’ve been fundamentally dishonest about your claim, QOCS protection can be removed and you could be ordered to pay the other side’s costs. The same applies if your claim is struck out for technical reasons. For straightforward, honest claims, QOCS removes the main risk that ATE insurance used to cover, which is one of the reasons we don’t recommend ATE on most claims. See our ATE insurance guide for more on this.

A few. Worth being aware of them before you sign. Fundamental dishonesty is the biggest one (covered in the next Q&A). If the court finds you’ve made dishonest statements to support your claim, you can lose QOCS protection and be ordered to pay the other side’s costs. Failure to beat a Part 36 offer (a settlement offer from the defendant that you rejected) can also trigger costs against you, even if you ultimately win. With us, you don’t pay disbursements or normal solicitor fees on a loss. But other firms operate differently. Disbursements, shortfalls, ATE premiums, and termination fees all turn up in some no win no fee agreements. Read the agreement carefully and ask any firm before signing what you’d pay if you lose.

Fundamental dishonesty is when the court finds that a claimant has been dishonest about a substantial element of their claim. It’s set out in Section 57 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015. If the court finds fundamental dishonesty, three things can happen. First, your QOCS protection is removed and you can be ordered to pay the other side’s costs. Second, the whole claim can be dismissed, even the parts that were honest. Third, in serious cases, you can be prosecuted for contempt of court. Honest exaggeration (saying an injury hurt slightly more than it did) is not fundamental dishonesty. Made-up injuries, faked accidents, or hidden evidence are. The vast majority of personal injury claims have no dishonesty issue at all.

It depends on why. If your solicitor concludes the claim no longer has reasonable prospects of success, they may terminate the CFA. Under a no win no fee agreement, the firm carries the financial risk, so a weak case means the firm absorbs the loss. If new evidence shows the case isn’t viable, or the defendant has produced an unanswerable defence, the firm has to make a commercial judgement. They should give you written notice and explain the reasons. You’re then free to seek another solicitor for a fresh look or, if time has run, to stop. With us, if we end a retainer, we explain why and we don’t charge you for the work we’ve done. We also flag any time limit issues so you know how long you have to find another firm. Different firms handle termination differently. Read the CFA carefully before signing.

That depends on your no win no fee agreement and how the firm operates. With us, we fund disbursements through the case ourselves. If your claim fails, we bear those costs. You don’t get charged for medical reports, court fees, or expert costs we paid out on your behalf during the case. Other firms operate differently. Some pass disbursements on to clients if the claim fails. Some require clients to fund disbursements upfront with reimbursement only on a win. Always ask before signing exactly who carries the cost of disbursements if the claim doesn’t succeed.

It should at least be a question. Some firms have arrangements with ATE insurers under which they earn commission on every policy they sell. That creates a financial incentive to recommend ATE even when it isn’t strictly necessary, and the premium (which can be £1,000 or more) comes out of the client’s compensation. We don’t take ATE commissions, and we don’t recommend ATE on every case. We recommend it only where your specific facts need it, and we’ll tell you why. If another firm recommends ATE without explaining why your claim needs it specifically, ask whether they earn commission on the policy.

A shortfall is the gap between what your solicitor actually charged for running your case and what the losing side was ordered to pay. If the costs the defendant pays don’t cover everything your solicitor billed, some firms ask the client to make up the difference, even on a winning claim. That’s the shortfall. With us, you don’t pay shortfalls. The agreed success fee is the only amount that comes out of your compensation, and we don’t add deductions for billed-but-not-recovered costs on top. Other firms operate differently. Always ask before signing whether the firm passes shortfalls on to clients, and get the answer in writing.

Yes, and the SRA has flagged it as a sector-wide issue. The main ones to watch for: ATE insurance premiums where the firm earns commission, shortfalls where the firm passes uncovered costs on to the client, VAT applied on top of the 25% cap (which is a breach of the rules), and legal expenses insurance commissions where the firm benefits financially from policies you take out. We don’t apply any of these. We charge the agreed success fee out of your compensation, and we fund disbursements ourselves. That’s it.

Most personal injury claims qualify for no win no fee under the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013. We act on no win no fee in four areas. Accidents at work. Accidents in public places. Needlestick injury claims. And personal injury caused by allergy reactions where another party was at fault. If your claim falls within one of those four areas, that’s the work we do. If it falls outside, we’ll tell you upfront and point you somewhere appropriate.

You usually have three years from the date of the accident to make a claim. If you didn’t realise you’d been injured at the time, the clock can start when you found out instead. That’s the limitation period set by Section 11 of the Limitation Act 1980. Miss the deadline and your claim is usually time-barred. There are exceptions. Children have until their 18th birthday before the clock starts. People who lack mental capacity may not have a deadline at all. If you’re approaching the three-year mark, contact a solicitor straight away. Court proceedings need to be issued within that window, not just settled, so don’t leave it to the last week.

In most cases, no. But there are exceptions. If the accident happened when you were under 18, the three-year clock starts on your 18th birthday. If you lack mental capacity, the clock may not start at all until capacity is restored. The “date of knowledge” rules (covered next) can also extend the limitation period if you didn’t realise you’d been injured at the time. If you think any of these apply to your case, contact a solicitor straight away. Even an out-of-time claim is sometimes worth a quick conversation if the circumstances are unusual.

Date of knowledge is when you first knew, or could reasonably have known, that you’d been injured and that someone else’s actions caused it. It’s the alternative starting point for the three-year limitation period under Section 14 of the Limitation Act 1980. For accidents where the injury was obvious immediately (a slip in a public place, a fall at work), date of knowledge usually matches the accident date. For injuries that develop gradually or where the cause was hidden, the limitation period may start later. Some delayed-onset injuries rely on this rule.

Yes, in most cases. Partial fault is called contributory negligence in legal terms. It doesn’t bar a claim, but it can reduce the compensation by a percentage representing your share of responsibility. If a court finds you were 25% responsible for an accident, you’d receive 75% of the compensation you’d otherwise have been entitled to. Many no win no fee solicitors will still take on cases involving partial fault, though the percentage of fault has to be realistic. If you’re unsure whether your situation qualifies, ask a solicitor for an honest assessment.

Most solicitors only offer no win no fee on cases they believe have reasonable prospects of success. The firm carries the financial risk under a CFA, so a weak case means the firm absorbs the loss. If a case looks weak, a solicitor may decline to act on no win no fee terms. They may offer to act on a different funding arrangement instead, though this is rare. Different firms apply different thresholds. If one firm declines, it’s worth asking another for a fresh view.

A solicitor will typically assess three things. Whether liability is reasonably clear. Whether there’s enough evidence to prove the injury and the loss. And whether the value of the claim makes the financial risk worth taking. Strong cases tend to have a clear cause (named defendant, documented circumstances), medical evidence linking the injury to the accident, and quantifiable losses (lost earnings, treatment costs, expenses). Weak cases tend to have disputed facts, sparse evidence, or low values that don’t justify running them on no win no fee. We’ll give you an honest assessment of where your case sits.

Generally, no. We don’t take over claims from another firm partway through. Apportioning costs and fees between two firms creates complications we’d rather avoid. The fee arrangement, any disbursements the previous firm has paid, the question of who carries the risk going forward. All of this gets tangled in a way that doesn’t serve the client. What we will do is take a fresh look at a claim where another firm has rejected it on prospects, or where the previous firm has ended the retainer and the claim is now closed on their side. In that case we assess it from scratch, on its own merits. This is something we specialise in. We have the experience and the confidence to move forward with claims that other solicitors have failed to convert. There’s an example in Section 8: a £24,999 workplace claim a national firm had rejected after 13 months, settled three months after David picked it up. It’s one of 29 documented Carter & Carter wins on rejected claims (see the Gold Ones section of our client reviews page). If you’re unsure where you stand, ask your current solicitor whether they’re continuing with the claim. If not, get written confirmation that the retainer has ended before approaching another firm.

You don’t need every piece of evidence at the start. That’s part of what your solicitor builds during the case. To open a discussion, useful starting evidence includes: details of the accident (date, location, what happened), contact details of any witnesses, photos of the scene or injuries, medical records or details of treatment you’ve had, evidence of loss of earnings or expenses, and the contact details of the other party (employer, landlord, business, etc.). The more you can bring to the first conversation, the more accurately the solicitor can assess your prospects.

Six things to check before instructing any no win no fee solicitor. SRA regulation. Published fees. Personal injury specialism (not general high-street work). The specific terms of the agreement (disbursements, ATE, loss scenarios). Verified reviews from people with similar situations. Direct access to a qualified solicitor rather than a paralegal. For what each criterion means in practice and how to assess any firm against them, see our choosing a no win no fee lawyer guide.

Trust in this sector is verifiable, not assumable. Three quick checks. First, the SRA register confirms they’re regulated (firm name, firm number, valid practising status). Second, the firm’s verified reviews on independent platforms (Google, Trustpilot, Review Solicitors) give you a current public-facing track record. Third, the firm’s transparency on fees is a meaningful signal. In our April 2026 study of 100 randomly-selected UK personal injury firms, only 3 published their conditional fee on their website. Firms that hide their pricing tend to be the ones to be cautious of. See the full 100-firm study for the methodology and findings.

Go to sra.org.uk/consumers/register and search for the firm by name. The SRA register shows the firm’s regulatory status, the practising solicitors at the firm, and their qualification details. Every regulated firm has an SRA number. Carter & Carter is firm 449466, for example. If a firm or person you’re considering instructing doesn’t appear on the register, they’re not regulated by the SRA. That doesn’t mean they’re operating illegally (claims management companies are regulated by a different body) but it does mean they’re not a solicitor in the legal sense. Always check the register before signing anything.

Ten questions worth getting answers to before you instruct any firm. What is the success fee percentage? Is VAT included or added on top? What happens to disbursements if I win? What about if I lose? Will you recommend ATE insurance, and do you earn commission on it? Will I be charged a shortfall if recovered costs don’t cover everything you’ve billed? Who will actually run my case (a qualified solicitor, or a paralegal)? What is the firm’s track record on cases like mine? Can I terminate the agreement if I’m unhappy? Get the answers in writing before you sign. For our answers to these questions, see our full position on fees and costs.

The big ones. Unsolicited contact (cold calls, text messages, claims management chasers). Pressure to sign quickly. Vague or evasive answers about fees and costs. No clear answer about who’ll actually run your case. ATE insurance being recommended on every case regardless of facts. Refusal to provide the agreement in writing for review. And any reluctance to confirm SRA regulation. Any of these is a reason to ask more questions or walk away. The most trustworthy firms tend to be the ones that answer plainly, don’t pressure you, and put it all in writing.

Treat both with caution. TV adverts are paid marketing. They tell you the firm has a marketing budget, nothing about quality. Cold calls (whether by phone, text, or in person) about a recent accident are often from claims management companies, not solicitors. Some are reputable, many are not, and the lead-generation chain means your details may have changed hands several times before the call. The SRA has flagged cold-calling and lead-buying as long-standing concerns in the sector. If a firm is genuinely good, you’ll be able to find them through search, recommendations, and verified reviews. You don’t need to react to a cold call to find a solicitor.

Either can work. The right firm is one that handles personal injury claims well, not one that’s local for the sake of it. National firms typically have scale and process. Smaller regional firms often offer more direct access to the solicitor who actually runs your case. The work itself doesn’t usually need to be local. Most personal injury claims are run remotely (phone, email, video) with occasional in-person meetings or hearings. What matters is the quality of the firm and the people running your case, not where they’re based.

You can, but understand what you’re getting. Claims management companies (CMCs) aren’t solicitors. They’re regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority rather than the SRA. CMCs usually act as middlemen. They sign you up, then pass your case to a solicitor they have an arrangement with, taking a referral fee for the introduction. That fee comes out of the eventual deal, often reducing what reaches you. You can usually instruct a solicitor directly and skip the CMC entirely. Most people who do that end up with a better deal.

Yes, you can change solicitors at any point during a claim. There are practical considerations. The previous firm needs to release the file (most reputable firms cooperate on this). Any work they’ve done that needs to be recognised. And whether the new firm will take you on under no win no fee from the point of transfer. Some firms (us included) prefer to look at a claim fresh rather than take it over partway through. So check what the new firm’s policy is before you make the switch. If your relationship with your current solicitor has broken down badly, switching is often the right answer. Solicitors aren’t supposed to make you feel anxious about asking questions or pushing back.

You don’t have to, but it can be worth it for substantial claims. A separate solicitor or a Citizens Advice consultation can review the proposed no win no fee agreement and flag any unusual terms before you sign. But the small print of how disbursements, ATE insurance, shortfalls, and termination clauses work can vary substantially between firms. For a claim worth tens of thousands of pounds or more, a second pair of eyes on the agreement is rarely a wasted hour. For smaller claims, reading the agreement carefully yourself is usually enough. Want to see what to look for? See our full position on fees and costs.

Pick up the phone or send a written enquiry to a regulated personal injury solicitor. We offer a free initial conversation (no signing required) where we listen to what happened, ask the practical questions, and tell you whether we think you have a case worth running on no win no fee. If we don’t think it’s right for us, we’ll say so and point you somewhere appropriate. There’s no obligation either way. That first call usually takes 15 to 30 minutes.

Liability investigation means working out who’s legally at fault for the accident and getting the evidence to prove it. The investigation typically involves: gathering the factual account (your own statement plus any witnesses), obtaining accident records (employer accident book entries, RIDDOR reports, public liability insurer notifications), reviewing CCTV or photos where available, requesting the defendant’s documents through a formal Letter of Claim, instructing experts where needed (accident reconstruction, engineering, occupational hygiene), and pulling together the legal argument. The process can take weeks for clear-cut cases or many months for contested ones. We keep you informed throughout.

The Letter of Claim is the formal letter that puts the defendant (and their insurer) on notice of your claim. Under the Pre-Action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims, it has to set out who you are, what happened, what injuries you sustained, and why you say the defendant is liable. Once received, the defendant has 21 days to acknowledge it and three months to investigate liability and respond. Most claims settle without court proceedings, so the Letter of Claim is often the moment the negotiation effectively begins.

Through your existing medical records and, usually, a fresh medico-legal report from an independent expert. We obtain your GP and hospital records (with your consent) to establish the injury history. Then we instruct an independent medical expert (consultant, GP, or specialist depending on the injury) to examine you and prepare a report. That report gives the prognosis, the treatment needed, and the long-term effects. Medical evidence is usually the single most important element in valuing the claim. The cost of the report is a disbursement; with us, we fund it through the case.

A medico-legal expert is a doctor or specialist who examines you, reviews your records, and writes a report on the injury, the prognosis, and any ongoing impact. We choose experts whose specialism matches the injury (orthopaedic surgeon for fractures, ENT for hearing damage, psychiatrist for psychological injury, and so on) and who have experience writing personal injury reports for the courts. The report has to be independent of both sides and is sometimes shared with the defendant before settlement. In some cases the defendant instructs their own expert in parallel.

Compensation has two components. General damages (for the injury itself, pain, suffering and loss of amenity). And special damages (for the financial losses caused by the injury). General damages are valued using the Judicial College Guidelines and reported court decisions. Each injury type has a published range. Special damages are calculated from receipts, payslips, expert reports on future losses, and care assessments. The two are added together to produce the total claim value. Each element has to be evidenced. Inflated claims (or claims unsupported by the evidence) get rejected at settlement or in court.

It depends on the complexity. A straightforward claim with clear liability and stable injuries can settle in around 6 to 12 months. A complex claim with disputed liability or evolving injuries can take 18 to 36 months. Some run longer. The length is driven by three things. How quickly liability is resolved (insurer admits or contests). How long the medical picture takes to stabilise (some injuries need 12 to 24 months of treatment before a final prognosis). And whether the claim has to go to court (most settle before).

Most no win no fee claims settle without going to court. But some need court proceedings to be issued, either because liability is contested or because the defendant won’t negotiate sensibly. Court proceedings means we issue formal claim forms at court. After issue, the case moves through standard procedural stages (defence, disclosure, witness statements, expert evidence exchange, listing for trial). The vast majority of issued claims still settle before trial, sometimes at the door of the court. Going to a trial is rare. With us, the fee changes if proceedings are issued: 10% pre-proceedings, 25% with proceedings.

We continue to build the case and push for resolution. Disputed liability can sometimes be resolved by sharper evidence (a witness, a document, a more thorough expert report). Where it can’t, the case moves toward court proceedings. Some defendants only engage seriously once proceedings are issued. We assess the strength of your case at every stage, and we’re honest with you about prospects throughout. If new evidence ever changes our view of the case, we tell you straight.

Settlement is the negotiated agreement between the parties on the value of the claim. We put a formal demand (a Schedule of Loss) to the defendant. The defendant responds, sometimes with a counter-offer, sometimes with a denial. Negotiation continues until both sides accept a figure. Once agreement is reached, the defendant pays the agreed sum into our client account. We deduct the agreed success fee. The balance is paid to you, usually within a few weeks of settlement. We explain every deduction in writing before payment.

We close the file and pay your compensation. The defendant pays the settlement into our client account. We deduct our agreed success fee, settle any disbursements that need settling, and transfer the balance to you. The breakdown is set out in writing so you can see exactly what came in and what went out. If your claim involved future losses (rehabilitation, ongoing treatment), we can talk you through the next steps for managing those funds. Once payment is made and the file is closed, the matter is concluded.

Yes, but the claim is brought by a parent or guardian on the child’s behalf (called a ‘litigation friend’). Children can’t conduct legal proceedings themselves until they turn 18, so a parent or guardian usually runs the claim. The three-year limitation period doesn’t apply in the normal way for children. The clock only starts running on the child’s 18th birthday. So children have until their 21st birthday to bring a claim themselves. Any settlement reached during childhood has to be approved by the court (called an ‘infant approval hearing’). The court checks the settlement is fair before it’s finalised. Compensation is usually paid into court and released on the child’s 18th birthday.

A claim can be brought by the deceased’s estate and by certain dependants. Two separate claims are possible. The estate (managed by the executors or administrators) can claim for the pain and suffering of the deceased before death, plus any financial losses up to death. Dependants (usually spouse, civil partner, children, sometimes others who relied financially on the deceased) can also claim for the loss of financial support and a statutory bereavement award (currently £15,120 for eligible relatives). Fatal claims have a three-year limitation period from the date of death (or, if later, the date of knowledge of the cause). They are some of the most sensitive cases to handle, and we treat them with appropriate care.

A claim can still be brought, with the person represented by a litigation friend (often a family member or a court-appointed deputy). The Mental Capacity Act 2005 sets out the test for capacity. If the claimant lacks capacity to conduct legal proceedings, the claim is run by a litigation friend on their behalf. The three-year limitation period does not run while the claimant lacks capacity. So a claimant who has lacked capacity since the accident has no limitation deadline at all unless and until capacity is restored. Any settlement is approved by the court. Compensation is usually paid into a Court of Protection deputyship or a personal injury trust to be managed for the claimant’s benefit.

Usually no, but it depends on the circumstances. The standard limitation period for personal injury is three years from the date of the accident or the date of knowledge under the Limitation Act 1980 §11. Outside that window, claims are normally time-barred. But there are exceptions. If you were under 18 at the time, you have until your 21st birthday. If you’ve lacked mental capacity since the accident, no deadline applies. If you didn’t realise you’d been injured (or didn’t know the cause) at the time, the ‘date of knowledge’ rule can extend the period. And the court has a residual discretion under Section 33 of the Limitation Act 1980 to allow late claims in exceptional circumstances. Worth a conversation either way.

Yes. You can’t be dismissed, demoted, or treated unfavourably for making a workplace injury claim. Most workplace injury claims are brought against the employer’s liability insurer rather than the employer directly. Employers have to carry employers’ liability insurance by law. The insurer handles the claim, not the employer’s own funds. Dismissing or punishing an employee for bringing a personal injury claim is unlawful and could itself give rise to additional claims (unfair dismissal, discrimination, harassment). In practice, most employers and most employees continue the working relationship after a claim is brought. We can talk you through how the process usually plays out in your specific workplace.

Yes. Both serving personnel and veterans can claim for injuries caused by negligence. Routes vary. The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) is a no-fault scheme for injuries linked to service. A civil claim against the Ministry of Defence is possible where negligence can be shown. The two routes operate in parallel and can sometimes both apply. The ‘combat immunity’ doctrine limits civil claims for some operational decisions but doesn’t bar claims for training accidents, negligent equipment failures, or hazards that should have been controlled. Limitation rules and procedural specifics vary depending on the service and the type of injury, so early advice matters.

Some of your compensation may be reduced to repay benefits the state paid out for the same loss. The mechanism is called the Compensation Recovery Unit. Under the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997, if you’ve received certain state benefits because of the injury (Statutory Sick Pay, Employment and Support Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, others), the defendant has to repay those benefits to the Department for Work and Pensions out of the compensation. The deduction comes off your special damages (lost earnings, mainly), not your general damages. Your solicitor calculates the recoverable benefits before settlement so the net figure to you is clear. It can be a meaningful chunk in long-running claims. We explain the position to you at the right stages.

Yes. Psychological injury can be claimed on its own or alongside a physical injury. Recognised psychiatric conditions (PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders) caused by an accident or negligence are claimable as personal injury. The diagnosis comes from a consultant psychiatrist or clinical psychologist, who prepares a medico-legal report. Compensation reflects the severity of the condition and its prognosis. Claims for pure psychological injury (no accompanying physical injury) have specific legal requirements (the claimant has to be a ‘primary’ or qualifying ‘secondary’ victim), but the route is well-established.

Sometimes. The rules depend on where the accident happened and what kind of accident it was. Accidents abroad on package holidays are usually covered by the Package Travel Regulations 2018, allowing you to claim against the UK tour operator. Accidents on foreign airlines, ferries, or trains may be covered by international conventions (Montreal Convention for aviation, Athens Convention for sea travel). Road traffic accidents abroad usually have to be pursued in the country where the accident happened, sometimes via the Motor Insurers’ Bureau if the at-fault driver was uninsured. The procedural rules, limitation periods, and quantum of compensation vary considerably between jurisdictions. Early advice is particularly valuable for accidents abroad.

The callout above lays it all out. The short version: we charge 10% if your claim settles before court proceedings are issued, and 25% if proceedings are needed. We fund the disbursements through the case ourselves. VAT comes out of that fee, not on top. We don’t recommend ATE insurance unless the case actually needs it. We don’t pass shortfalls on. We don’t earn commissions on insurance products.

Because most personal injury claims settle before court proceedings are issued, and the fee should reflect that. If the case settles in pre-action correspondence with the defendant’s insurer, the firm hasn’t had to issue court proceedings, prepare for trial, or take on the time and risk that comes with litigation. A 25% fee for that work is high. We charge 10% if it settles at that stage. If proceedings are issued (because liability is disputed or the defendant won’t negotiate sensibly), the work and risk increase, and the fee rises to 25%. The structure is meant to reflect what the firm actually does on each case, not a blanket maximum applied regardless of effort.

Yes. SRA firm number 449466. You can verify the firm and its practising solicitors on the SRA register at sra.org.uk/consumers/register. We were established in 2007. The firm has a Wikidata entity (Q139677912) and a Companies House registration (06002212). All of these are independently verifiable.

Most firms charge the maximum 25% on every case. We charge 10% pre-proceedings, rising to 25% with proceedings. In April 2026 we surveyed 100 randomly-selected UK personal injury firms to see how many published their conditional fee on their own websites. Three did. Ninety-seven didn’t. That’s not unusual in the sector. Personal injury is exempt from the SRA Transparency Rules, so most firms don’t publish anything specific. We do. Publishing our fee openly means a prospective client can compare us against any other firm before making a decision.

Probably. We’ve worked in personal injury since 2007, in four specialised areas. Accidents at work, including manual handling, machinery, falls from height, vibration injuries, and serious workplace incidents. Public liability claims, including slips, trips, falls in public buildings, and accidents involving private contractors. Needlestick injuries, particularly affecting healthcare workers, refuse collectors, and others exposed to sharps in the workplace. Allergy claims, covering food labelling failures, mislabelled ingredients, and reactions caused by negligence. If your claim falls within one of those four areas, it’s likely we’ve handled something similar. Read our 432 client reviews for examples from across the four practice areas.

Yes. The case of Mr Bailey is a good example. Mr Bailey was injured at work. He approached a large national firm first, who took on the claim, ran it for 13 months, then rejected it on prospects. The firm closed the file. Mr Bailey contacted us. David Healey looked at the case fresh. The evidence had been built up by the previous firm, but the legal argument they’d assembled was weaker than what the facts actually supported. David rebuilt the case from the documents, issued proceedings in April 2017, and the claim settled three months later for £24,999. The full case, with Mr Bailey’s own account, is on our client reviews page. This is one of 29 documented Carter & Carter wins on claims that other firms had rejected. We specialise in this kind of work.

Our office is in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire (High Trees, Eccles Road, SK23 7EW). We work with clients across England and Wales. Personal injury work doesn’t usually need to be done in person: most of the case is run by phone, email and video, with the occasional in-person meeting or hearing where needed. Clients are spread across the country. Around half our caseload is in the North West and Midlands, with the rest spread across the rest of England and Wales.

One of the two qualified solicitors at the firm. Either Chris Carter (Managing Solicitor, qualified 1993, 33 years’ personal injury experience) or David Healey (Senior Solicitor, qualified 2005, 21 years’ personal injury experience). Allocation depends on the type of claim. Chris handles allergy and needlestick injury claims, the areas he’s specialised in. David handles workplace and public liability claims, plus the more complex serious-injury matters. You’d deal directly with the solicitor running the case throughout. Personal injury work elsewhere is often handled by paralegals or case handlers reporting upward to a solicitor. With us, the solicitor named on your file is the solicitor you speak to.

Independent review platforms are the right place to look. We have 250 verified five-star reviews on Google, averaging 5.0 out of 5. You can read every one of them by searching “Carter & Carter Solicitors” on Google. Our full client reviews page organises 432 reviews into 12 question-based categories so you can find the experiences most relevant to your own situation. Among them: 29 reviews from clients whose claims had been rejected by another firm before we took them on (the “Gold Ones”). Reviews are also available on Trustpilot and Review Solicitors.

Call 0800 652 0586 or send us a written enquiry through the contact form on the website. We offer a free initial conversation. No commitment, no sign-up form before the call. The conversation usually takes 15 to 30 minutes. We listen to what happened, ask the practical questions, and tell you whether we think you have a case worth running on no win no fee. If we don’t think we’re the right firm, we’ll say so and try to point you somewhere appropriate. We don’t put callers through pressure tactics or call-centre scripts. The call is with a real solicitor or a qualified member of staff who can route you to the right person.

An honest conversation about whether you have a claim worth running. We ask: what happened, when, where, and how. What injury or losses you’ve suffered. Whether you’ve already been treated medically. Whether anyone witnessed it, what evidence you have, and whether any time-bar issues might apply. Based on that, we give you an honest view: yes we’d take this on no win no fee, no we don’t think this one’s strong enough, or yes but here’s the realistic value range. If we don’t take a case on, you owe us nothing. If we do, we send the CFA in writing for you to read at home, ask questions, and only sign once you’re comfortable.