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When someone suffers accidental injuries due to the fault of another person, they are often faced with a difficult situation. They not only have to deal with the stress and trauma that even a mild accident can cause, but they are also forced to deal with a variety of expenses that can easily become a financial strain.

As a result, many people in the United Kingdom will end up filing an accidents claim with the local court system. However, even this process can pose additional costs for the claimant. From the fee required to file at court to the fees that a solicitor may charge, the expenses of pursuing accident claims need not prevent the victim from claiming the compensation that they are rightfully due.

Until the late 90s, Legal Aid was normally available to the claimer of a personal injury case. The injured party would simply appoint a solicitor to handle the case and then the solicitor would take the initiative to apply to Legal Aid for their payment. In the end, the victim would pay little or no fees. However, after 1998, most people who claimed personal injuries were no longer able to get assistance from Legal Aid because the government funding was withdrawn. The growing number of these kinds of cases had begun to become a burden for the government to pay. So they decided to pass the risk back to the solicitors. The one main exception to this law is if a person was accidentally injured due to a case of medical malpractice or negligence. Someone with this kind of claim may still be eligible for Legal Aid.

Now, the rest of the people with personal injury cases have another option. They may work with a solicitor who offers a no win no fees arrangement, also called conditional fee agreements. This type of arrangement is exactly what it sounds like; who makes the fees payment is conditional on who wins. In other words, if the solicitor does not win the case, then the client does not have to pay the solicitor's fees. If the case is won, the winner receives their entire judgement. No winning compensation goes to the solicitor. Instead, he gets paid by the losing party's insurance company.

Choosing the right solicitor is important, even if they offer a no win no fees arrangement. Experience is a definite factor to consider. You would not necessarily want to work with a solicitor who has a track record of no wins in the type of legal case that you are facing. Plus, not all conditional agreements are the same. A claimant needs to be extremely clear on the contract that they are signing. Some firms will not officially charge fees for their services, but will then charge the client for other miscellaneous things such as filing fees, copy fees, postage, etc. Plus, the plaintiff should be aware of who will be responsible for their opponent's legal costs if the case is lost. Otherwise, even a no win no fees arrangement could end up being very costly for the one filing for damages.