Making A Claim
We recognise that people contact us for many different reasons and as such our approach is completely focused on you and meeting your needs. At Bond Pearce we have tried to make the process as simple as possible. Our help lines are open from 8am to 8pm and we visit our clients at a time to suit them. We can liaise with you via email or telephone and we will visit you at home at a time that is convenient to you.
What happens when I contact you?
Our new enquiry team will take your initial details and we will advise you as to whether you have a claim or what action can be taken. We will then arrange to visit you so that we can take a brief statement and go through the paperwork. We will arrange your funding and put everything in place for you.
Each solicitor keeps their case numbers small so that we can get to know you and understand the issues that are affecting you following your injury. This enables us to run our cases thoroughly and swiftly for maximum effect.
We recognise that making any claim can be a difficult experience and in some cases the issues are complex. We aim to help and assist you not just in making your claim but also in ensuring that you receive early rehabilitation and access to the treatment that you need. In the more severe cases we will liaise with your medical team to ensure that you get the help you need such as access to specialist treatment, purchasing of aids and equipment and adaptations to housing and cars.
There are more details on specific claims within the areas of work pages on this site.
Funding a legal claim
Each case is different and we are able to provide a range of funding options which are best suited to you and your case.
The general rule is that the loser of the court case pays the costs of the winner. Therefore our first step is to ensure that we consider fully the risks of your case.
There are a range of funding options that we can offer including:
Conditional Fee Agreements
Conditional Fee Agreements or CFA's are often called "No Win, No Fee" agreements. This means that if you do not win your case you do not have to pay your own legal costs. If you win the costs are usually paid by the defendant along with any compensation award. However if you lose your case it is likely that you will be responsible for the defendants legal costs. In order to protect you from this, when you enter into a conditional fee agreement you will need to purchase a policy of insurance. This will cover the other side's costs should you lose. However we pride ourselves on evaluating our client's claims from the outset and we will give you a realistic outlook as to the chances of success in your case.
Legal expenses insurance
This kind of insurance policy is purchased before the accident happens and is usually attached to other insurance policies such as household, travel or motor insurance. This policy will cover the costs in the event of a case losing but it does not cover all the costs of the claim if the case is successful. However these will usually be met by the defendants.
Public Funding
Public funding, previously known as Legal Aid, is still available for some cases, most notably clinical negligence. But it is no longer available for straightforward personal injury cases. Only a firm who holds a franchise awarded by the Legal Services Commission can offer public funding. A certificate of public funding acts as an insurance policy if you lose your case and provides funding to cover your legal expenses along the way. In some cases you might be eligible for public funding but be required to make a contribution toward your costs. Public funding is only available to clients with a limited amount of money or children and where the case has a good likelihood of success.
Private Funding
Funding a case privately is probably the most straight forward way however it can be costly as should you lose the case you not only pay your own legal costs but also the costs of the defendants. If you win your case then we will try and claim back all of your legal costs from the defendants.
