Is legal aid available to personal injury claimants?

If you want to make a personal injury claim, you may be worried about the potential cost of legal fees.

While legal aid is no longer available for most personal injury claims, solicitors will now take on cases on a ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis. No win no fee makes legal advice and representation available to anyone who is eligible to make claim.

What is legal aid?

Legal aid is a form of government funding that helps people meet the costs of legal advice and representation.

Legal aid was introduced after the Second World War to ensure that everyone across society could have fair access to justice, irrespective of their financial circumstances.

As well as helping people caught up in the criminal justice system, legal aid has helped people to bring claims in such areas as family law, debt, employment, housing, immigration and mental health, which they otherwise may not have been able to afford.

Legal aid is funded by the Treasury and is administered by the Legal Aid Agency, an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice.

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Can I get legal aid for my personal injury claim?

Although legal aid can provide a real financial lifeline to people who cannot afford legal representation, it is no longer available for personal injury claimants.

It was abolished in the year 2000, as the sheer number of personal injury claims requiring legal aid exceeded 700,000 per annum, putting pressure on the public purse.

No win, no fee agreements

Even though legal aid is no longer available for injury claims, it is still possible to get legal representation without any upfront costs.

Most claims are financed with a 'Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA)' - more commonly referred to as a ‘No Win, No Fee’. No win no fee takes the financial risk out of making a claim.

You will not have to pay any legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful.

Find out more: Making a No Win, No Fee claim

Have you been injured at work?

If you have been injured at work in the last 3 years, you may be able to claim financial compensation.

Find out more about making a work accident claim:

• Do you qualify?
• How much compensation could you get?
• How does No Win, No Fee work?

Read more: Work accident claim guide