Personal injury solicitors - your personal injury questions answered

Q. Why should I choose JMW?
A. JMW is a recognised leading personal injury solicitor firm (see Chambers UK Guide To The Legal Profession) and has been practicing law since 1966. When you choose to appoint us to help you make a claim for personal injury compensation, you will receive 100% of your damages. Unlike some firms, we will not deduct a single penny of your personal injury compensation. Win or lose you should not have to pay any costs or legal fees (unless agreed otherwise from the outset). If we are unable to recover our fees and costs from the person at fault's insurance company, they will be fully insured*.

Q. Will I deal with you directly?
A. Yes, your initial call/email will be received by one of our claims team who will provide free and confidential advice. When you decide to go ahead with a claim, a member of our legal team will be in touch to discuss the full details of your accident to enable us to progress your claim. We take pride in our ability to act in a friendly and professional manner enabling us to communicate with you in a straightforward and efficient way.

Q. How much will it cost me?
A. We operate an ethical 'no win, no fee' policy, which means, that if we don't win your case we won't charge you any fees. If we are successful with your claim, the legal fees are charged to the person at fault's insurance company. If your claim is unsuccessful all fees and costs will be fully insured. You will receive 100% of all compensation awarded to you*.

Q. How do I know if my claim is valid?
A. Call our claim team on 0808 144 0043 for free, confidential advice or complete our free claim assessment form opposite.

Q. What happens once I have submitted my claim online?
A. Once you have completed our claim assessment opposite, your email will be received by one of our claim advice team who will be in touch with you to discuss your accident and advise whether we can help you claim compensation. Please provide us with a daytime telephone number and email address.

Q. What is involved in making a claim for personal injury compensation?
A. Your solicitor needs to prove three facts in order for your claim to be successful:

1. The accident was the fault of someone other than yourself
2. Injuries and losses were caused as a result of the accident
3. How much these losses amount to and assess the value of the pain and suffering

It is these three points that we as your personal injury solicitor will be seeking to prove to the other parties insurers and/or the Court in order for your claim to succeed.

Q. What can I claim compensation for?
A. If you have been injured and someone else is to blame, you maybe able to claim compensation for your injuries, the cost of medical fees and any other losses, including loss of earnings.

If your injuries are the result of a road traffic accident, your compensation may also include the cost of vehicle replacement, repairs, recovery and storage and your insurance excess. See claiming compensation for more information.

Q. How much compensation will I receive for my injury or illness?
A. Use our compensation amounts to view an estimated amount of compensation you are likely to be awarded for your injury. This relates purely to the award for personal injury and additional compensation will be awarded for your monetary losses.

It is important to note that the figures displayed on the compensation calculator are only intended to act as a guide for compensation amounts. For a better assessment of the potential compensation payout for your injury or illness please complete our free claim assessment opposite or contact us on our Freephone 0808 144 0043.

Q. Who do I claim against?
The circumstances of your accident will determine this. For example; if you were injured in road traffic accident, you can make a claim against the other driver involved in the accident (in practice this is usually their insurance company). We have dealt with claims arising from a variety of circumstances. Regardless of the circumstances or nature of the accident, please contact us so that we can advise you whether or not you can pursue a claim. Please do not assume that you do not have a claim.

Q. What if I can't be sure someone else was to blame?
A. If there is any doubt that the accident wasn't your fault, we may still be able to assist you in dealing with a claim. Please contact us on 0808 144 0043 so we can advise you whether you have a claim. Please do not assume that you don't have a claim.

Q. Is there a time limit on making a compensation claim?
Generally speaking, you have 3 years from the date of the accident to start making a claim for personal injury compensation. Failure to comply with this limit means that the Court has the power to refuse to allow your claim. There some exceptions to this rule such as:-

. If you were under 18 years of age at the time of the accident the three year period only commences when you reach the age of 18 (16 in Scotland).

. If you were not aware of the injury at the time - this frequently happens in the case of industrial diseases which may develop gradually and not become apparent for some years e.g. Asbestosis. In such situations the three year period runs from the time that the claimant became aware of the injury.

. Mental incapacity - where the injured person suffers from a mental incapacity, and is declared a patient of the Court of Protection, the limitation period does not commence until the incapacity ceases. It can be started at any time in the future if the incapacity does not cease.

If you have any questions or queries regarding this matter then please contact us on 0808 144 0043 for free legal advice.


* This does not apply to clinical and medical negligence cases. Please ask about funding arrangements.