What are disbursements in a personal injury claim?
When making a no win, no fee personal injury claim you may hear your solicitor refer to disbursements. Disbursements can be defined as costs incurred by your solicitor that come over and above his hourly rate. These usually relate to charges incurred on your behalf which your appointed solicitor has to pay to others.
Disbursements in personal injury claims
The following are some of the most common disbursements that are incurred during personal injury claims:
- Medical reports. A medical report written by a medical expert will need to be provided as evidence of the nature, extent and duration of the personal injury that you sustained.
- Hospital records. Hospital records or GP notes from when you went to consult a medical professional about the injury you suffered will be useful in backing up your claim.
- GP records. Copies of your medical history may be used as part of the evidence in your claim and are another disbursement.
- Police accident reports. The report about the circumstances of the accident and who was at fault can be a very important piece of evidence, especially in road traffic accident cases. This is purchased by the appointed solicitor from the police.
- Court costs. If your personal injury claim goes to court, your solicitor will need to issue proceedings. This involves a fee which the solicitor will pay on your behalf and is a disbursement.
- Counsel's fees. A barrister (sometimes referred to as legal counsel) may advise on certain aspects of your case and will certainly represent you if it goes to court. His fees will be treated as disbursements.
- After the event (ATE) insurance. ATE insurance protects the solicitor and client from liability for costs and fees in the event of an unsuccessful claim.
Paying for disbursements
Many people are concerned about how much all these disbursements will cost and with many personal injury law firms, you will have to pay up front for some or all of these disbursements. However, when you make a claim through YouClaim, your personal injury solicitor will pay for the disbursements.
If your compensation claim is successful, your opponent will reimburse your solicitor for the cost of the disbursements. On the other hand, If it is unsuccessful, the ATE insurance will cover the disbursements. If ATE insurance has not been taken out, however, your appointed personal injury solicitor will be obliged to write these charges off.
Claiming compensation
If you have been injured in an accident that was not your fault and are interested in making a compensation claim, we may well be able to assist you. We don't charge our customers a penny, win or lose, giving you absolute peace of mind that you will not suffer any financial losses as a result of your claim.
We understand that making a personal injury claim can be daunting but we make it as easy as possible. At the beginning of your claim we will talk you through the process that needs to be followed and you will be updated as your claim progresses. We don't use archaic legal jargon, instead preferring to discuss your case in plain English.
To find out more about making a personal injury claim with YouClaim either contact us via e-chat, leave us a call back request or telephone us for free on 0800 10 757 95. Alternatively, fill in an online claim form and we will assess your eligibility to make a no win, no fee claim with us today.
