When the negligence or fault of an individual or organisation results in an accident and injuries to you, you may seek compensation for the damages. If you require the advice and assistance of a solicitor to make a claim to the Injuries Board Ireland, it is necessary to discuss details of their services and charges before you instruct them.

As per the law, a solicitor needs to inform you about the legal charges, i.e., the money you need to pay for the legal services, before you appoint him/her to handle the legal proceedings. The legal charges must include the fees of the solicitor as well as the amount he/she has to pay to other individuals or organisations.  

When you agree with a solicitor that they can work on your behalf to claim compensation for the injuries you suffer, they must give you the details of their charges in writing. This must include the fees the solicitor charges, or, if they are unable to do this, an estimate of the charges, or, if they are unable to do this, the way the charges will be calculated.

Whether you suffer injuries in a road traffic accident or an accident at work, the solicitor’s charges will depend on certain factors. Here are a few factors that may have considerable effect on the solicitor’s charges.  

• The complication, importance and urgency of the claim
• The complexity or difficulty associated with the questions related to the claim
• The number of hours spent on the claim
• The specialised knowledge and skills of the solicitor and the staff working on the claim
• The importance and number of documents the solicitor and the staff prepares or analyses
• The necessity for the solicitor to travel for the claim
• The circumstances involved in the claim

On the successful completion of the claim, the solicitor will send you the bill. What does this include? Along with the professional fees the solicitor charges, the bill must include the charges for the individuals and organisations, the charges for general costs like travel or postage and the tax charges.

For personal injury claims, you may also find solicitors who work on a ‘no win no fee’ basis. These solicitors do not charge you to work on the claim until you are successful. This implies that you need not pay anything to these solicitors if you do not receive the compensation for your damages.

Before you instruct a solicitor who works on a no win no fee basis, opt for an initial consultation with him/her. This will be necessary to understand the way the solicitor may charge you after the completion of the claim. This may be dependent on the complications involved in the matter and the time spent on it.

In most cases, the Injuries Board does not include the legal charges for the claim in the compensation award. However, this is at the discretion of the Injuries Board. They may include the legal charges in the compensation award if they advise the claimant to take legal assistance from a competent solicitor.  

Author Bio

Andy Flower is a legal expert and consultant. He provides tips and suggestions for individuals who have suffered a head or neck injury in an accident for which another individual was at fault. If you are looking for legal advice and guidance about claims involving a fracture or a soft tissue injury, he recommends a visit to the website http://www.accidentclaimsdirect.ie/.