Q. What is the difference between a law firm and a claims management company?
A. A law firm is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and the barristers they may instruct on your behalf are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. Claims management companies are regulated by the Claims Management Regulation Monitoring and Compliance Unit, and usually act as middlemen, not actually handling claims themselves. |
Q. What does accredited mean?
A. The accreditation which APIL provides certifies that an APIL lawyer has achieved a certain standard of expertise and competence officially recognised by APIL’s independent Academic Quality Council. |
Q. Are claims management companies accredited in any way?
A. There is no form of accreditation governing the practices of claims management companies at this time. |
Q. What is ‘no win no fee’?
A. This term is often used to indicate that there is no fee to pay whether you lose or win your claim. You will, however, be required to take out an insurance policy to cover the costs you will have to pay to the opposing side, if you lose your case. (See page 6 - How much will it cost?) |
Q. How much compensation can I expect to receive
A. The amount of compensation you will receive depends on the extent of your injury or illness and how this affects your ability to live a normal life. Your APIL accredited lawyer will be able to give you some idea before you decide whether to pursue a claim. |