National Society for No Win No Fee

Have you ever heard the term “New for Old” as it relates to household insurance? It is a standard phrase with many contents insurance and home insurance policies and requires investigating if you are in the market to purchase or upgrade an existing policy.

So what is “New-for-Old”? It simply means that if something in your home and on your policy is destroyed through fire, theft or another standard mishap, the item will be replaced with a new item. The “Old” refers to the item you lost; the “New” is what you will receive from the insurance company.

You may wonder why this is an issue; typically, it is not. Many companies include “New-for-Old” clauses in their policies. However, it should not be assumed that all companies include it in their standard guidelines. It is important to speak with your insurer about this option, if it is available, if there is extra cost and what it does and does not cover.

You may wonder why this type of contents insurance is an issue. On other policies, items are replaced based on the date they were purchased, condition at the time of the incident and current market value. Be aware that the term “current market value” means what the item would be worth if you sold it on the open market, NOT what you would pay if you were going to have it replaced.

Again, speak with an insurer before deciding if “New-for-Old” is the right thing for you.

To get a home insurance quote, talk to your mortgage lender or use the online insurance comparison websites to narrow the field down, as house insurance requirements vary a great deal and you need to find one that suits your specific needs.
House contents insurance usually won’t cover valuable individual items, which will need to be insured separately. Bear in mind also that the home contents insurance policy may be cancelled if you are away from the property for a long period of time.

New-for-old policies will see items that are lost or damaged replaced with new ones of the same type, whereas the cheaper indemnity policies replace them with items of the same age.

You can reduce the premiums on home insurance policies by increasing the excess, which is the amount you pay on a claim. If your excess is, for example, £250 and the items stolen or damaged do not amount to this much in value then it will probably not be worth making a claim and seeing your premiums go up on renewal.

Buildings insurance is not optional if you have a mortgage. It covers the cost of rebuilding your house if it is severely damaged by a catastrophic event. Fire, flood and subsidence are far from unknown and the lender uses buildings insurance to protect his or her investment. Buildings insurance may also cover fixed items such as fitted kitchens and bathrooms, while the garden will usually be covered by home contents insurance.

Shop around for the best deals when you compare home insurance quotes.

Within the category of home insurance, many subdivisions and specialised types exist.  In addition to buildings and contents insurance, there are other options when obtaining cover for unusual items and situations.

Student possession insurance, a type of contents insurance, is one such category.  This insures that the unsecured possessions of a student, since they are by nature at a higher risk of theft, are protected.  Such policies protect items for loss, theft, and damage due to frequent travel or long periods of time when the student is away.  High end items such as CD players, video game consoles, and laptops are also covered by many such policies.

Expatriate or holiday home insurance is a similar type of policy that protects personal belongings during an extended time away from home.  In these situations, a regular buildings and contents insurance program might lapse and the homeowner or renter would lose coverage.  With holiday home insurance, the goods and structures of the home are covered while the owner is away for an extended amount of time.

Work from home insurance is another unique variety. In this type of plan, individuals who work from home can protect their office equipment, valuable work-related items and paperwork, and the structure of their home.  Since the home is being used as both a residence and workspace, speciality house insurance is required to guarantee that all interests are protected.

Under special circumstances such as those mentioned above, you might need to consider stretching to an improved house insurance plan to protect your possessions.

Those wishing to make personal injury claims should be aware of the procedures to follow if they wish to claim compensation. The first step is to obtain advice from one of the many law firms that specialise in these types of claims. Finding a no win, no fee lawyer is a good idea as this means that they will only take your case forward if they believe that you have a good chance of winning, and they are unlikely to give you false hope.

Consulting a lawyer should be done as soon as possible after the injury occurs, as there are time limits on making some claims. If the claim is based on negligence then the time limit is three years, so court proceedings must begin within this time frame. The court has the power to extend the time limit, but not if you do not begin taking action until after the limit has passed. 

If you do not use a no win no fee lawyer, then you will be expected to pay for the legal advice and action, although if you win you may be awarded your costs back. Some people may be eligible for legal aid, while others may be able to get legal help from their trade union or their home or car insurance, as many policies have legal assistance attached.

However, the large numbers of firms offering no win no fee legal services means that most people will opt to go down this route. The no win no fee legal firm may expect you to take out in insurance to cover costs in the event of a loss. 

For those who have been injured due to a crime, the thought at the forefront of their minds will be the desire to obtain justice. Fortunately these days, justice can be served with a claim for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Authority. This is a scheme that was set up by the government to help ensure that victims of crime were duly compensated for the offence committed against them.

If you have been an innocent victim of a crime of violence you will be able to claim for full no win no fee compensation. However, you must ensure that you have reported the crime to the police. You must also co-operate fully with the police and help them with any enquiries that they have regarding the crime. To make a claim for compensation you must be entirely innocent of any wrong doing concerning the offence you are claiming for.

If you have been previously involved in a crime and have a criminal record, it is highly likely that there will be a deduction in the amount of damages that you can claim and that will be awarded to you.

If you have been a victim of crime and have ever wondered whether you can receive compensation for the personal injury you have suffered, then call a company of no win no fee lawyers and ask them for advice from their expert solicitors. Don’t forget that crime does not pay, but you will be able to claim compensation for a crime committed against you.

No win no fee naturally attracts a certain degree of suspicion as it is not usual to get something for nothing. No win no fees arrangements are known legally as Conditional Fee Arrangements (CFAs). They were first introduced in 1998. In England and Wales legal aid is no longer permitted for most personal injury claims, apart from medical negligence.

No win no fee solicitors who offer to take on no win no fee accident claims are agreeing to take the risk that if they fail, then no payment will be received. This might sound a surprising risk to take, but the fact is that many solicitors have to accept this type of case as the industry is changing. This means that the no win no fee solicitor will occasionally have to take the risk that a case will be lost and he or she will not be paid. Reputable firms should not charge their clients anything in order to pursue their claims. The client should pay nothing at the beginning and nothing at the end of the case, under most circumstances.

However, pursuing accident claims through the courts carries the risk of losing the case and although the claimant will not have to pay his or her solicitor he or she will very likely be asked to pay the costs of the opponents. For this reason it is advisable for claimants pursuing this course to take out insurance in case they lose. A reputable firm will provide insurance for their clients and this should not cost them anything, the insurance premium being deducted at the end from the no win no fee compensation received. The insurer generally drops the premium charge if the case is lost.

Claimants should also avoid no win no fee solicitors who want to take a percentage of the no win no fee compensation received. The one exception to this rule is when the MIB hit and run agreement applies and in claims in which there is a high risk of losing. The MIB (Motor Insurer’s Bureau) pays out compensation for injuries and losses resulting from a car accident involving an untraced or uninsured driver. However, in the case of an untraceable driver only compensation will be paid, legal fees have to be deducted from the compensation received.

Whilst of course the prospect of receiving financial compensation as a result of an injury is an appealing prospect for many, it isn’t always the only motivation. Making accident claims and personal injury claims can have good ‘knock on effects’ as well. If, for example, you or a loved one was injured by a vehicle rounding a blind corner in a town or village, the Highways Agency may well install special warning lights and mirrors following a claim, in order to prevent further accidents. Injuries on public transport usually lead to thorough inquiries and critical path analyses, so that lessons can be learned, and public safety increases as a result of accident claims.

Whilst car accident claims (and whiplash compensation claims in particular) tend to be the most common, there are a myriad other scenarios where the neglect, carelessness or action of a third party may result in harm – especially if that third party has a duty of care, such as an employer, a medical practitioner or a police officer.

Industrial injuries include falls, crush injuries, diseases induced by dangerous substances such as asbestos or corrosive chemicals, and psychological illness induced by workplace stress. No win no fee employment solicitors can advise you on whether you have grounds for a compensation claim.

No win no fee compensation schemes have become increasingly popular, and rightly so – those injured in an accident caused by another’s omission or commission should not be financially penalised in any way by the legal process. Consulting no win no fee legal professionals may not heal your injuries, but it may well bring you some much needed financial peace of mind.

Has your child been injured at school?

It is in the nature of children to be inquisitive, after all that is how they learn. However, sometimes their curiosity will get the better of them, so that they may fall and sustain a personal injury. If you have entrusted your child into the care of their school, then it is up to the school to provide a strict duty of care so that the children are protected. This duty of care must be adhered to at all times.

We all know that children can injure themselves as a result of their nature to explore. However, if your child has been injured through neglect, you may well have a justifiable claim for compensation.

There are several ways that children can hurt themselves whilst at school. They can trip on a poorly maintained playground, or fall from defective school equipment. If your child does suffer school injury, then it is very important that you obtain the full details of the incident. The school should have an official accident book, so that they are able to record all such incidents. The school nurse should also have recorded the details of any treatment that they performed on your child.

If your child has been injured at school through no fault of their own, please contact a no win no fee solicitor who will be able to advise you on how to proceed with a compensation claim.

If you are in the armed forces, you are paid to put yourself at risk in military action. However, you still deserve to be protected from the negligence of others while you serve in the forces. If you are injured due to someone’s inattention or carelessness you are entitled to claim for compensation from the third party who caused it.

The kinds of claims that arise from the armed forces are similar to those you would receive from non-military personnel, for instance, personal injury due to a road accident, or injuries caused by assault. We also see injury as a result of friendly fire. Even in the military, personnel suffer injuries caused by defective or inadequate equipment. It is of utmost importance that soldiers are provided with the right tools, in order to carry out the dangerous tasks they have been asked to do.

It is of the utmost importance that those in the armed forces are aware that they need not leave the Army, Navy or Air Force, for them to make a rightful claim for compensation. As an MOD employee, any case you bring will be heard by the British Courts.

As with all claims for compensation, you should call a professional for assistance. If you are in the armed forces, and feel that you have been injured because of someone’s negligence or defective equipment, then please call a no win no fee solicitor. They will be only too pleased to give you their advice in how to proceed with your claim for compensation. Any no win no fee lawyer will have experience in dealing with the MOD.

There are a few legal terms often used in regards to personal injury claims that may be confusing to some people.
‘Liability’ is the responsibility for what caused the accident to happen in the first place. If someone has taken a specific action that led to an incident then they are liable.

‘No win no fee’ refers to cases where the lawyer agrees not to charge the claimant unless the case is won. Some people get confused by this as there is always the possibility of a charge unless the firm is also offering a 100% compensation guaranteed deal.

‘Disbursements’ are fees that are paid out to a third party who is helping to prepare the details of your case, for example, for medical reports.  ‘Negligence’ is when somebody has ignored his or her duty of care and this has led to an incident occurring.

‘Compensation’ is an amount of money that is offered to make amends for the injury or accident.

‘Duty of Care’ is a phrase used to describe the responsibility of a person to prevent an incident, for example an employer providing essential personal protective equipment (PPE) for carrying out specific tasks.

When choosing a no win no fee legal firm to conduct proceedings on your behalf, your personal claims advisor should be able to explain any unfamiliar terms to you in clear language, so that you are certain about the procedures that need to be followed and what happens next. If you are unsure, just ask and they will be happy to explain anything that you do not understand.