If you have suffered a minor personal injury through no fault of your own, then bringing a claim forward with the Small Claims Court is an option you have.
However, there is a key limitation you need to be aware of: The maximum value that the Small Claims Court can process in regards to personal injuries is £1,000.00. So if you have suffered a moderate or severe personal injury, this may not be the best option. The alternative is to work with a law firm and to hire a lawyer to process your claim through a different channel, so that you can claim an amount exceeding £1,000.00.
To find out more about making a claim with a law firm, visit here.
Small Claims Court Fees
The fees for bringing a claim forward with the Small Claims Court as follows:
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Claims up to £300.00: £35 court fee;
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Claims up to £500.00: £50 court fee;
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Claims up to £1,000.00: £70 court fee.
The court fee is payable at the beginning of the claims process; it is a requirement to take proceedings forward. The fee is paid by either debit card or credit card.
If your case requires a hearing, then a hearing fee will apply. These are as follows:
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Claims up to £300.00: £25 hearing fee;
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Claims up to £500.00: £55 hearing fee;
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Claims up to £1,000.00: £80 hearing fee.
Most Small Claims Court claims do not require a hearing however if a verdict cannot be reached with the presented evidence then a hearing will be required.
Fees with a Law Firm
If you would like to make a claim for more than £1,000.00, you can do so with a reputable law firm on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis. Under such an agreement, you will not have to pay any legal fees upfront nor during the claims process. Instead, your lawyer will be paid if your claim is successful. They will either recover their costs from the other side, or they will take a percentage of your compensation as payment. By law, this percentage can be no more than 25 per cent of the compensation amount awarded.
The amount of compensation you can claim through conventional channels – as opposed to the Small Claims Court – is unlimited. However, the vast majority of claims are valued between £1,500.000 and £10,000.00. The amount of compensation you can claim for your injuries depends on the nature of your injuries and the extent of them. In addition to this, your level of pain and suffering will be taken into account, as will your prognosis, so that you receive a fair and proportionate level of compensation that will enable you to live your life.
