General Advice

General advice about making an accident claim

"Our aim is to offer personalised service in a modern and efficient way."

We have clients throughout the whole of England & Wales and distance is no object to dealing with your claim.

Our office opening hours are 9.30am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. However, we do know that not everyone is able to contact us during these times. We therefore do have an answering service and will arrange to call you back outside office hours if necessary. Alternatively, you can contact us by e-mail, or post.

What do I need to know about accident claims generally?

There are many circumstances in which you can claim compensation if you have had an accident. However, it is important to remember that sometimes an accident is just that – an accident. In England & Wales you can only claim compensation if someone is legally to blame for your accident.

You must also have suffered some actual loss: damage to your belongings and/or injury. Under English law you cannot claim just for the nasty experience of being involved in an accident. We deal with some very serious injury claims, but also with what might seem minor ones. Contact us for advice if you are in any doubt and see our small claims page.

There are many different circumstances where you someone may be to blame for an accident you have suffered. We have tried to give some general advice below about the types of accident. If in doubt, please feel free to e-mail or telephone us for advice about whether you may have a claim.

What if fault for the accident isn’t clear cut?

We will still offer advice and assistance on a ‘no obligation’ basis. Even if you think the accident is partly your fault, you may still be able to claim subject to contributory negligence. If you think you may have a claim, please call or e-mail us – we will offer frank advice, with no legal jargon. You have nothing to lose.

What does it cost?

If we are satisfied that you have a reasonable claim, we will deal with it on what is frequently called a ‘no win, no fee’ basis. You will not have to pay any money up front to pursue your claim.

The official name for this agreement is a conditional fee agreement. The general rule in civil court cases is that the loser in the case pays the winner’s legal fees. Due to changes in the costs rules inn 2013 the loser now pays a contribution towards the winner’s legal fees. If you win your case, the other party (or, more usually, their insurers) will not only pay you compensation, (“damages”), but will also pay a contribution to the fees incurred in pursuing the case and the disbursements, (such as court and barristers’ fees etc). Conditional fees do not change this basic system, they just mean that if you lose your case, we are not paid for the work we have done. This can be a substantial amount, and so we are also taking a risk and therefore have to be satisfied that you have a good claim.

What do I need to do?

Call us or complete the online accident form. We will tell you if you have a good claim and whether we can help you. There is no obligation at that stage. It is up to you if you wish to go ahead.

We hope that you will find all of our staff helpful and friendly. We pride ourselves on our reputation and recommendations from clients.

“This is the second time Alyson France (specifically Aidan Jones) have pursued claims on my behalf for injuries and damage etc following cycle accidents. In both cases Alyson France & Co. procured successful outcome and compensation commensurate with my injuries and damage to my bicycle. They were very informative for the duration of the claim procedure and their professional fees were in my case, very reasonable indeed. I have no hesitation recommending Alyson France & Co.to any cyclist suffering accident injury and damage due to negligence on the part of others.”

I feel that my claim was dealt with professionally, advice was realistic and where necessary clear explanations were given if I was in any doubt

“Excellent. Couldn’t be faulted”

“A very professional service was provided. Regular updates were provided throughout the process which resulted in a successful claim”

“Very impressed with the level of service and legal expertise”

“ A heartfelt thank you to everyone who acted on my behalf. I am delighted with the outcome!!”

“Efficient, professional with total transparency as to progress of the claim i.e. no surprises – 5 stars for customer service and satisfaction from all the staff”