It used to be that anyone who needed a solicitor's advice in Great Britain could apply for help from legal aid. However, since changes to the U/K. system in 1998, many people who are involved in personal accident claims have found that they no longer qualify for free help.

Instead, the potential claimant is finding it necessary to turn to an accident company that specialises in handling accidental personal injury cases.

If you have been accidentally injured to the negligent actions or behaviour of another person or organisation, then you may have the type of case with which a claim company or advisory organisation can be of assistance to you. There is more than one kind of these assistance companies. Some are government or community bodies that will help you with accident claim forms and provide advice as to whether or not you have a strong enough case to pursue court action.

In Great Britain, the Legal Services Commission is the agency that is responsible for providing advice to the public for problems that they are facing. The Community Legal Service (CLS) handles civil case advice, while the Criminal Defence Service is concerned with criminal assistance. Unless the personal injury that you have suffered was the result of a criminal action on the part of another person or company, then you will most likely turn to the CLS for advice. The organisation brings individuals in contact with solicitors, the Citizens Advice Bureaus throughout the United Kingdom as well as local Law Centres and local authority services.

When you are looking for assistance, look for the CLS's Quality Mark in order to know that the service has met their minimum standards for service provision. Many of these companies offer their services to the public for free, while others may charge a fee of some kind.

Another type of company that you may find helpful is a true claims company. They will charge you a fee in order to direct you to a solicitor who will then be able to handle virtually all aspects of your accidents claim for you. Dealing with this type of management company may appeal to you if you don't feel comfortable selecting your own solicitor. These companies give the claimer the confidence that comes from knowing that your solicitor is recognised as being of a high enough ability level to be recommended by the company. You won't pay for the fees of the solicitor until you have actually claimed an award from the other party for your injuries.

Often these companies will add the cost of their fees to the settlement offer that they are willing to accept so that they are able to say that you are not paying any of the money that you are claiming to them. However, it is possible that the company will charge you for administrative fees such as copy costs, filing costs or other fees. As with any kind of contract, a thorough understanding of the terms ahead of time will prevent nasty surprises later on.