Firm “appalled” at claims industry stories

Emsleys, the law firm that launched Review My Claim, says it has been “shocked and appalled” at the level of incompetency in the handling of accident claims that have been referred to it.

The firm, which began offering its claims review service this year says that the cases passing through to it were a sad indictment of the state of some parts of the claims industry.

“I’ve worked in personal injury for more than 28 years and thought nothing could surprise me any more in terms of the bad practice from some quarters,” said Andrew Greenwood, partner and personal injury law expert at Emsleys.

“But we have been shocked and appalled at the sheer incompetency of the claims handling and claims settlements we have been asked to review.”

The Review My Claim team has come across a number of cases where clients were being pressurised to settle for amounts that were far less than they were entitled to. Claims included one where a client who was urged by her solicitor to accept an offer of £15,000 for injuries sustained in a road traffic accident, but received a settlement of £35,000 after the Review My Claim team reviewed her medical evidence.

Another client who was seriously injured in a car crash and had her claim ‘statute barred’ when her solicitor missed the three year limitation period, leaving her unable to claim compensation. The Review My Claim team issued proceedings against the negligent solicitors and the client was compensated in full.

“It beggars belief that they’re getting away with such abysmal service,” said Greenwood. “Many law firms and claims management companies are using unqualified and inexperienced claims handlers, who are incentivised to settle quickly. Genuine accident victims, who are suffering tremendous trauma, are being pressured into making quick decisions and accepting compensation which is nowhere near what they’re entitled to.”

Mark Dugdale