beware legal expenses insurance
Discussion
Beware being passed to your insurance companies preferred solicitors when you want to claim compensation following a road traffic accident.
From my experience your claim will often be dealt with by individuals with little or no qualifications who simply try to get rid of your claim as quickly and as cheaply as possible.
Most specialist solicitors now offer 'No Win No Fee' agreements and therefore the chances of you being asked for large amounts of money for legal costs are remote.
If you choose a specialist you will get a better service and greater expertise. And probably more compensation as well.
I have been told that the insurers 'tame' solicitors actually pay the insurance company for each file they take on!
If the case is a difficult one, and even if the person making the claim has a reasonable claim, the insurers often tell the solicitors that they cannot do any more work under the policy so forcing the person making the claim to either accept an inadequate settlement or no compensation at all.
Insurers often refuse to let specialist solicitors deal with claims under the legal expenses policy in an attempt to ensure that their preferred solicitors deal with the case. In this way they attempt to control all claims. Probably not your best option.
From my experience your claim will often be dealt with by individuals with little or no qualifications who simply try to get rid of your claim as quickly and as cheaply as possible.
Most specialist solicitors now offer 'No Win No Fee' agreements and therefore the chances of you being asked for large amounts of money for legal costs are remote.
If you choose a specialist you will get a better service and greater expertise. And probably more compensation as well.
I have been told that the insurers 'tame' solicitors actually pay the insurance company for each file they take on!
If the case is a difficult one, and even if the person making the claim has a reasonable claim, the insurers often tell the solicitors that they cannot do any more work under the policy so forcing the person making the claim to either accept an inadequate settlement or no compensation at all.
Insurers often refuse to let specialist solicitors deal with claims under the legal expenses policy in an attempt to ensure that their preferred solicitors deal with the case. In this way they attempt to control all claims. Probably not your best option.
Indeed, I have experience of these after a Bus driver, for a large national Bus company who shall remain nameless (but let's call them '
', shall we) decided, in stationary traffic with nowhere to go, that I was in "his way" so he pushed my out of the way as he turned.
Clear cut their fault with witnesses etc but the Bus company were particularly difficult and objected to everything and did their best not to pay for the damage and my uninsured losses - I thought that the appointed solicitors would help but I was forever prompting them to take action and eventually when I had got most of the losses back, the Solicitors effectively washed their hands of the situation as they said that the outstanding amount wasn't worth chasing, it was too small to be worth taking to court etc.
Coincidentally a couple of months later my wife was involved in a no fault accident and the same firm of solicitors got all the money back within a couple of weeks but that was because the woman who hit my wife's car admitted fault and her insurance simply paid up.
So it seems that they get your money back if it's easy and the other ins co play ball but not if it's more difficult - something you could do quite easily for yourself, which begs the question; What do they actually do?
>> Edited by catso on Tuesday 24th January 15:57
>> Edited by DennisTheMenace on Friday 10th February 16:59
', shall we) decided, in stationary traffic with nowhere to go, that I was in "his way" so he pushed my out of the way as he turned. Clear cut their fault with witnesses etc but the Bus company were particularly difficult and objected to everything and did their best not to pay for the damage and my uninsured losses - I thought that the appointed solicitors would help but I was forever prompting them to take action and eventually when I had got most of the losses back, the Solicitors effectively washed their hands of the situation as they said that the outstanding amount wasn't worth chasing, it was too small to be worth taking to court etc.
Coincidentally a couple of months later my wife was involved in a no fault accident and the same firm of solicitors got all the money back within a couple of weeks but that was because the woman who hit my wife's car admitted fault and her insurance simply paid up.
So it seems that they get your money back if it's easy and the other ins co play ball but not if it's more difficult - something you could do quite easily for yourself, which begs the question; What do they actually do?
>> Edited by catso on Tuesday 24th January 15:57
>> Edited by DennisTheMenace on Friday 10th February 16:59
catso said:Make money out of being middlemen!
which begs the question; What do they actually do?
It's been the biggest growth industry recently - find a market which is working well, offer to get involved as a 'professional' firm. Get yourself a contract with a big company with lots of vulnerable customers, do a bad job. Watch the money come in.
They are not all as bad as that but you are right to be cautious. I am an insurance broker and we have on average 400 open motor claims on the books at any one time. We use a legal expenses company which does not work the way it seems these examples have. I have heard of some cases that are exactly as you say though- basically picking and choosing the "easy" money making cases, especially where there is personal injuries - which are the real money maker for the ambulance chasers! We have had only once to change our LE supplier because they too went down this route. It is something we are aware of and keep an eye on. But not all are bad.
One other thing - sometimes it is the legal system that lets the innocent party down not the legal beagle who can't be bothered. Bat that is not a surprise to anyone hey!
One other thing - sometimes it is the legal system that lets the innocent party down not the legal beagle who can't be bothered. Bat that is not a surprise to anyone hey!
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