Claims Management Companies - what started the avalanche?

[phatmanace]

quick question - I seem to have been inundated with texts and phone calls recently by people that all think I've had a 'recent accident'

I was curious - was there a specific piece of legislation that made this more prevalent? - it really seems to have gained momentum in the last few years.

Believe I read somewhere that it was all to do with solicitors being allowed to advertise, which they previously weren't, I was curious if that was

a) correct
b) all there was to it.

-ace

[saaby93]

that and maybe people fed up with their insurers on a claim, looking for help elsewhere?

[furrywoolyhatuk]

I had an accident (not my fault), exactly a year later over the last month Iv been getting people ringing me on my mobile and landline at least two to three times a day, mostly different companies. I contacted my insurance company and and was told they don't give out the details, but suggested it was the insurance approved bodyshop that were too blame, rang them up, guess what, they deny everything.

Iv asked the companies ringing me up and all they say is they work closely with insurance companies! Too dam close if you ask me!

The thing is despite me suffering no injuries etc they keep trying to get me to claim for silly things like lack of sleep, loss of earnings etc, i told them not so politely where to go!

Seems to be a bit quiter lately......

[Seesure]

When "good ole Britain" became the 51st State of the "good ole USA" and decided that none of us were responsible for our own actions and the resulting outcomes..

Thereby allowing a pathetic "lawsuit" culture to develop that is now costing us all individually thanks to all the chancers making false claims and allowing other leaches to exist who only want to maximise their profits without consideration for the actual truth of the situtation.

ETA:

Even Pistonheads has these leaches advertising ... IMHO these type of companies encourage false claims... of course everyone involved in a accident has suffered from whiplash or has lost gazillions of ££££ss in lost earnings etc etc....

Edited by Seesure on Tuesday 22 January 07:52

[funkyrobot]

I'm pretty sure that the insurance companies themselves pass information on. I've had a few chats with the management companies who ring me and sometimes they let a little bit of information slip.

Apparently, there are a wealth of companies who pass the info on, including your insurers and any company who deals with them. I know for a fact that my last insurer forwarded my details on to companies as they were the only people who had a specific phone number of mine.

[Jimshorts]

I also heard that all kind of agencies sell data including iirc the Police. Also think it's just companies with a big list of numbers ringing up and asking about your 'recent accident'

[DonkeyApple]

Jimshorts said:

I also heard that all kind of agencies sell data including iirc the Police. Also think it's just companies with a big list of numbers ringing up and asking about your 'recent accident'

It is illegal to sell such information or pass it on.

Some firms such as comparison sites may have online agreements that permit them to sell your details to third parties but you have to be able to opt out. In fact, I believe the law is that you have to opt in.

The problem is that cold callers rely on the fact that most people either don't fully know their rights and if they do there is nothing they will or really can do about it.

In the case of the Police it will be individuals illegally selling personal information that they have taken from a victim for a share of any commission gained.

Outside of qualified lists from firms within the insurance industry most of those text messages are randomly generated numbers or legal lists from say SMS competition firms and the text sent is just to illicit a response. Any response is then rapidly sold on to the claims company.

The moment anyone responds to any of these contacts their details are permanently on a list which is sold left, right and centre.

Women receive far more of these contacts because they give out their phone number more willingly by either entering competitions or responding to the randomly generated text messages.

[dozydavenport]

I may get struck down for this but....
In my previous job I was working for a PPI claim call centre, we were constantly talking to old dears that hasn't had any credit agreements since their husband had their mortgage 50 years ago and he was now dead!
Hated that job and I want to apologise to many many people!

[LuS1fer]

Ever since they decided that whiplash couldn't be disproved and insurance companies started dishing out large amounts of cash by rote to avoid future legal action. Risk management and all that - bandwagon - jumped on.

Legal costs can be claimed and its less through these people than through the normal court channels.

[ralphrj]

phatmanace said:

I was curious - was there a specific piece of legislation that made this more prevalent? - it really seems to have gained momentum in the last few years.

I think that it was this piece of legislation that expanded the principal of "no win no fee" to most civil cases and created the boom in claims management companies.

[DonkeyApple]

ralphrj said:

phatmanace said:

I was curious - was there a specific piece of legislation that made this more prevalent? - it really seems to have gained momentum in the last few years.

I think that it was this piece of legislation that expanded the principal of "no win no fee" to most civil cases and created the boom in claims management companies.

Indeed. A lovely idea from ex lawyer TB that like many ideas has since been grossly abused beyond its original(public)intention.

[Denis O]

dozydavenport said:

I Hated that job and I want to apologise to many many people!

In that case, if you ever called me, I also apologise for telling you to feck off within 1 second of
me answering the phone.

[S0 What]

phatmanace said:

quick question - I seem to have been inundated with texts and phone calls recently by people that all think I've had a 'recent accident'

I was curious - was there a specific piece of legislation that made this more prevalent? - it really seems to have gained momentum in the last few years.

Believe I read somewhere that it was all to do with solicitors being allowed to advertise, which they previously weren't, I was curious if that was

a) correct
b) all there was to it.

-ace

Me too 2 in the last week, all from the same company, now blocked that number! but expect more to come from the sound of it

[pork911]

CMCs are old news (though insurers who rail against compo culture were up to their necks in driving the industry themselves)
- jackson reforms due in April will have a huge effect in the opposite direction on the personal injury industry but lots of consequences PHers may not like

[10 Pence Short]

There will be an awful lot of CMCs disappearing in the next 6 months. They are typically transient organisations that move from fad to fad, to something else will become the buzz word.

ABS's were being lined up as the way CMCs would continue to spring up, but the number granted to CMC type companies seems to be being kept on the back burner, fortunately.

[Terminator X]

Fantastic ad fail in this very thread



TX.