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Accident and injury claims companies must be regulated, warns Scots solicitor
July 9, 2004 -- UNREGULATED claims farmers who canvas people in the street for personal injury claims must face regulation, a leading lawyers group has warned.
Responding to a Government review about the regulation of the legal services industry, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) said it is time that claims management companies are subjected to the same rules and regulations as qualified personal injury lawyers.
And Scottish solicitor Angus Logan, an accident and injury claims specialist, has enthusiastically backed the call.
"People do not realise that there is a world of difference between a claims farmer and a qualified solicitor," said APIL president Colin Ettinger. "We are as concerned as everyone else about those who approach people in the street or on their doorsteps, touting for business – they are not lawyers, they have no legal training and what's more, there is absolutely no need for an injured person to go through one of these claims farmers to process a claim."
APIL has long called for proper regulation of the companies that handle these claims, and is hoping the Government will now take action.
APIL member Angus Logan, who is director of the dedicated Accident & Injury Claims Centre at Frazer Coogans Solicitors of Ayr in Scotland, commented: "A qualified and experienced solicitor can give early and realistic advice about the validity of any claim and the prospects of a successful outcome. Spurious claims can therefore be nipped in the bud before they can waste time and money and clog up the legal system. There are a few reputable claims companies. But it is in the selfish interest of the claims farmers on the other hand to encourage every claim, however trivial and vexatious they may be."
APIL president Colin Ettinger continued: "It is crucial that the activities of these companies are monitored so that injured people are protected from any unscrupulous operators. The most important thing is that people know where to find proper, qualified advice should they need it. Claims farmers are not qualified to advise on the validity of a claim, and processing a claim in this way may well generate extra, unnecessary costs for the injured person.
"It is high time this industry was brought under control," he said.
APIL has launched a Consumer Charter which acts as an extra guarantee to injured people that their claim will be handled professionally and sympathetically. All APIL members are being asked to pledge their support to the Consumer Charter, and to give a copy to each client. The Charter highlights the differences between a qualified solicitor and a claims farmer.
Issued on behalf of Frazer Coogans Solicitors of Ayr, Scotland by Fame Publicity Services. Contact Murdoch MacDonald +44 (0)1292 281498.
Frazer Coogans Solicitors
Dalblair House
46 Dalblair Road
AYR, Ayrshire
Scotland
KA7 1UQ
Tel: +44 (0)1292 280499
Fax: +44 (0)1292 611645
E-mail: law@frazercoogans.co.uk
Web: www.frazercoogans.co.uk
Fame Publicity Services
Telephone: +44 (0)1292 281498
E-mail: FamePublicity@aol.com
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Links:
www.emediawire.com/releases/2004/6/prweb130845.htm
www.pressbox.co.uk/Detailed/14986.html
http://www.famepublicity.co.uk/productssimple.html
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cache:TCm0YLrbGcYJ:www.pr-scotland.com/releases/040526-09.htm+accident+injury+claims+Ayr&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
http://www.pr-scotland.com/releases/040108-02.htm
www.prweb.com/releases/2004/6/prwebxml132685.php
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