company claiming they can speed up compensation claim

saving_pennies

Hello,

I am really not sure which section of the forum it is best to place this is, so if anything thinks it will be better in another section please advise.

Basically, I was in a RTA in 2009 which the other party have admited fault (and so I think the solictor costs are going to be claimed back from the other party). A solictor contacted me soon after, I assume through my own insurance company. I was sent for a medical, had physio and also seen additional specialists as my injury is ongoing. The solictor is currently awaiting reports from the specialists - even though I saw one of these a year ago the final report has not come through (a report was sent to me but there were errors and so its been sent back).

Anyways, in the last few months I have had random calls asking me if I want to claim for my injuries from the RTA. Initially this was nearly every other day, then I told them I felt pressured so they stopped for a while. Until today when it seems the same people are contacting me again. When I explain I have a solictor, I am told things such as: 'if a solictor is appointed by an insurance company, the insurance company will take a third of my compensation without telling me.' or 'if they take on my case they will get compensation in 12 weeks'. The lady that called this morning said I can phone my solictor but he will not admit to me that the insurance company will have a third of my compensation without telling me. A third of the compensation could be quite a bit of money and I don't want to loss money I am entitled too, but I am suspicious of how true this person's claim is.

Obviously my solictor has already done lots of work over the last 2 years. He is waiting for medical reports and I can't see how any other solictor will be able to get the reports quicker unless they 'hassle' the specialist.

Anyone had a similar situation, where a random caller knows I've had the RTA and tries to get me to go via one of their solictors. Do others think their claims are suscipious or can they really speed up the process and get me more compensation than I will get from the current solictor as currently the insurance apparently get a third of the money.

Any advice welcomed.

Quentin

They may not "know", but cold call in the hope of getting lucky over hitting on a crash victim like you.

All this scare talk of you not getting all your compensation may or may not be true, but if it's true, then you would have agreed it with your solicitor at the outset, and is unlikely!

Whatever, ignore people cold calling, and if you are unhappy with your solicitor, though it seems you're not, take it up with them first!

Crazy_Jamie

On the assumption that you are pursuing this claim via a Conditional Fee Agreement ('no win no fee'), which you probably are, the spiel about your insurance company taking a third of your compensation is just a straightforward lie. From what you've said in your opening post there doesn't appear to be any cause for concern, and indeed your solicitor seems to be going about things the right way. So ignore the cold callers; these are just spurious telephone calls that you should not be spending any time worrying about or paying attention to.

dggar

I quite often get calls like this. Ask them to tell you where the accident took place and what date the accident occurred.

InsideInsurance

Insurers will never take part of your compensation. The solicitors will naturally charge the third party (in reality their insurers) their costs and dispersements and that is how the solicitor makes its money. The insurer will either have block sold all cases in your area to the solicitor or will get a referral fee which is how they make their money from the arrangement but naturally the solicitor firm pays that out of their money not yours. Solicitors firms charge circa £100-£150/hr for fee earners who themselves can be earning as little as under £20,000 so there is a plenty big enough margin for the firms to pay the insurers a referral fee.

The easiest way to settle a claim quicker is to accept a lower settlement. Many of the big claims management firms are very production line in nature and can churn through simple cases quickly and at very low internal cost (not that they charge the TP any less) but aren't up for fighting or arguing as it doesn't suite their business model which tends to have a high cost up front element in terms of operating call centres for cold calling or buying week leads from car repair garages, breakdown companies etc.

saving_pennies

Thank you everyone for your replies.

It seems I should ignore this cold caller and any others. I can see how the cold callers do get business as they do tend to put the pressure on. I really hate how personal details are sold to companies.

I am happy with my solictor - I've never used a solictor before so have nothing to compare it too, but he is polite and is patient in explaining legal stuff to me in layman terms. True, he has been on the case for a long time, but then again I didn't recover as well as hoped and there has been an extremely long wait for specialist reports. I'd rather wait and have a solictor who 'fights' and gets the best he can for me than go with a production line company who sounds like they will refer to me as a number and not a person.

Thank you once again,