Help regarding insurance company solicitor

DanielJC

Hi there,

I'm wondering if anybody can help clear a few things up for me regarding a personal injury claim due to a car crash. It was the third party's fault.

I contacted the broker of the policy in which I'm a named driver to make them aware that I had a personal injury. Initially it wasn't with the intention to claim but just to make sure I'd covered all bases if the injury didn't clear up and I felt a claim was appropriate further down the line.

The broker then said that their solicitor was going to give me a call. When I received the call it was a no win no fee company who started asking me questions about proceeding with a claim and sending me forms to sign etc. I was a but dubious about it but the insurer confirmed that it was in fact their solicitor.

I feel really uncomfortable doing a claim through a no win no fee company that keep bombarding me with emails to sign and sending me letters in the post on how to speak to my doctor when i visit for a medical examination.

The company is charging £164.00 for a pre-settlement insurance policy that means I don't have to pay for their services if the claim fails through no fault of my own (which they say I won't have to pay if the car insurance policy has Legal Cover but if it doesn't they'll just deduct it from the final compensation.) They are also deducting 25% of the compensation which I know is the norm with such companies.

My question is... If the insurance policy has Legal Cover then shouldn't they pay a non, no win no fee solicitor to handle the case and I receive 100% compensation?

Something just doesn't feel right about it and I'd love some feedback/advice.

Quentin

Have you contacted the policy Legal Cover department to ask them about representing you?


From what you say the Broker may have just passed you on to his "associate" no win no fee firm rather than the insurers legal cover dept

DanielJC

Thank you for the response Quentin. Do I need to go through the broker to find out this information (Legal Cover Dpt. contact details) or should it be on the policy documents?

Does the broker have a legal obligation to put me through to the Legal Cover Department?

I'm only a named driver and it's my partner's father's policy. The broker is a family friend on their side so it's a sensitive subject.

Quentin

If you were put through to the brokers "associate" instead of being advised to use the "legal cover" then the broker has tried to take advantage of the family friendship (as no doubt there will be some advantage to him passing on hot leads to a NWNF operation)!


How to contact the Legal Cover will be set out in the policy docs.


(Your broker hasn't broken the law by failing to connect you to the Legal Cover dept)

DanielJC

Thank you Quentin. Excellent information and you've cleared up all my questions.

Kind regards
Danny