A Manchester-based specialist personal injury solicitor is outraged that insurance companies and claims management companies are charging solicitors firms up to £800 per referral for details of people who have been injured in motor accidents. These referral fees to insurance companies alone have now exceeded £370 million.
Naomi Wilson is founder of NW Law in Prestwich and has many years legal experience working for two legal 500 firms. She recently set up her own practice specialising in accident claims such as road traffic accidents, accidents at work and trips and slips.
According to Ms Wilson these referral fees are charged even when somebody has paid for a ‘legal expenses’ policy when taking out their car insurance. She commented: “Clients never see a penny of this money. What is even more shocking is that to make it viable to accept cases with lower fees, these claims are often passed to an inexperienced claims handler to deal with rather than a qualified solicitor.”
Many claimants are unaware that even if their legal expenses cover states that they must use a solicitor on their panel, they actually have the right to instruct the solicitor of their choice.
Ms Wilson added “This practice of insurance companies charging ridiculously high fees which have no benefit for the client really is adding insult to injury and I refuse to pay them. I believe clients should come first. I provide a ‘no win no fee’ service and have no financial arrangement with insurance companies. This means in road accident claims with a total value of up to £10,000, I can pass this saving to my clients. They receive an additional amount equal to 10% of their claim, which is taken from the costs I receive from the other party, so the client ends up with 110% of their injury award.”
By refusing to pay the insurance companies’ charges for referral leads, NW Law is the only legal practice in England that offers clients this 110% compensation scheme.
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Editor’s Notes
300dpi jpg image of Naomi Wilson available on request from mailto:press@lowcostpr.co.uk" press@lowcostpr.co.uk
To arrange an interview or for further information please contact Naomi Wilson, Telephone 0161 7739374, email Wilson@nwlaw.co.uk.
