Will most personal injury solicitors take 25%?

jcpeden · Derestricted Danger Joined: 30 Mar 2016 Karma :

Without going into detail, a minor RTA today that wasn't my fault. I've got some knocks and scrapes but the bike is totally fucked.

Annoyingly, I don't have legal cover on my policy (TPFT) so my only option is to wrap up the damage to my bike as a personal injury claim.

Just spoke with Thorneycroft (the insurance company's recommendation) who will take 25% in the result I'm successful in claiming from the other party's insurance.

Is that par for the course?

andyscooter · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 May 2009 Karma :

Yes most do now
Also you have to normally proove your injury's
A few cuts and scrapes will probably be about 200 quid
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jcpeden · Derestricted Danger Joined: 30 Mar 2016 Karma :

OK, thanks for the heads up. I have an existing relationship with a solicitor who wrote a will for me. I'll try him first and see where that leaves me.

c-m · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 May 2006 Karma :

Or hire a proper solicitor instead of the insurance company's ambulance chasers. The size of the damages should have no influence on their fee/hourly rate.

lihp · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Sep 2010 Karma :

Hold on.

Wrap up bike damage as personal injury? Why? If it wasn't your fault, and liability has been admitted, their insurance will cover the damage to the bike, to repair or replace.

The personal injury is a separate claim to proceed with, and you can choose plenty of no-win-no-fee options out there.
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jcpeden · Derestricted Danger Joined: 30 Mar 2016 Karma :

This is what baffled me...

I have no real interest in pursuing a personal injury claim. It's a sprained ankle and some knocks that I can cope with.

However, the bike needs to be repaired (probably written off IMO) and the gear (6 weeks old) is pretty fucked. Added to that, I lost a few hundred quid for not being on-site today. All told, that's about £2K that I'd like to claim for - from the other party's insurance.

I'm insured with Devitt, who use a company called ULR (something generic) to process their claims. They then passed me to someone else who took my details and passed me over to the ambulance chasers because my policy "doesn't include legal cover".

I thought the process of making the claim would be straightforward as it would just be one insurance company claiming from another on my behalf.

Yorkshire Geek · Scooby Slapper Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Karma :

You're claiming against his insurance company not yours, if they admitted fault you may not even need a solicitor. Contact them, see what they have to say.

jcpeden · Derestricted Danger Joined: 30 Mar 2016 Karma :

Excellent, I'll give that a try. Thanks for the advice.

jcpeden · Derestricted Danger Joined: 30 Mar 2016 Karma :

Just sent him my own details and requested his. I naïvely thought the insurance company would be a bit more helpful than selling the referral to an ambulance chaser but hey-ho.

I'll get his address and send him the total cost of what I'd like to claim for. He can submit it to his insurance company and we can go from there.

M.C · Super Spammer Joined: 29 Sep 2015 Karma :

Legal cover doesn't have anything to do with whether you can claim. My understanding's it only really comes into play if you go to court.

TBH if the recommend company want 25% tell them to do one, especially if it's non-fault. Some insurers have agreements with solicitors so you don't lose a percentage (in return for referring you on), other people on here have managed to negotiate the 25% down to a much lower figure.

jcpeden · Derestricted Danger Joined: 30 Mar 2016 Karma :

Again, thanks for the advice everyone. I'll start with my own solicitor and just informing this guy about what I plan to do next.

Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

Don't bother speaking with the solicitor who wrote your will.

Find a firm of solicitors (not a claims management company) that do road traffic accidents who'll sort the claim for your bike, your kit and your loss of earnings.

www.legal500.com is as good a place as any to start looking.

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Pie-Roe · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Karma :

Thorneycroft were the other parties solicitor in my crash three years ago. They were useless to deal with, kept making clerical errors and missing dates of serving information. Of course this could be the claimant, but I would never use them.

Incidently fletchers/duke law are the ones MCE use and you don't get charged 25% iirc, but they are dire. My solicitor had to take over the defence of my position due to their inadequate handling of deadlines for the court.
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andyscooter · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 May 2009 Karma :

don't contact the person once you get details contact his insurance directly to claim for the bike and gear

then find a no win no fee company for the injuries

besides details I never had to speak to the person who I had an accident with

even that isn't really right I gave details to police who passed them on and vice verser as I was lay in the road
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

Pie-Roe · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Karma :

There are no no win-no fee claim from the other side solicitors for personal injury anymore, hence this thread. Rolling Eyes

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Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

jcpeden · Derestricted Danger Joined: 30 Mar 2016 Karma :

jcpeden · Derestricted Danger Joined: 30 Mar 2016 Karma :

Minty · World Chat Champion Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Karma :

Get everything documented by your GP. I had what was initially a sprained ankle that turned out to be ligament damage to somethingflexor and trisomethingus tendons or some such that was giving me grief for 7 months.
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jcpeden · Derestricted Danger Joined: 30 Mar 2016 Karma :

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

jcpeden · Derestricted Danger Joined: 30 Mar 2016 Karma :

M.C · Super Spammer Joined: 29 Sep 2015 Karma :

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

You should be fine if they're just recovering your direct and consequential costs. It's personal injury compo claims that attract a tithe out of your winnings.

More fool the other party's insurers, they could have sorted you out for less.

I hope it goes well.
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