No win no fee (accident ads)

Gary L · 10-01-2012, 15:03

These new craze of TV ads actually encourage people to claim for any kind of accident. pushing a wheel barrow dropping it and hurting your back.
is there a claim in that? was it anyones fault besides your own? who you going to sue? the makers of the wheel barrow, the maker of the bricks? the council for the condition of the road not being suitable to push a barrow load of bricks on?
what about the company you work for, for not giving you the proper training in how to push a barrow load of bricks?

The stupid Americans started this crap with compensation claims.

If a bus with 3 passengers has a bump in America, the bus would be full with compensation seeking Americans by the time the police turned up.

Pierre · 10-01-2012, 15:15

It's hardly new Gary, where have you been for, at least, the past 15 years?

MovedGoalPosts · 10-01-2012, 15:32

Unfortunately these type of ads have been running for years. The lesser daytime digital TV channels have almost wall to wall coverage

From the solitor firms involved it's clearly good business and shows there is money to be made in their fees. One does however wonder how much this has added to all our insurance premiums as I doubt these lawyers come cheap. The encouragement to claim and make mountains out of molehills (nothing wrong in people claiming when there has been a serious injury but I suspect many claims are little more than for "loss of dignity"), promotes our ambulance chasing compensation culture and adds to the beurocracy of health and safety risk assessments that seems to add to red tape.

10-01-2012, 16:36

I cannot stand them or the people that use them to be honest i have fallen many times and sometimes it was because of bad paths\kerbs whatever but i look around to see if anyone saw me fall flat on my backside and try to get up as fast as possible to avoid being seen lol. Never once in my life has something bad happened to me and i thought "i will phone some legal malarky" to sort it out. They for me are a symptom of a society that is always looking for someone or something else to blame but yourself part of the whole you don't have to be responsible for your actions culture that i see all too often.

Now i do believe that people involved in serious accidents where negligence was to blame should of course have a legal recourse and compensation. But on the level many of these firms work at i think it should be outlawed and people should toughen up a bit and take some personal responsibility. They cost us all a fortune not just in insurance premiums but in coucil tax as well as so many idiots claim when they stub their toe and fall over.

Stephen · 10-01-2012, 17:45

Gary they aren't new. They have been around for years.

Very annoying they are though.

devilincarnate · 10-01-2012, 17:55

I like to see people in pain as it serves them right for not paying attention

10-01-2012, 18:07

Payment Protection Insurance adverts are getting on my wick at the moment. Every medium is full of joe bloggs and his uncle dot com wanting to get your money back, but surely people realise there wouldn't be hundreds of different companies if they weren't in it for something?

Scam artists.

10-01-2012, 18:17

I think i get where Gary is coming from i have noticed them more lately then i did before no idea why but i have and they annoy the hell out of me.

joglynne · 10-01-2012, 19:25

On a kind of related note, I am getting totally cheesed off with phone calls from 'Accident Compensation' firms. We had the misfortune to be involved in a car accident in a car park 2 years ago and the minute the case was booked into the court system by our solicitors we started to be plagued by cold callers wanting to represent us. The fact that the case was closed down and settled by the other drivers insurers has not lessened the number of calls we get.

Russ · 10-01-2012, 19:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by joglynne

On a kind of related note, I am getting totally cheesed off with phone calls from 'Accident Compensation' firms. We had the misfortune to be involved in a car accident in a car park 2 years ago and the minute the case was booked into the court system by our solicitors we started to be plagued by cold callers wanting to represent us. The fact that the case was closed down and settled by the other drivers insurers has not lessened the number of calls we get.

A bit long winded but you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results if you like to annoy companies like theirs as much as I do.

Get a recording of yourself saying ".....ok, go ahead...........yeah........yep........ok......... .sounds good.........ok I'm sorry I think I've misunderstood, can you please explain it again to me........right......ok......yeah.......yes....... sorry, what was the name of the company again?............ok.......right........." etc etc on a loop.

Get it on tape or CD so you can play it back on a device with a decent-sized speaker and keep it near your phone.

When you get a call from one of those (or any) companies, say "Hang on while I pick up my other phone" which will buy you time and cover you for any noises the playback device makes such as clicks etc when you switch it on.

Put the phone near the speaker and carry on with your day blissfully in the knowledge that whoever they are will be chatting away to your recording .

I found my mother's old journalist tape recorder a few months ago and I put it to good use in that very way. Works a treat and you're doing your bit for society

devilincarnate · 10-01-2012, 19:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by joglynne

On a kind of related note, I am getting totally cheesed off with phone calls from 'Accident Compensation' firms. We had the misfortune to be involved in a car accident in a car park 2 years ago and the minute the case was booked into the court system by our solicitors we started to be plagued by cold callers wanting to represent us. The fact that the case was closed down and settled by the other drivers insurers has not lessened the number of calls we get.

I'am getting calls and texts like this but I have never had a accident.

Tim Deegan · 10-01-2012, 19:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by joglynne

On a kind of related note, I am getting totally cheesed off with phone calls from 'Accident Compensation' firms. We had the misfortune to be involved in a car accident in a car park 2 years ago and the minute the case was booked into the court system by our solicitors we started to be plagued by cold callers wanting to represent us. The fact that the case was closed down and settled by the other drivers insurers has not lessened the number of calls we get.

That's because both insurance companies actually get a referral fee for passing on your details to these companies. Then there are also the ones who just call you with an automated dialer, in the random chance that you might have had an accident in the last couple of years. Also most of us have probably received the text messages.

My driver was hit from behind by another van (belonging to the competition, but that's another story). Anyway, within 5 minutes of me calling the insurance company I received a call from one of these companies.

devilincarnate · 10-01-2012, 19:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Deegan

My driver was hit from behind by another van (belonging to the competition, but that's another story). Anyway, within 5 minutes of me calling the insurance company I received a call from one of these companies.

I wish I could afford to be driven

Tim Deegan · 10-01-2012, 19:54

I'm actually on an IOSH course this week (Health & Safety). The whole of yesterday was covering the legal side. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is for an employer to win. Which is probably why there are so many 'no win no fee' companies about.

---------- Post added at 18:54 ---------- Previous post was at 18:53 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by devilincarnate

I wish I could afford to be driven

I wish I was driven about.....but not in the back of a van though

joglynne · 10-01-2012, 19:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ

A bit long winded but you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results if you like to annoy companies like theirs as much as I do.

Get a recording of yourself saying ".....ok, go ahead...........yeah........yep........ok......... .sounds good.........ok I'm sorry I think I've misunderstood, can you please explain it again to me........right......ok......yeah.......yes....... sorry, what was the name of the company again?............ok.......right........." etc etc on a loop.

Get it on tape or CD so you can play it back on a device with a decent-sized speaker and keep it near your phone.

When you get a call from one of those (or any) companies, say "Hang on while I pick up my other phone" which will buy you time and cover you for any noises the playback device makes such as clicks etc when you switch it on.

Put the phone near the speaker and carry on with your day blissfully in the knowledge that whoever they are will be chatting away to your recording .

I found my mother's old journalist tape recorder a few months ago and I put it to good use in that very way. Works a treat and you're doing your bit for society

Nice one Russ. If I am feeling evil I just put John on the phone and as he is deaf he just keeps asking them to speak up and repeat things over and over and over again. They normally hang up in frustration.

Quote:

Originally Posted by devilincarnate

I'am getting calls and texts like this but I have never had a accident.

I feel for you, they are so irritating.