MP’s call on government to investigate service standards
The ongoing criticism of the way the miners’ compensation scheme was abused by solicitors looks likely to take another turn after comments made by a Labour MP recently. David Anderson, member for Blaydon, has called on ministers to look again at the contracts many of the mine workers signed with their lawyers at the start of their compensation claims.
Flaws in miner’s compensation claim contracts
Industry observers have pointed out many flaws in the miners’ compensation claim contracts which could in theory have allowed one solicitor to offer a much lower standard of service to his or her clients than another whilst receiving equal or better payment. In many cases there was more incentive for these solicitors to work through a high volume of smaller claims in a short space of time rather than working on a smaller number of cases for longer periods of time. Critics of this approach to miners’ compensation claims say it led to reduced service standards and lower levels of compensation for the miners.
10 years ago, the government launched the miners’ compensation scheme to compensate sufferers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (a lung disease caused by inhaling coal dust), and vibration white finger (a disease affecting the hands caused by vibrating mining tools). Using special contracts drawn up by miners’ solicitors and the Department of Trade and Industry, thousands of miners’ claims were handled without having to go to court. These agreements were meant to ensure that miners with similar injuries would receive equal payments regardless of which solicitor they used.
Big differences in the average amounts of compensation
However according to figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, which was responsible for administering the scheme, there were big differences in the average amounts of compensation recovered depending on which firms were used. Both schemes have now been closed to new claims, with around 590,000 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease claims and 170,000 vibration white finger claims having been lodged in England, Scotland and Wales. Earlier this year the total amount of compensation paid out in these schemes had reached a staggering £4 billion.
Whilst Camps Solicitors does not handle claims under the miners’ compensation scheme, we can help people injured in a variety of industrial accidents to on a No Win No Fee basis. This means that unlike some of the firms involved in the miners’ compensation claim, we will not make any deductions from any compensation you are awarded and you will receive 100% of your compensation.
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