Crack Down on Rogue Text ads but Leave No Win No Fee Alone - say Lawyers

BIRMINGHAM, England, October 13, 2011 -

Personal Injury specialists at DBS law are warning the public that the Government’s Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, which gets its third reading today, will seriously reduce their access to justice while doing nothing to cut the hated unsolicited marketing methods of claims companies. The millions of unwanted texts, emails and automated phone calls sent out every day will not be dealt with by the bill and lawyers believe it is likely to make things worse.

DBS Law believes that the government is hiding behind a false perception of a “compensation culture” to force through changes to No Win No Fee legal funding arrangements that will harm the innocent victims of the negligence of big companies.
The perception that claims for personal injury are out of control are fuelled by unwanted text messages, that plague millions of people every week, advising them that may be entitled to cash for an accident.

These marketing methods are already illegal and are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Ministry of Justice.
Last year the MoJ closed down 300 claims companies for rouge marketing methods.

The changes to No Win No Fee arrangements planned by the government are expected to cut the number of legitimate claims for compensation by 25%.
They will make it much harder to take a case in the first place and claimants will have to pay legal fees out of their compensation.
DBS Law believes that for most people seeking legal redress for harm caused to them by someone else, the risks will in future outweigh the benefits of making a claim.

DBS Law Managing Director Rob Bhol urges the government to get even tougher with rouge marketing but leave the No Win No Fee arrangements unaltered. “It’s clear that the marketing we are all deluged with from claims companies is annoying and it gives a false impression that claimants are on the take.
The compensation culture is a myth that the government are hiding behind to restrict access to justice for all but the very rich.

“The changes will benefit the insurance industry and big organisations but they’ll hurt ordinary people who’ve been hurt. Ironically the sharp marketing practices are likely to increase after the bill becomes law as competition for work intensifies. The Government needs to get even tougher on rouge marketing but leave No Win No Fee alone.”

Note to editors: DBS Law are personal injury specialists. Case studies of successful claims that may not have been taken under the proposed changes are available on request.

You can hear Rob Bhol discussing the proposed changes to No Win No Fee arrangements and rogue marketing on Radio Leeds at dbslaw.co.uk/index.php/about_us-1/dbs_law_access_to_justice_campaign/radio_coverage_for_access_to_justice_campaign

For further information call Richard O’Brien +44(0)7969-274-298