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As stated in my other posts, I have just suffered 5 years of hell due to a very unnecessary legal case.
Regrettably I was recommended a firm of solicitors in Plymouth known for ambulance chasing claims. They also claim they “sue solicitors”.
They were first engaged in a personal injury claim after a boiler with a known design fault leaked hundreds of litres of heating oil under my Mother’s property,
my home at the time (a cob farmhouse), causing my Mother to have heart failure from the vapours before the property was deemed uninhabitable by the Environment Agency. She was never able to return.
They started in a very aggressive fashion and to be blunt hindered any claim and upset the solicitor dealing with the claim under the house insurance.
Whilst dealing with the oil spill claim, I mentioned to the solicitor an issue with a former business partner who had offered a private mortgage and a loan, and was very angry that I was caring for my mother and the payment was overdue,
The solicitor basically dumped the no win no fee oil spill claim and charmed me into believing that I was in safe hands.
When the case reached Court, the opening question related to my relationship with my partner at the time.
There was a questionnaire that the claimant had sent asking if I had Co-habited with my partner since 2011.
I met her in 2012 and had only moved in with her after the loan in 2018 but the solicitor answered YES.
All my statements I sent to him confirmed my address at the time was my Mother’s house.
This had a huge effect on the case. We were deemed “life partners” and “liars” and even though the agreement was between the claimant and me alone, this facilitated the claimant putting a charge on my then partner too.
When I challenged him on submitting contradictory evidence, the solicitor explained that it was not his responsibility to know where I lived.
I then realised he had never taken any identification from my on instruction.
The solicitor informed me that is was not necessary for litigation of this nature.
The legal firm also held £40,000 of funds to pay the claimant, subject to accepting a settlement. The claimant settled in principle and after my solicitor made a call, the settlement was withdrawn and the case went to trial.
Only after the case I realised that the solicitor had agreed to transfer the funds on the day I instructed, held them until a claim form had been issued and subsequently sent a cheque by post instead the following week. I was given no credit during the trial for this payment whatsoever.
In a negligence claim against the solicitor, the Judge had no issue with these failings.
The legal ombudsman will not investigate as I have taken it back to Court.
Any ideas?
many thanks
Regrettably I was recommended a firm of solicitors in Plymouth known for ambulance chasing claims. They also claim they “sue solicitors”.
They were first engaged in a personal injury claim after a boiler with a known design fault leaked hundreds of litres of heating oil under my Mother’s property,
my home at the time (a cob farmhouse), causing my Mother to have heart failure from the vapours before the property was deemed uninhabitable by the Environment Agency. She was never able to return.
They started in a very aggressive fashion and to be blunt hindered any claim and upset the solicitor dealing with the claim under the house insurance.
Whilst dealing with the oil spill claim, I mentioned to the solicitor an issue with a former business partner who had offered a private mortgage and a loan, and was very angry that I was caring for my mother and the payment was overdue,
The solicitor basically dumped the no win no fee oil spill claim and charmed me into believing that I was in safe hands.
When the case reached Court, the opening question related to my relationship with my partner at the time.
There was a questionnaire that the claimant had sent asking if I had Co-habited with my partner since 2011.
I met her in 2012 and had only moved in with her after the loan in 2018 but the solicitor answered YES.
All my statements I sent to him confirmed my address at the time was my Mother’s house.
This had a huge effect on the case. We were deemed “life partners” and “liars” and even though the agreement was between the claimant and me alone, this facilitated the claimant putting a charge on my then partner too.
When I challenged him on submitting contradictory evidence, the solicitor explained that it was not his responsibility to know where I lived.
I then realised he had never taken any identification from my on instruction.
The solicitor informed me that is was not necessary for litigation of this nature.
The legal firm also held £40,000 of funds to pay the claimant, subject to accepting a settlement. The claimant settled in principle and after my solicitor made a call, the settlement was withdrawn and the case went to trial.
Only after the case I realised that the solicitor had agreed to transfer the funds on the day I instructed, held them until a claim form had been issued and subsequently sent a cheque by post instead the following week. I was given no credit during the trial for this payment whatsoever.
In a negligence claim against the solicitor, the Judge had no issue with these failings.
The legal ombudsman will not investigate as I have taken it back to Court.
Any ideas?
many thanks
