Personal Injury what to do next

[mumisskint]

Hi.

I had a car accident in May. I broke my teeth, my ribs, my back, have bruising to the optic nerve, tinnitus and knee damage. Other driver admitted full liability. Has left me a bit stuffed - can't work, can't do much with the children, dependent more and more on my OH.

My insurers put me in contact with Cogent Law who were pretty useless. They shipped me off to see a doctor who said I needed an urgent MRI and referral to an orthopaedic surgeon as he was worried about the extent of the damage to my spine.

The lawyers then go into administration. No one knows where my file is or how I get it. It seems another lawyer I contacted won't take it on without the file.

Does anyone have any recommendations on legal firms who treat you like a human being and actually know what they are doing rather than just another number in a huge long list they have to contend with on a daily basis.

I am feeling increasingly stuffed by the whole situation.

Many thanks

[Amethyst]

Re: Personal Injury what to do next

I think Cogent went to Parabis Law. Have you spoken with them at all ? Or the administrators ?


Appointment of Administrators

In the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division

Companies CourtNo 9053 of 2015
PARABIS LAW LLP

(Company Number OC315763)

Trading Name: Plexus Law, Greenwoods, Cogent Law and SAGA Law

Nature of Business: Legal support and claims management to insurance and travel sector

Registered office: Renaissance, 12 Dingall Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 2NA

Principal trading address: Various Offices Nationwide

Date of Appointment: 23 November 2015

P M Saville (IP No 9029), of AlixPartners, 10 Fleet Place, London, EC4M 7RB and B J Browne (IP No 14190), of AlixPartners, 107 West Regent Street, Glasgow, G2 2BA and A C O'Keefe (IP No 8375), of AlixPartners, The Zenith Building, 26 Spring Gardens, Manchester, M2 1AB Further details contact: Email: parabis-inadministration@alixpartners.com, Tel: 0161 838 4593

[Amethyst]

Re: Personal Injury what to do next

SRA might be worth a call too

The firm of solicitors that I used is now closed. How can I get my files?

For help finding your files, please contact us.

Please provide as much information as possible to help us complete a search, including the name and address of the firm of solicitors you used, the name of any solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm. (Even an approximate year will help us with the search.)

Phone

0370 606 2555

[Openlaw15]

Re: Personal Injury what to do next

Hi.

I had a car accident in May. I broke my teeth, my ribs, my back, have bruising to the optic nerve, tinnitus and knee damage. Other driver admitted full liability. Has left me a bit stuffed - can't work, can't do much with the children, dependent more and more on my OH.

My insurers put me in contact with Cogent Law who were pretty useless. They shipped me off to see a doctor who said I needed an urgent MRI and referral to an orthopaedic surgeon as he was worried about the extent of the damage to my spine.

The lawyers then go into administration. No one knows where my file is or how I get it. It seems another lawyer I contacted won't take it on without the file.

Does anyone have any recommendations on legal firms who treat you like a human being and actually know what they are doing rather than just another number in a huge long list they have to contend with on a daily basis.

I am feeling increasingly stuffed by the whole situation.

Many thanks

Hello there

Sorry to hear of your injuries, sound so painful and thankfully you were not killed in that road traffic accident (RTA). When a company gets into so much debt that they can no longer pay the debt they go bankrupt, and later come back under a different name. It's likely the business kept the files as they have to under the Data Protection Act 1998, I think for at least 6 years. So, this new named company will still have access to your records. You tell them you would like access to your personal injury (PI) files or you'll make a Subject Request Access request: s.7, DPA 1998. I don't think the Administration will have the personal injury files as they're interested in the company's money to pay the creditors (people who they owe money). If they did the files would have been returned after going through their finances.

Besides, your PI claim is safe for at least 3 years from the date of claim, and longer in some situations. If you wish to, you could tell us the actual job (or former) and salary that you normally get paid to do, as a claim (if you didn't know already) for loss of earning is likely too until you're able to work, minus any DWP benefit payments. There may be other compensation claims (damage heads) such as pain and suffering during the accident, on the way to hospital and in there, in addition to the costs for any private treatment if you had any at hospital. If you have a carer at home and had to pay for this, is an added claim. If you can no longer do your hobbies including enjoying your children these are potential claims too. Hope this helps.

[mumisskint]

Re: Personal Injury what to do next

Hi Amethyst,

Thank you for coming back to me.

Parabis are the ones who owned Cogent and Parabis are in administration. Ive tried the administrators. They said Carpenters Law have taken over but there is just no response from them. Ive written, phoned and emailed and they haven't responded. I'll try the number below. Cogent were very disorganised so I don't even have a ref number as everything came without one. Is there any mileage in going to another firm and starting over without declaring I'd been to Cogent previously?
Thanks

[Openlaw15]

Re: Personal Injury what to do next

Hi Amethyst,

Thank you for coming back to me.

Parabis are the ones who owned Cogent and Parabis are in administration. Ive tried the administrators. They said Carpenters Law have taken over but there is just no response from them. Ive written, phoned and emailed and they haven't responded. I'll try the number below. Cogent were very disorganised so I don't even have a ref number as everything came without one. Is there any mileage in going to another firm and starting over without declaring I'd been to Cogent previously?
Thanks

Didn't you have your own copies of the personal injury files? Your insurers should be organising this by the way, you should not have to do it. It's what you pay for, ie 'legal cover' on your car insurance. Why are they not doing this? You are a seriously injured person and it is ridiculous that you're doing the donkey work, as it were. Or is your partner doing all these enquiries for you. If you do anything to further your injuries, by over-straining etc it could be a problem legally. Please rest and let someone else do this investigatory stuff.

[Amethyst]

Re: Personal Injury what to do next

Cogent were very disorganised so I don't even have a ref number as everything came without one

And that's why they went under....

Carpenters - these ones http://www.carpenters-law.co.uk/ ?

[des8]

Re: Personal Injury what to do next

Who are your motor insurers?
What cover did you have: Third party fire and theft. or full comprehensive.?
Does it include Legal Expenses cover?
If so who are the insurers of that part?

[mumisskint]

Re: Personal Injury what to do next

Yes, those ones.

- - - Updated - - -

RSA
Fully Comp
Yes
Off the top of my head I don't know.

[des8]

Re: Personal Injury what to do next

Ok
I think RSA do their own Legal cover so go back to them and tell them about the problems, and tell them you want a different firm of solicitors appointed to deal with your claim.

If you have fully Comp with RSA, I think you have £5,000 PI with them.
Have you made a claim on that section of the policy as well.?

[Openlaw15]

Re: Personal Injury what to do next

Yes, those ones.

- - - Updated - - -

RSA
Fully Comp
Yes
Off the top of my head I don't know.

https://www.echoice.com/legalcover

I asked RSAechoice relevant questions, I spoke to an online rep called Trupti. Legal expenses cover (below) is not automatic, it's optional? Do you normally get legal cover if you have to pay about £25 per year extra?

"Trupti: Legal Assistance Plan Included Up to £100,000 for Legal Expenses;Trupti:
Legal Assistance Plan Includes* Up to £100,000 for Legal Expenses;
Trupti:
RSA is the underwriters for MORETHAN;
Trupti: Its one of the chargeable optional extra, you have to add it on the comprehensive cover;
Trupti: Once you add it, we will cover you for legal cover with £100,000 for Legal Expenses



















if this is the right one there is 100,000 for legal expenses.