Insurers seem increasingly keen to contact clients before they have the benefit of seeking independent legal advice from a solicitor. This may be in the insurer’s best interest but maybe not your own. I recently read an article written be a solicitor member of APIL that highlighted the dangers of communicating with insurers. After taking over conduct of a client’s claim who was involved in a road traffic accident , he was a little alarmed to find that the client was a passenger in a vehicle and was unfortunately injured.

The legal costs of the claim were covered by the insurance policy with Tesco (behind whom stands The Royal Bank of Scotland) the policy held by the driver (the clients defendant). Tesco offered the client £1,750 in settlement and said that she would not get any more from using a solicitor.

To cut the story short, Tesco was both funding the claim and would be paying out any compensation . Eventually the solicitor obtained very much appreciated rehabilitation for their client together with over four times the initial offer made by the insurers