Miners’ compensation: why did some solicitors take too big a slice of the pie? – The Guardian

“Despite delivering £4bn for sick miners and their families, exploitation by some solicitors cast a shadow over the profession.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Clampdown on claims marketing – Ministry of Justice

“Firms that offer cash incentives to attract people to make compensation claims through them – including for personal injuries – will be stopped under new proposals.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 6th January 2011

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Incentives to sue to be banned as UK tackles compensation culture – OUT-LAW.com

“Claims management companies will be prevented from offering clients cash incentives to bring damages claims if a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) proposal to tighten up the rules comes into effect.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 6th January 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Miners’ compensation claims website under investigation by MoJ – Law Society’s Gazette

“A no win, no fee website set up to farm former coal miners’ undersettlement claims is being investigated by the government claims regulator, the Gazette has learned.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 11th November 2010

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Miners’ solicitors to face court action – Law Society’s Gazette

“Solicitors who handled sick coal miners’ government compensation claims are set to appear before courts across the country, as the first known court actions for alleged undersettlement of such claims begin to emerge.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 4th March 2010

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Solicitors who took millions from miners lose appeal – BBC news

“Solicitors who took millions of pounds from compensation payouts given to sick miners have lost their appeal against being struck off for misconduct.”

Full story

BBC New, 2nd December 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Claims management regulation fees determination – Ministry of Justice

“A consultation aimed at people authorised to provide regulated claims management services in England and Wales under the Compensation Act 2006.”

Full consultation

Ministry of Justice, 3rd November 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Sick miners ‘are owed millions’ – BBC News

“About 150,000 sick miners and their families are still owed £100m by solicitors who wrongly charged them for compensation claims, an MP says.”

Full story

BBC News, 13th September 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

100 claims companies cancelled as crackdown continues on firms who mislead the public – Ministry of Justice

“Misleading claims that debt can be written off as unenforceable, high pressure selling and cold calling in person will not be tolerated – tough message from Ministry of Justice Claims Management Regulator as 100th company cancelled.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 9th August 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

News focus: miners’ compensation – Law Society’s Gazette

“The work that solicitors have done under the mineworkers’ compensation scheme has attracted the attention of press, parliament and the public ever since details of wrongdoing began to emerge earlier this decade. But the debate has focused on two controversies: the millions of pounds that solicitors have earned, and the deductions that some solicitors made from miners’ compensation.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 30th July 2009

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Struck off: lawyer who made £13m from sick miners – The Times

“A former television presenter who became one of Britain’s highest-earning solicitors has been struck off for ‘disgraceful’ misconduct in his handling of sick miners’ compensation claims.”

Full story

The Times, 1st May 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Six lawyers at Raleys guilty of misconduct over £7m miners’ awards – The Times

“Three solicitors whose deal with Arthur Scargill led their firm to slice £7.7 million from compensation awards to sick coalminers were suspended yesterday for professional misconduct.”

Full story

The Times, 18th February 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Miners’ solicitors breached code – BBC News

“Solicitors in South Yorkshire deliberately breached a code of conduct to collect £32m in fees from miners’ compensation claims, a tribunal ruled.”

Full story

BBC News, 17th February 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government ‘repeating mistakes’ by fighting miners in court – The Guardian

“The government is spending millions of pounds in legal fees fighting the claims of sick miners in a move that lawyers say will recreate the mistakes of the past.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th January 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

More solicitors to face tribunal over coalminers’ scandal – The Times

“Solicitors across Britain are bracing themselves for further sanctions over the coalminers’ compensation scandal that led to two lawyers being struck off for dishonesty.”

Full story

The Times, 13th December 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Shamed solicitor Jim Beresford plans legal services ‘supermarket’ – The Times

“Jim Beresford aims to bounce back from yesterday’s public humiliation with a multimillion-pound marketing campaign to set up Britain’s first ‘legal services supermarket’.”

Full story

The Times, 12th December 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Struck off: lawyers who milked sick miners for millions – The Independent

“A solicitor who became Britain’s richest lawyer was yesterday struck off after being found guilty of creaming millions of pounds from compensation paid to sick miners. Jim Beresford, 58, and his partner Douglas Smith, 52, were also ordered to pay substantial costs for serious professional misconduct over the handling of personal injury claims made under a compensation scheme for miners suffering coal dust-related diseases and other injuries.”

Full story

The Independent, 12th December 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

We did nothing wrong in making millions out of sick miners, law firm tells tribunal – The Times

“A law firm that earned £141 million from a government industrial disease compensation scheme denied yesterday that it had exploited sick miners and their families.”

Full story

The Times, 20th November 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

SRA comes under fire in Beresfords tribunal – The Lawyer

“The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) was accused of ignoring ‘false information’ and holding a ‘biased’ investigation, as the disciplinary tribunal against the coalminers lawyer Jim Beresford continued today.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 18th November 2008

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Solicitors accused over ‘dubious deals’ with union official that cost sick miners thousands – The Times

“Britain’s highest-earning solicitor acted dishonestly and with ‘conscious impropriety’ in dealings with a mining union that led to his firm handling thousands of industrial disease compensation claims, a tribunal heard yesterday.”

Full story

The Times, 18th November 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Solicitors ‘misled’ sick miners – BBC News

“Two solicitors who won personal injury claims for thousands of miners have appeared before a tribunal accused of taking cuts from compensation pay-outs.”

Full story

BBC News, 17th November 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Behind the story: How digging for details unearthed a scandal – The Times

“It was meant to give sick and dying men recompense for the irreparable damage to their health caused by years of mining coal. Yet the legacy of the world’s biggest private injury compensation scheme is the number of opulent houses, private jets and luxury cars purchased with the profits of the solicitors who handled their claims.”

Full story

The Times,14th November 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Consultation on claims management regulation – responses to consultation on fee levels – Ministry of Justice

“This consultation seeks views on proposals for claims management regulation fee levels for 2008/09. The consultation is aimed at those authorised to provide regulated claims management services under the Compensation Act 2006.”

Full responses to consultation

Ministry of Justice, 14th December 2007

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Consultation on claims management regulation – fee levels for 2008/09 – Ministry of Justice

“This consultation seeks views on proposals for claims management regulation fee levels for 2008/09. The consultation is aimed at those authorised to provide regulated claims management services under the Compensation Act 2006.”

Consultation paper

Minstry of Justice, 1st August 2007

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Regulation of claims management services commences – Government News Network

“From today all claims management companies will be regulated by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Those authorised to provide the regulated services must follow strict rules of conduct. This will ensure that consumers are given clear information about the options available for pursuing their claim. If an authorised person fails to comply with the rules, the Regulator will be able to take disciplinary action.”

Full story 

Department for Constitutional Affairs press release, 23rd April 2007

Source: www.gnn.gov.uk