PERSONAL INJURY & ACCIDENT COMPENSATION

Street Canvassers

They lurk on most high streets.  Personal injury salesmen are exactly that, salesmen.  Their job is to capture your information and pass it onto their employer, who will in turn, sell it to a marketing company, who in turn, sell it to a personal injury solicitor.

These street personnel will know absolutely nothing about the value of your personal injury claim, the liability involved, the cost implications, the legal expenses insurance needed, the case law – blah blah ….. trust me, they will know very little indeed, or in most cases absolutely nothing.

You should only take personal injury advice from a properly qualified solicitor.  Who is going to know the answers – a solicitor who is a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel, or Chris, the street canvasser?

Chris knows one thing though, how much he’ll be paid for your information.

We believe, personal injury street canvassing should be made illegal.  In fact, the sooner, the better.  Chris can then go back to selling electricity or mobile phone contracts.  The high streets will be freed from touts like Chris.

Some weeks ago, I was stopped by a canvasser, who demanded to know if I or a member of my family had sustained an accident ….. Out of devilment, I said I’d suffered a whiplash injury some weeks earlier.

The salesman asked if I still had neck pain.  When I confirmed that was the case, he then said (incredibly), “I’ve assessed your case and you will qualify for compensation, anywhere up to £10,000″.  This chap was obviously a qualified doctor, as well as being a solicitor, amazing, two for the price of one!

He’d also bothered to get into character, shabby red anorak, tatty clipboard, fag etc.  He’d even bothered to sleep in his clothes the night before, for added realism….. a true professional.

By the way, if a street canvasser does approach you, he’s acting unlawfully.  Canvassers are not allowed to approach people and tout for business.  This breaches Rule 4 of the Claims Management Regulation Conduct of Authorised Persons Rules 2007.  Go to the website, Claims Management Regulation Monitoring and Compliance Unit for details of how to report this type of activity, www.claimsregulation.gov.uk, or telephone 0845 450 6858 or 01283 233 309.

Just don’t speak to them, hopefully they’ll go away.