Rosie Winterton

|

MINERS COMPENSATION – LEGAL SERVICES OMBUDSMAN ADVICE

The Legal Services Ombudsman has produced a leaflet that explains to miners (or their representatives) what action to take if they did not receive 100% of their compensation award from the Department of Trade and Industry for a personal injury claim (e.g. respiratory disease and/or Vibration White Finger injury.  The leaflet also explains what action to take if they believe their complaint to The Law Society should be reopened.

Rosie Winterton, MP for Doncaster Central says
 
“It is important that ex miners and their families who did not receive 100% of their compensation award are aware that there may be something they can do about it.  I would encourage any of my constituents who feel they are in this situation to contact me.”

Rosie Winterton, MP for Doncaster Central helped Steven Longley of Wheatley, an Ex Miner, to reclaim fees paid in connection with his claim for Vibration White Finger. 

Many former miners who received compensation did not get 100% of their awards.  This was because some solicitors deducted their legal fees from awards.  Also deductions were made in respect of trade union fees, insurance premiums and other referral fees.  In many cases these fees and deductions were wrongly made.

Mr Steven Longley first contacted Rosie a year ago as he was aggrieved at having had to pay a large fee to Union and General Services Limited (UGS) out of his compensation award.   Rosie made representations on Mr Longley’s behalf to the Legal Complaints Service who, after investigation, issued their adjudication in April this year resulting in Mr Longley being awarded £3,465.63, as compensation for the consequences of the inadequacies of service he received.

The Legal Services Ombudsman has already helped many former miners or their representatives, to successfully recover monies wrongly deducted.  The Ombudsman has, when necessary, awarded additional compensation for poor service, distress and inconvenience caused.  The Legal Services Ombudsman has also asked for many previous complaints to be reopened by the Legal Complaints Service.