Another frivolous claim

[JohnC6]

A woman who sued her former employer over not being given a leaving card lost her case when it was revealed it had been hidden from her after only three people signed it.
Karen Conaghan claimed that the lack of a leaving card was a “failure to acknowledge her existence” Many other claims by her were dismissed by the judge.

Woman who did not get leaving card loses UK employment claim

Managers did not give Karen Conaghan her leaving card because of the low number of signatures

www.independent.co.uk

Does anyone have any idea when all this nonsense (the literal meaning of it) began and, more interestingly, why ? It's happening across the board and not just from the usual suspects some would immediately think of.

 

[lindsay]

I'd say it started when Solicitors were given permission to advertise which kicked off the no win no fee ambulance chasers

 

[ecoleman]

Why? Because we let it.

Just like all the other nonsense we are letting happen because a few minority groups shout loud enough and the rest sit by doing nothing.

 

[Penfold711]

I'd say it started when Solicitors were given permission to advertise which kicked off the no win no fee ambulance chasers

I was dealing with one persistent firm after my elderly mother had a minor crash in her car. Not sure where they got the phone number from, but they definitely lacked details and needed confirmation that my mum was injured in the accident. I told them she had slightly hurt her neck but since it was so minor, it didn't bother her (very slight ache for a couple of days). Anyway, this information really piqued their interest, and I was getting at least one phone call a week telling us what she could claim for. They were so unprofessional, they didn't even ask who was at fault for the accident (my mum), and I managed to string them along for a whole three months before agreeing to let them handle the case. Naturally, at this point, I had to let them know she drove into the other car; I never heard from them again!

 

[Clive K]

I was dealing with one persistent firm after my elderly mother had a minor crash in her car. Not sure where they got the phone number from, but they definitely lacked details and needed confirmation that my mum was injured in the accident. I told them she had slightly hurt her neck but since it was so minor, it didn't bother her (very slight ache for a couple of days). Anyway, this information really piqued their interest, and I was getting at least one phone call a week telling us what she could claim for. They were so unprofessional, they didn't even ask who was at fault for the accident (my mum), and I managed to string them along for a whole three months before agreeing to let them handle the case. Naturally, at this point, I had to let them know she drove into the other car; I never heard from them again!

Sadly police forces sell contact details of those involved in collisions to the ambulance chasing companies. As you say, the callers know nothing about the circumstances or who was found to be at fault. They just purchase the contact details.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

Sadly police forces sell contact details of those involved in collisions to the ambulance chasing companies.

That is complete nonsense, as this shows...

Daily Telegraph publishes apology for story on car crash details

The suggestion that police forces sell details of people involved in road traffic collisions with a view to making a profit is entirely false.ACPO brought this matter to the Press Complaints Commission. The Daily Telegraph today published an apology.

news.npcc.police.uk

 

[gman]

A woman who sued her former employer over not being given a leaving card lost her case when it was revealed it had been hidden from her after only three people signed it.
Karen Conaghan claimed that the lack of a leaving card was a “failure to acknowledge her existence” Many other claims by her were dismissed by the judge.

Woman who did not get leaving card loses UK employment claim

Managers did not give Karen Conaghan her leaving card because of the low number of signatures

www.independent.co.uk

Does anyone have any idea when all this nonsense (the literal meaning of it) began and, more interestingly, why ? It's happening across the board and not just from the usual suspects some would immediately think of.

Oh come on, that can't be a coincidence! lol

 

[Garry Edwards]

I'd say it started when Solicitors were given permission to advertise which kicked off the no win no fee ambulance chasers

In many cases yes, but not in Employment cases, where costs are very often not awarded to the winner. But many unions pay legal fees, so that's a possible source of funding.

When the forerunner of employment tribunals came into existence, industrial tribunals, any form of legal representation was frowned upon and cases were decided on the facts rather than on legal technicalities, usually in a one day hearing or less - that is now very much a thing of the past, and the average discrimination case in the employment tribunals takes 20 days of Court time at horrific costs that are well beyond all average people, let alone those who have lost their job.

On a side note, the only people who get any real money with the no win no fee merchants is the solicitors, who will settle nearly every claim for a low amount because they won't incur the costs of actually going to Court, so their client gets much less than they should and the losing party settles claims that should be fought, because it's much cheaper to settle than to fight.

 

[munch]

Sadly police forces sell contact details of those involved in collisions to the ambulance chasing companies. As you say, the callers know nothing about the circumstances or who was found to be at fault. They just purchase the contact details.

Not true. Insurance companies on the other hand.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

...and the average discrimination case in the employment tribunals takes 20 days of Court time at horrific costs that are well beyond all average people, let alone those who have lost their job.

Citizens Advice have an overview of costs here...

Check what it might cost to make an employment tribunal claim

Find out what costs you can get if you win, how to reduce your chances of being asked to pay costs if you lose, how to ask for a costs or preparation time order

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

An employer's view of costs is here...

How much does an employment tribunal cost?

In this guide, find out how much employment tribunal costs, and how to reduce hearing claims in the workplace.

www.peninsulagrouplimited.com

and the Ministry of Justice's official view is here...

Employment tribunal - what happens after you submit a claim (T421)

www.gov.uk

and here...

Introducing fees in the Employment Tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal

www.gov.uk

 

[Marc]

Sadly police forces sell contact details of those involved in collisions to the ambulance chasing companies. As you say, the callers know nothing about the circumstances or who was found to be at fault. They just purchase the contact details.

Where on earth did you hear that?

 

[Garry Edwards]

Sadly police forces sell contact details of those involved in collisions to the ambulance chasing companies. As you say, the callers know nothing about the circumstances or who was found to be at fault. They just purchase the contact details.

That would be illegal and simply cannot happen. Obviously, there are corrupt people in every organisation and no doubt some police employees are dishonest and will supply information they shouldn't, but their employers wouldn't.

Also, it's just a numbers game. Ambulance chasers make untold thousands of phone calls to unknown people because of the mathematical certainty that some of them will have had an accident, I used to get a lot of these phone calls myself at one time

 

[Gremlin]

That would be illegal and simply cannot happen. Obviously, there are corrupt people in every organisation and no doubt some police employees are dishonest and will supply information they shouldn't, but their employers wouldn't.

Also, it's just a numbers game. Ambulance chasers make untold thousands of phone calls to unknown people because of the mathematical certainty that some of them will have had an accident, I used to get a lot of these phone calls myself at one time

Very true, I used to get loads when I had a home phone ! If I accidently and answered them |I just used to ask which accident they were asking about, of course they could bever give you any details

 

[Clive K]

That would be illegal and simply cannot happen. Obviously, there are corrupt people in every organisation and no doubt some police employees are dishonest and will supply information they shouldn't, but their employers wouldn't.

Also, it's just a numbers game. Ambulance chasers make untold thousands of phone calls to unknown people because of the mathematical certainty that some of them will have had an accident, I used to get a lot of these phone calls myself at one time

It is, or was when I was working in the Accident Investigation Dept a fact. The police authority sold the contact information to companies of solicitors .

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

It is, or was when I was working in the Accident Investigation Dept a fact. The police authority sold the contact information to companies of solicitors .

Then it's a fact unknown to the College of Policing...

https://library.college.police.uk/docs/NPCC/Police-Disclosure-Following-Road-Traffic-Collisions-V1.0.pdf