New and free accident claim service for older people launched

Age Scotland teams up with leading personal injury solicitors to launch Accident Claim Helpline for older people – no hidden costs and 100 per cent of compensation award is kept.

• Claimants will keep 100 per cent of any compensation they receive
• All cases will be handled by specialist, regulated personal injury solicitors
• Age Scotland will receive a donation from partner law firms for each successful case which will be reinvested back into the charity’s work supporting older people in Scotland.

Age Scotland, in partnership with Solicitors for Older People Scotland (SOPS), has launched a new, free Accident Claim Helpline which seeks to give older people in Scotland a fairer service when it comes to making a personal injury claim.

The new Freephone Helpline available on 0800 021 4743, will ensure that older people's cases are being dealt with by regulated solicitors who are personal injury specialists - in an industry awash with claims management companies and other practitioners who are often unregulated and unqualified.

The panel of solicitors who will deal with the cases have also guaranteed that people using the Helpline will keep 100 per cent of any compensation they win, avoiding the industry standard practice of firms taking anything up to 30 per cent as a success fee in typical 'No Win, No Fee' actions.

On top of this the solicitors involved will donate a percentage of any fee they are awarded by the courts to Age Scotland to support its work for older people in Scotland.

Brian Sloan, Chief Executive of Age Scotland, said: “Before looking into this proposition, I had no idea just how much money people were paying out to their representatives following a no-win, no-fee case, which could be anything from 20-30 per cent of what a court has decided they are entitled to. Even more staggering was that the industry is awash with unregulated and unqualified practitioners, who are not solicitors.

“As a charity, we felt that we couldn’t just stand by once we were aware of a fairer way to do things.

“We believe older people deserve a better service and to be given clear information about how their case would be handled and how much of their compensation they could expect to receive in the event of a successful claim. That's why we are delighted to work again with Solicitors for Older People Scotland, who are tried and tested, and their member law firms, to provide the Accident Claim Helpline.

"We know from experience that many older people find it daunting to pursue a claim when they have suffered an accident or injury. There are so many adverts and different types of service that it can be difficult to know where to start.

"Anyone who isn't sure about where they stand can phone us and we'll talk them through the process without any pressure. So if you're not sure if you have a case, you can call and find out for free.

"All of the solicitors involved are specialists and regulated by the Law Society of Scotland. They will clearly communicate what is involved every step of the way, whether a case is successful or not, and there will be no cost to the individual. Age Scotland will benefit from any successful claims result from the Helpline in the form of a donation from the law firm which will be reinvested back into supporting older people in Scotland."

Elizabeth Mitchell, Partner and Head of Personal Injury & Reparation at law firm Harper Macleod, which is part of the scheme, said: "We are delighted to have helped set up this charity initiative, which should put older people's minds at ease when they are faced with making a personal injury claim. For people who suffer following an accident it is really all about receiving justice for what has happened, and the Helpline will assist them in doing just that."

The helpline is free to call on 0800 021 4743.

To find out more about the Age Scotland Accident Claim Helpline, visit the website at www.agescotlandaccidentclaimservice.co.uk

ENDS

The Accident Claim Helpline will cover the following types of claim:

• Road traffic accidents including pedestrians, passengers, motorcyclists and cyclists;
• Accidents at work
• Falls
• Slips
• Trips
• Serious & fatal injuries
• Illnesses caused by asbestos & industrial illness