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.”
BBC News, 17th February 2009
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: industrial injuries
Corby council accused in first birth defects case since thalidomide – The Times
“A council was today accused of causing birth defects to 18 babies after its redevelopment of a gigantic former steelworks was allegedly marred by negligence, greed and nepotism. ”
The Times, 16th February 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
M&S fined £20,000 over lost toe – BBC News
“Marks and Spencer has been fined £20,000 after a worker lost part of his toe in a warehouse accident.”
BBC News, 3rd 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.”
The Guardian, 12th January 2009
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
£6m of sick miners’ awards went to Arthur Scargill’s union – The Times
“Arthur Scargill’s trade union was paid more than £6 million by a firm of solicitors that deducted the money from compensation awarded to sick miners for industrial disease, a tribunal was told.”
The Times, 7th January 2009
Source: www.timesonline.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.”
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’.”
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.”
The Independent, 12th December 2008
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Asbestos cancer victims win High Court fight for mesothelioma insurance payouts – The Times
“Thousands of victims of a fatal asbestos-related lung cancer are in line for six-figure sums in compensation after a victory today that lands insurers with a multi-million pound bill.”
The Times, 21st November 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Asbestos compensation ruling due – BBC News
“A ruling is expected later that could have profound implications for asbestos-related cancer victims and their families.”
BBC News, 21st November 2008
Source: www.bbc.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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
The Times,14th November 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Jim Beresford’s firm made £16.7m in year handling miners’ compensation claims – The Times
“Jim Beresford gained the dubious distinction of being the ‘highest-earning solicitor in Britain’ through the profits generated by his firm’s handling of miners’ compensation claims.”
The Times, 14th November 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Miners’ compensation: third of solicitors now flout rules on secret payments to win work – The Times
“The legal profession faces a radical overhaul of a multimillion-pound trade in which thousands of solicitors fork out confidential payments or commission to obtain work.”
The Times, 14th November 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Shipyard workers must be compensated for asbestos exposure – The Times
“The Justice Committee has the opportunity to reverse a decision to deny those with pleural plaques the right to compensation”
Full story
The Times, 21st September 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Pleasing employers, letting down victims? – The Times
“Backbench MPs are seeking to block controversial plans they believe will prevent victims of asbestos-related diseases suing their employers for damages.”
The Times, 15th July 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Hope of £5,000 compensation for asbestos victims – The Guardian
“People suffering from pleural plaques through exposure to asbestos could qualify for a £5,000 payment if the outcome of a new government consultation goes in their favour.”
The Guardian, 13th July 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
