Professional negligence
Lawyers, accountants and other professionals do make mistakes. Quite rightly, their clients expect to be compensated for their losses and most professionals have insurance to cover such claims. Sadly claims are rarely straightforward; there are rules as to who can claim, the amount of compensation and the standard of care below which a professional must fall before the claim can succeed.
Partners Michael Batty and Martin Kay have both handled claims of this type for many years. They are both members of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association and they receive referrals from the Law Society itself. Recently they have seen a significant increase in claims of this type.
Examples of recent work include:
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Acting for a waste disposal business in a claim against its former solicitors in respect of the sale of a waste management site, the former solicitors having failed to transfer the waste management licence to the purchaser, leaving our client with ongoing liabilities. |
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Acting for home owners in an action against a surveyor that failed to recognise defects in a roof, securing compensation for a new roof and legal costs. |
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Acting for the owners of a house against their former solicitors, following discovery that their house had been built on contaminated land and in breach of planning permission. The claim extending to diminution in value of the property and a personal injury claim arising from the Clients’ exposure to the contamination. |