Stress has a big impact all over the country, in all sectors of society; school, the healthcare system, and the financial sector are all affected by people suffering with stress. A defendant law firm has expressed that there is an increase in stress related claims because solicitors are encouraging people to claim.
It used to be that claim firms focused on injury at work cases (we’ve all seen those “I tripped over my own feet at work and claimed £12,000 compensation” adverts) but now those claim firms are convincing people to claim for stress related illnesses.
Roddy MacLeod, who works for Weightman’s, the defendant firm in question, said that “there has been an increase in stress claims in the workplace as awareness around mental illnesses has grown. More claimant solicitors are entering this specialist area post the Jackson reforms and advertising is increasing for stress claims.” The Jackson Reforms came in last year and altered the ways in which claim firms can make their money.
“Increasingly we see a claim for mental trauma tagged onto a claim for a physical injury to increase the amount of damages that could be claimed for.” This is often justified by claiming a mental illness is preventing earning as it stops the claimant from returning to work.
Also by increasing the amount claimed directly increases the amount of money the solicitor makes from each case.
Kieran Jones, of Weightman’s said, that “the fight against unmeritorious or exaggerated claims is far from over.”
