NUM lawyers dub miners thick after making £77m from their claims

A LEGAL firm that made more than £77million from miners’ compensation claims has been dropped by a union after calling its members ‘thick’.

The insult came in a training manual Raleys Solicitors wrote for its own staff. In it, a generic miner making a compensation claim is named ‘Mr Thikas Toosh Ortplanks’.

The National Union of Mineworkers is no longer using the firm, saying its 90-year relationship has ‘soured’.

Raleys had been representing miners in damages claims for vibration white finger (VWF). Sufferers have joint and muscle damage caused by working with vibrating handheld machinery.

Campaigner John Mann MP said the disparaging email showed the firm’s ‘breathtaking arrogance’.

Raleys was among a group of law firms accused by a judge of cashing in on VWF claims and having more interest in taking their cut of payments than ensuring each client got the maximum compensation.

The High Court ruled that Raleys failed to offer suitable advice to a miner over his VWF claim and now faces being sued by hundreds more clients.

Raymond Barnaby, a miner for nearly 30 years in South Yorkshire, settled his claim for compensation for £10,822.01. However, after advice from Raleys, he dropped a further claim for help with services to aid with his disability.

In the High Court, Lord Justice Maurice Kay said the firm had given ‘negligent advice’ to its client, resulting in him abandoning a claim

‘I’m appalled at our treatment’

which he may otherwise have won. Mr Barnaby was awarded £5,925 in damages.

Chris Skidmore, chairman of the Yorkshire branch of the NUM, said Raleys had failed those who trusted them. ‘I feel very bitter about it,’ he said. ‘When you go to a professional you think they are giving you the right advice.

‘I’m appalled at our treatment and to refer to miners as “thick as two short planks” by people we placed our trust in is disgraceful. The NUM has used Raleys for 90 years and we recommended them to members. The relationship has soured.’

Mr Mann added: ‘Many solicitors got rich off the compensation scheme at the expense of hard-working miners who suffered serious illnesses as a result of their work.

‘Now it is essential that miners are helped to sue solicitors for the compensation they were rightly entitled to.’

Solicitor Robert Godfrey, of Mellor Hargreaves, which represents around 100 miners seeking damages from their law firms. He said: ‘We estimate there will be hundreds of claims now. We have individuals who have been badly let down by professionals, by people they put their faith and trust in – they were union solicitors.’

Raleys, based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, handled in excess of 12,000 of the 180,000 claims nationally and recovered damages for more than 10,000 miners.

Managing partner Carol Gill admitted the disparaging reference was in a staff training guide was a ‘poor taste joke’.

She said the firm had settled five claims against it but succeeded in three similar compensation claims and was waiting to appeal two more.