A PROFESSIONAL negligence unit at a city law firm is set to earn around £1m in fees, just six months after it was set up.
Armstrongs Solicitors established the department last November hoping to capitalise on the greater scrutiny consumers would give their professional advisors during the recession.
Now the Old Hall Street-based firm is acting for 150 clients, who are taking on their accountants, doctors, solicitors and even a psychic.
The unit is run by Armstrongs director Ian Carruthers.
Mr Carruthers told LDP Legal: “We have been surprised by the high level of demand for our service targeting victims of professional negligence. We knew before we launched six months ago that the level of professional service people received in all walks of life was a problem, but we had no idea just how serious that problem was until now.
“We believe the significant increase in claims of professional negligence can in part be put down to the fall-out from the economic collapse as people are scrutinising the professional advice they receive more closely than ever before.”
The unit also has a dedicated website – beenletdown.com – and ran an extensive ad campaign urging victims of professional negligence to get in touch.
The service was piloted in the Preston area, before being rolled out across Merseyside at the start of the year. Since the website went live, Armstrongs has received more than 1,500 enquiries.
The firm has also taken on two new members of staff to deal with the extra demand.
Mr Carruthers continued: “Our clients – like so many others – believe they have been let down by solicitors, accountants, doctors and many other types of professionals who are supposed to offer a first-rate service.
“It very quickly became clear to us that we are offering a dedicated service that people have been crying out for.Our aim at Armstrongs is to become the market leader in the pursuit of claims of professional negligence.
“This is a growing area of law, and with 150 new cases in the last six months we have the potential to bring in an extra £1m-worth of new fees.”
Armstrongs was only established three years ago and now employs more than 100 staff.
Its staple cases are no-win-no-fee personal injury claims.
Accounts filed in October, 2009, show the firm turned over £5.7m in the year to July, 2008, and made £210,033 profit after tax.
