Can anyone offer any help about solicitors?

[drcarlos]

After my accident at the beginning of Feb I was assigned a solicitors to deal with my losses. This included an assessment and several sessions of physio as I had back issues the initial sessions were completed but under the assessment the doctor said it would take up to 6 months to heal.
A few weeks after completion of the initial physio problems returned and I contacted them again as advised by the physio.
We went ahead and arranged on the provsio that the insurance would authorise it and booked more sessions.
I contacted the solicitors by phone and asked them to authorise the treatment which after a quick review they did as it was within the timescales and scope of injuries listed by the independent doctor.
Now none of these invoices have been paid and the solicitors will not contact the health provider, will not return my calls, the health providers calls or respond to email. I keep getting bills for around £300 (which I could just pay but it should be covered so why should I?) and am getting to the end of my tether as I found the health providers details spoke to them and they tried to contact the solicitors directly to which they seem to have had no response.
My question is do I have grounds for dismissal of the solicitors (and raising a complaint to the ombudsman) and can I engage another more competent firm? If so how on earth do I got about it? Anyone got any ideas or tips?

Carl.

[dinny_g]

Sorry to hear that mate...

I’m sure one of our resident lawyers will be able to advise...

[drcarlos]

Sorry to hear that mate...

I’m sure one of our resident lawyers will be able to advise...

Yeah, hoping Jobbo or GG would be able to point me right. Looking at reviews of the firm they seem to operate like this as people have left awful reviews for them.

Carl.

[dinny_g]

Yeah that’s what I was thinking. Not advice on the case as such but your rights and obligations in discharging your current solicitor and what case you may have against the firm.

[drcarlos]

We hold the phone, it seems my treat to complain to them and the ombudsman cc'd to the general enquiries address at the solicitors has kick them into action. Solicitor has written to me, the healthcare provider and asked to get this moving.

All it took was a hissy fit and the threat to complain................

Carl.

[GG.]

Good stuff. The threat of instigating a process usually works as i'm sure it is a world of hassle and pain above just responding to your queries and process those expenses.

In any event before you can pursue a law firm via the Legal Ombudsman you have to go through their internal dispute resolution / complaints process (which all SRA regulated firms are required to have in place). They then recommend leaving at least 8 weeks for the internal mechanisms to work themselves through before referring the complaint to them so it isn't a quick process.

[Jobbo]

GG has answered it - and in response to your direct question, you're certainly not tied to a solicitor who has been instructed but there may be good reason not to move firms. I imagine that's the case here.

[drcarlos]

Thanks, it's the deathly silence from them and the endless letters from the physio and also from a medical insurance firm that have nothing to do with the case that have driven me spare. They don't seem to talk leaving me with a large bill that is not fault of mine.
Hopefully we can finalise this and move on now. I don't want to move firms I just want this resolved and feel that they have had enough time (from early May until now) to sort this effectively. I've got more important things in my life to worry about really so would rather leave well enough alone.

Carl.