Claim farmers approach people and pressure them into making a claim for compensation. They then sell the information to a law practice or claims management service to handle the claim. Claim farming is an offence.
Watch this video to learn about claim farming.
It is an offence for legal practitioners to engage in claim farming.
The claim farming laws:
It is an offence for claim farmers to cold call or approach another person to solicit or induce them to make a claim.
Claim farmers often cold call, offer help to make a claim, or imply they act on behalf of a government agency or insurer.
Typically, claim farmers charge substantial fees to the law practice, who charges these fees onto the claimant.
You may request a copy of your costs agreement and an itemised bill from your lawyer.
If the bill has costs you don’t understand, discuss them with your lawyer.
If they can’t explain the costs to you, this may be an indication of claim farming.
For motor accident insurance claims
For workers' compensation claims
All other personal injuries claims
You can obtain independent legal advice from another lawyer about how this may affect your claim.
A claimant certificate is required for claimants making personal injury or motor vehicle claims.
It certifies that you made the claim on your own initiative, stating whether you were induced to make the claim and whether your lawyer paid someone for referring your claim.
Download the certificates below.
Your lawyer must also complete a certificate to certify that they haven’t engaged in claim farming.
They may give you a copy of the certificate.
