A Cumbrian law firm has joined forces with one of England’s leading insurance brokers in developing a specialist insurance package to combat the rise of the call centre lawyer and to protect employers against the cost of Employment Tribunals.

Burnetts and Bluefin this week launch their business legal insurance product which will protect business owners against the cost of legal fees and compensation for Employment Tribunal claims whilst ensuring that employers are not lured out of Cumbria by call centre lawyers.

According to HM Courts & Tribunals Service, there were 186,300 Employment Tribunal claims in 2011/12. The average compensation awarded by the Employment Tribunals to employees in an unfair dismissal claim is almost £9,000: for cases involving sex or disability discrimination, the figure is much higher. 



Sonia Macmillan from Bluefin (Far Left) with (L-R) Aaron Lyons, Tracy Stainton, Kuba Strycharczyk and John Morris from Burnetts’ employment team

Head of Burnetts’ employment law team, Kuba Strycharczyk said, “Certainty of costs is almost as important to our clients as keeping costs down: we are increasingly seeing business owners turning to legal expenses insurance to protect themselves should an employee bring a claim against them. Unfortunately, when employee issues arise this often results in insurers requiring that these be directed to call centres and law firms in Manchester, Liverpool and elsewhere. Our new Business Legal Insurance product means that our clients can continue to be advised by a qualified, local solicitor who knows them and their business and who can talk through the issues face to face.”

Mark Daley, Divisional Director of Bluefin said, “We have been working together for several months to develop a product which would be genuinely beneficial to businesses in Cumbria. The product backed by an award winning Legal Expenses insurer gives clients the comfort of using the services of their local solicitor. This product gives access to the specialism and expertise provided by Burnetts at what can be a difficult and trying period for any business. Like Burnetts we are committed to providing local solutions for local businesses.”

Kuba added, “Burnetts will not receive any income from the sale of the insurance policies although we hope that, by being able to offer this kind of product, we will be able to attract new clients and provide a useful added service to current clients.”

Further information about Burnetts’ business insurance is available at www.burnetts.co.uk/insurance where there is also a free premium checker.

For further information, contact Hazel Phillips on 01228 552222 or email insurance@burnetts.co.uk

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Note to editor:

Number of Employment Tribunal claims from: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/tribs-stats/ts-annual-stats-2011-12.pdf

Figures on levels of compensation available from: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/mojstats/employment-trib-stats-april-march-2010-11.pdf