Personal Injury and Other Losses

Loss of earnings: even when profits are rising
Injuries to the main shareholder in a company resulted in him needing support to manage his business. Profits continued to rise and the defendant’s expert witness put his loss of earnings at almost nil.

We were able to quantify a loss of earnings at several hundred thousand pounds plus other heads of damage.

The claim settled at just under £1million.

Pension loss: understanding the offer
When the claimant’s solicitors were offered only half the amount of a pension loss that they had valued at £100,000, they asked for BTG Forensic’s opinion as a shadow expert.

We showed that both parties had massively overstated the loss by adopting inappropriate methodology.

We advised them to accept the offer without further negotiation.

Loss of earnings: deeper than face value
When a self-employed business proprietor lost earnings due to an accident, he claimed over £600,000, which was supported by an accountant’s report.

We investigated his business and found that the claimant’s main contract had been lost, but for reasons unconnected to his accident. We valued his loss of earnings at £25,000.

The claim was settled at our figure.

Loss of earnings: unreliable evidence
An electrical contractor’s business accountant valued his client’s loss of earnings at more than £800,000.

We were instructed by the insurer to investigate. We showed the loss to be only £20,000, which was included in a payment into court.

The claimant showed our report to another forensic accountant, who agreed it. The claimant accepted the payment.

Fatal accident: expediting claims
A number of dependency claims have arisen in recent years from high-profile rail crashes. The accounts of one of the deceased were in arrears and appeared to understate his earnings. He had been on his way to meet his accountant to bring the accounts up to date.

We were jointly instructed. As accounting records had been lost in the accident, we had to identify alternative sources of evidence.

We were able to piece together a reasonable picture of the deceased’s earnings and calculate the loss of dependency, helping the insurer to expedite the claim.

Fatal accident: dependency depends on financial circumstances
A surviving spouse claimed a large dependency on the deceased.

BTG Forensic’s report showed that the deceased had been in several different employments, including businesses run by the surviving spouse, who was by far the main earner. We demonstrated that there was no loss of dependency on his earnings or pension.

The claim was settled on the basis of our report.

Personal injury: reputation alone is not enough
An expert report, prepared by a partner from one of the largest firms of accountants, calculated multi-million pound losses in a complex personal injury claim brought by high-profile overseas residents.

BTG Forensic, instructed on behalf of the defendant, demonstrated a number of very significant errors and inconsistencies in the claim and showed it to be considerably exaggerated.

Settlement was reached at a six-figure sum, a small fraction of the losses claimed.