Holiday Sickness Solicitor Suspended for Sending Claims Without Client Knowledge
John William Duncombe of Opes Law (Manchester) was suspended by the SDT for issuing claim letters to tour operators without clients’ knowledge or instructions, based on minimal information from claims management introducers. He also concealed 50% fee-sharing arrangements with the CMCs feeding him cases. Sources Legal Futures: Solicitor suspended for holiday sickness retainer failures
Doctor Struck Off for Fabricating 400 Holiday Sickness Expert Reports
Dr Zuber Bux, a GP who provided expert reports for a law firm where his wife was a director, was struck off the medical register by the GMC for diagnosing food poisoning in approximately 400 reports without sufficient evidence. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal described his conduct as “wholly deplorable and reprehensible.” Sources Lancashire Evening Post: Doctor struck off for preparing misleading holiday sickness claims
Allsure Ltd Licence Cancelled for Encouraging Fabricated Holiday Sickness Claims
Allsure Ltd (Preston) had its claims management licence cancelled by the Claims Management Regulator for encouraging holidaymakers to fabricate gastric illness symptoms and using deceptive sales scripts. The case was emblematic of a wider epidemic in which fraudulent holiday sickness claims surged 500% to approximately 35,000 in 2016, costing the travel industry an estimated £240 million. Sources GOV.UK: Licence stripped from holiday sickness firm Travel Weekly: Top law firm 'testing the water' with group illness action
