Bury: Law firm says professional negligence up in North West

Clough and Willis, based on Manchester Road, has revealed a sharp rise in the number of companies and individuals pursing claims against professional advisors in the North-West.

The law first approached 350 business and 350 individuals in the region and found an additional 22 per cent of respondents said they had received negligent advice and had begun proceedings in the 12 months ending December 31, 2023, compared to the previous year.

Clough and Willis on Manchester Road

The majority of claimants (65 per cent) were businesses operating in the manufacturing, retail and professional service sectors.

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The majority of claims made by private individuals were against the building and construction sector (46 per cent), followed by accountants and financial advisors (21 per cent) and then solicitors (19 per cent). The other main sector was the medical industry, including dental, care home, nursing providers.

Chris Macwilliam, partner and head of professional negligence at Clough & Willis, said: “The results of this survey demonstrate that companies and individuals right across the North West are receiving negligent advice on a large scale.

“That’s simply not right so it’s important that we all know our rights and what we can do if we are a victim and suffer harm, damage or financial loss."

Examples of professional negligence claims that were made included an accountant who reportedly gave poor advice which caused a manufacturing firm to miss out on available tax reliefs and therefore ended up paying a larger tax bill than was required.

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Research also discovered a retailer who was said to have suffered a serious data loss due to their IT provider’s errors and a conveyancer who reportedly missed a crucial piece of information in the purchase of a property which significantly affected its value. 

Chris Macwilliam, partner and head of professional negligence at Clough & Willis (Image: Clough and Willis)

Chris added: “Every professional has a duty of care to their clients. If they breach that duty, and you suffer loss as a result, then you should contact a legal professional for advice as quickly as possible so they can build evidence to support your case.

“Generally, a claim must be brought within six years from the date of the act or omission that gave rise to the claim.

"However, there are some exceptions that help to ensure that people have a fair chance to claim.

“It’s wrong when people and businesses are let down, so the key is to have the confidence to act if you think you’ve suffered.”