Solicitors ‘chancing their arm’ in army deafness cases

SOME lawyers may be trying to overcharge army deafness claimants, it was revealed yesterday.

Mr O’Dea said that some people had noticed their solicitors had made reductions to their settlement cheques for fees that should have been paid by the Defence Department.

The minister, who was replying to a Dáil question, said he was in ongoing correspondence with the Law Society on the matter.

“My attitude is to help the claimants in every way and give them all the necessary information I have access to,” he added.

However, Labour’s defence spokesman Joe Costello, who tabled the Dáil question, said last night: “Lawyers may be trying to chance their arm in double charging their clients.”

“Solicitors were recently found to have overcharged abuse victims involved in the Residential Institutions Redress Board, so this must be investigated thoroughly.”

The Law Society has referred 22 complaints involving 12 solicitors’ firms to the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal in relation to the Redress Board allegations.

Earlier, the Dáil heard that up to 40% of money paid out on army deafness claims went towards legal fees.

A sum of €280.9 million was paid out in claims including €95 million in legal costs.

The Law Society said it is not obliged to deal with any case settled more than five years ago, the minister added.

Mr O’Dea said that solicitors did not issue a bill of costs to clients in some cases.

He said the Law Society claimed the extra fees were for additional expenses like expert reports.

Mr Costello alleged that the Law Society was resorting to legislation to try to impede an investigation.

Some 15,605 deafness cases have been settled and 1,155 are still outstanding.