The rise in personal injury claims has been so profound in the last few years that a Middlesbrough based law firm has had to expand, creating 40 new jobs in just two years. While many industries are feeling the pinch in this credit crunch and global recession, many solicitors are also experiencing difficulty. The Middlesbrough based solicitors would have been no different, with its conveyancing business suffering from the property slump. However, the rise in PI (Personal Injury) claims has seen a growth in their business.

Five of the firm’s staff have moved from working in conveyancing, into the more lucrative field of litigation.

PI cases make up the bulk of the firm’s work, with 70% of their cases coming from road traffic accidents (RTAs) rear shunts and other forms of personal injury. As a result of the surge in business, the firm intends to hire three additional fee-earners, among other positions.

One of the partners of the firm, Simon Askew, stated:

In a period of daily job loss announcements, we are fortunate in being able to redeploy people from less busy areas of law.