Former partner launches £2m claim against insurer
Former HLB Kidsons partner Paul Marsh launches £2m claim over his income protection insurance
A FORMER PARTNER at accountants HLB Kidsons has launched a £2m claim against an insurance company in a row over income protection insurance.
Paul Marsh has been unable to work since he was badly hurt in a car crash, but he accuses insurers Unum of wrongly stopping his benefits.
Now Marsh, 49, of 10 Crawford Lane, Kesgrave, Ipswich, is demanding £2,079,381.19 from Dorking-based Unum.
He was an equity partner in the firm, now part of leading firm Baker Tilly, when he was the innocent victim of a crash in August 2000, according to a High Court writ.
He suffered spinal injuries, leading to sciatic pain and left foot pain, and needed surgery to decompress his spinal cord. He also developed cognitive problems leading to difficulties with word finding and recollection, depression, and chronic pain.
He made an unsuccessful attempt to go back to work in January 2001, but has been unable to work since the accident and remains unable to work, he says.
Mr Marsh claimed under his works policy with Unum, but accuses the company of breach of contract and negligence by failing to pay him benefits, and stopping payments.
Unum wrongly calculated benefits to be paid on a gross income of £69,011 rather than £84,479, and on 50% of his income rather than the 75% he was entitled to, the writ claims.
Unum paid benefits until December 2009, when it stopped paying, and then failed to arrange for an MRI scan of his spine, failed to consider if there was an innocent reason for poor performance in tests, carried on surveillance on him unreasonably, and then failed to accept the evidence of the surveillance, it is alleged.
Mr Marsh is seeking £496,493.88 for loss of payments to December 1 2011, interest, and future losses until he reaches the age of 65, a total of £2,079,381.19.
The claim was issued by solicitors Prettys.