Cunningham Lindsey picks up all adjusting work in progress
Miller Fisher receiver Deloitte & Touche has laid off all Miller Fisher staff. And Cunningham Lindsey has picked up all adjusting work in progress, according to sources.
One person made redundant following the company's receivership on 4 July claimed adjusters and secretaries had been the first to go.
"I got a phone call from one of the receivers saying that I was redundant as of now and there was no reason for me to come back to the office," the source said.
The source also alleged the loss adjuster's principals had stopped sending in new claims and had asked for their files on current claims to be returned.
Deloitte & Touche did not respond to Insurance Times' queries on the redundancies.
The claims by staff go against statements by the receiver that it intended to sell the company as a going concern.
Deloitte & Touche said it was in talks with a number of potential buyers, which it refused to identify.
Insiders said Capita McLarens was the forerunner in the talks.
Capita McLarens has already snapped up a lot of Miller Fisher's panel work with Lloyds TSB's insurance arm,
Miller Fisher's biggest loss adjusting client.
Lloyds TSB insurance operations director Neal Jones said the bank had been siphoning off work from Miller Fisher to its other panel adjuster Capita McLarens for the past few months.
"Inevitably we've had some inkling of Miller's financial trouble for some time," he said.
"Most loss adjusters have given us a call since the receivership, but we've already looked at ways of putting contingency plans into place.
"We already use Capita McLarens and, for subsidence, Cunningham Lindsey and we've put more cases their way in the short-term."
Jones said the bank hoped to meet the receiver this week to discuss the "several thousand" cases already being handled by Miller Fisher.
Meanwhile, Miller Farrell's top executives are expected to stage a management buy out in the near future.
Miller Farrell, an independently funded entity, did not go into receivership and has continued to trade under its existing management team, headed by Miller Fisher chief executive Malcolm Hughes.
It released a statement on the day of the receivership, saying discussions regarding the ownership of shares in Miller Farrell held by Miller Fisher would be resolved as soon as possible.
Sources said Miller Fisher's motor claims centre at Waltham Cross has also been popular with potential buyers, with one already having put in a bid.
