National Accident Helpline

National Accident Helpline
UK public company
Industry Personal injury
Founded Kettering, England, U.K. (1993)
Founder Alan Kennedy and Paul Follett
Headquarters Kettering, Northants, U.K.
Area served
 United Kingdom
Services No win no fee personal injury claims
Website www.national-accident-helpline.co.uk

National Accident Helpline, part of NAHL Group plc, is a UK-based provider of personal injury advice, services and support.[1]

The company is run on a for-profit basis. NAHL and its panel of solicitors deduct their fees from clients on a no win no fee basis, removing the financial risk from making a claim.[2][3]

History

The National Accident Helpline was formed in 1993[2] by two businessmen, Alan Kennedy and Paul Follett,[4] along with the Northampton legal firm Tollers. In 2006, Lloyds TSB Development Capital (LDC), the private equity arm of Lloyds TSB, backed a management buyout enabling Kennedy to buy out Tollers and other shareholders.[5] LDC later sold part of its stake to Inflexion Private Equity.[6]

In April 2008, National Accident Helpline released an SMS callback service on a platform provided by SMSshortcode.co.uk.[7]

The following month, the personal injury claims management company revealed a new version of the company website, featuring an interactive no win no fee compensation calculator.[8]

February 2009 saw National Accident Helpline listed in the Sunday Times Deloitte Buyout Track 100 for the first time. In 2012, the company was listed in 70th place with year-on-year growth from 2010/11 to 2011/12 cited as 32%.[9]

Specialist claims websites

National Accident Helpline also owns no-win-no-fee.co.uk and Benchmark Insurance. In 2010 it started advertising through underdog.co.uk.

In April 2010, National Accident Helpline published three new specialist claims websites: industrial-accident.co.uk, work-accident.co.uk and clinical-medical-negligence.co.uk.[10]

In October 2011, the company announced mobile-friendly versions of its two core websites, National Accident Helpline and underdog.co.uk.[11]

Marketing

National Accident Helpline initially found its clients by advertising in the press.[2] It was then one of the first claims companies to use television advertising,[4] and this became its main source of business in the 2000s.[5]

The company's television adverts have been one of its most visible sources of marketing. The adverts feature a character called Underdog, who has previously been voiced by UK actor Joe Pasquale. More recent adverts have included musical backing tracks, including Chumbwumba's nineties hit "Tubthumping"[12] and a version of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" where the chorus lyrics had been changed to include the brand name.[13]

Stance against cold calling

National Accident Helpline displays a clear policy against cold calling and cold texting on its website.

The firm states that reports of cold-calling have no connection with the real National Accident Helpline, and asks victims of this practice to report any such incidents.[14]

Adverts

Since 2010 adverts for National Accident Helpline feature a dog known as Underdog (voiced by Joe Pasquale) trying to get compensation from an unseen man (voiced by Brian Blessed) who rejects him. Underdog then says he will go to National Accident Helpline instead; the unseen man tries to convince him to go to him instead, which Underdog refuses.

Charity partnerships

National Accident Helpline has been involved in a number of charity partnerships.

It was announced in April 2014 that National Accident Helpline's new company charity was The Air Ambulance Service[15]

The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT), a member of The Disabilities Trust, was the company's charity for the year 2010-2011.[16]

National Accident Helpline's employees have also been involved in a number of charity ventures. A team of four senior employees ran the 2010 London Marathon in aid of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, raising over £6000.[17] Staff have also raised money for BIRT.[18][19]

References

  1. ↑ Armstrong, Ashley (22 April 2014). "National Accident Helpline to launch £100m IPO". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Bresler, Fenton (30 July 1997). "Heads I win; tails you lose". The Independent. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  3. ↑ "No win no fee with the National Accident Helpline". The Glaswegian. theglaswegian.co.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  4. 1 2 Sturgis, John (18 April 2001). "The profit in accidental pain". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 2011-03-03. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  5. 1 2 "LDC backs buyout of National Accident Helpline" (PDF). Press release. LDC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-12-09. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
  6. ↑ Bollen, Jennifer (2 November 2009). "LDC gets welcome call on National Accident Helpline". Private Equity News. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  7. ↑ "National Accident Helpline goes mobile". SMS Short Codes. smsshortcodes.co.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  8. ↑ "Website launched to help accident victims". National Accident Helpline. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  9. ↑ "2012 Buyout Track 100 League Table". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  10. ↑ "National Accident Helpline launches specialist claims advice websites". National Accident Helpline. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  11. ↑ "Mobile Sites Launched by Accident Claims Specialist". PR web. uk.prweb.com. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  12. ↑ "National Accident Helpline Launches new Knocked Down Advertising Campaign". Lifestyle News. lifestyleinfo.eu. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  13. ↑ "National Accident Helpline Launches New ‘Grapevine’ TV Advert". PR Web. prweb.com. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  14. ↑ Policy against cold calling and cold texting, National Accident Helpline. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  15. ↑ "Air ambulance will benefit from claims management firm’s fundraising". Northants Telegraph. www.northantstelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  16. ↑ "National Accident Helpline Supports Brain Injury Charity". PR Web. www.prweb.com. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  17. ↑ "National Accident Helpline team breaks fundraising target". National Accident Helpline. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  18. ↑ "National Accident Helpline raise funds for BIRT". The Disabilities Trust. thedtgroup.org. July 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  19. ↑ "Richard Remembers the Underdog". The Disabilities Trust. thedtgroup.org. 23 January 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.

External links

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