Welcome to: Compensation Lottery

When the odds are against you, Don't leave your claim to chance

Word search puzzles have become increasingly popular with kids. They focus their minds, are enjoyable, and even have an educational aspect to them. But those left recently in doctors surgeries and hospital waiting rooms weren't donated through any sense of altruism - but strictly for marketing purposes.

The brainteasers involve ringing jumbled letters in a box to identify words. Words and phrases to be identified include 'compensation', 'claim today' and 'no win, no fee' - the very words that lawyers use relating to accident claims.

The Claims Standards Council discovered the puzzles in 60 of 114 accident and emergency departments. They had been left there by Nationwide Accident Services (NAS) a specialist in personal injury cases. Steven Reed of NAS stated that he saw nothing wrong with targeting accident services at children.

" If children play in playgrounds which haven't been maintained, they have the same rights to make a claim as an adult." Solicitors who are members of the Law Society, are not permitted to accept claims that have been generated through advertising in hospitals.

NAS were recently subject to another complaint made to the Advertising Standards Authority by the Claims Standards Council. It had deluged hospitals with material without NHS permission, often using the NHS logo. NAS deny using the logo without permission. Instead, it claims it has contracts with individual health authorities to use it, although it hasn't revealed which ones. NAS had a complaint upheld against them for and including their 'Compensation Careline' number in a list of helplines.

These activities will fall under government legislation for the first time when the compensation bill is unveiled next month. It's hoped that the bill will help to stamp out the industry's excesses.

The CSC represents about 140 out of a total of 390 companies. It hopes to become the regulatory body when the compensation bill reaches the statute books. CSC reports that many companies have gone into marketing overdrive in recent months in anticipation of a government ban.

Andy Wigmore of the CSC said, "You are seeing everyone riding the gravy train for the last time. "

The Lord Chancellor has made it clear that he wants to see an end to tasteless advertising in accident and emergency wards.

"There is no place for advertising that raises false hopes of unrealistic or unachievable personal injury compensation awards," he said in March. Lord Falconer said that it was 'unnecessary' for advertising to state that the benefits of successful claim could be 'a relaxing sunshine holiday'.

Companies are also tempting would-be claimants with offers of flat-screen TVs, 'cash for Christmas' awards and Marks and Spencer vouchers, according to the CSC.