Uncertain - thanks for your reply... Yes, I am on long-term sick leave and all company sponsored sick pay ended about 1.5 years ago (long time, tbh!) I didn't know about the holiday thingy, and I though the company would be duty-bound to inform me of ANY changes to my terms & conditions, which they have not? or at LEAST keep me informed of any changes, which they have thus far, steadfastly refused to do... I have considered asking for them to put the matter in writing, but they have booked a meeting place very near to my home (my work was in Hatfield, herts and I live in Cambs), rather than allowing me the option of opting out on health grounds, so they have me there. I would consider the option to "go quietly" if they were serious about it, but I have a feeling that they are gonna go down the road of "not capable = no good/sack" and then they will wash thier hands of the whole sorry mess (just my opinion, tbh!) and, if I appeal/refer it to an tribunal, they will stall, drag thier heels, etc... As I said in my post, they have refused to allow me to work from home, as part of an offer I forward, to enable me to gradually engage in actively trying to return to work, and they counter offered a proposal to return to work full-time (as I offered to actually TRY to work, they felt I was FIT to return completely!) Looks like I will have to wait and see, but being as it is so close to Xmas, I think it is a really unfair and despicable action to take at this time of year, however, best advice I have/can give to anyone in this situation is: Hold your temper. Don't jump to conclusions (difficult to do at the best of times, tbh!) Wait and see Not looking forwards to this, tbh! Thanks everyone who has had input into this and everyone else problems!

Latest news: The MIB have now decided to delay things even further by re-requesting medical evidence on the matter, meaning that it WON'T get fully addressed or sorted out until the new year! I find that this is really dragging on, but other poeple have had even LONGER to wait and I think that the whole process and procedures need to be re-addressed by government as they effectively "control" how this type of thing is handled. My solicitor has told them in writing and in recorded telephone conversations that if she feels that the case is being effectively "delayed" without reasonable grounds, she will issue for court proceedings, and as the MIB have accepted full liability, they will have no choice but to answer the case, however, still means that they won't be finalizing the case for a while...typical really! Hope other peoples' experience at the hands of the MIB are better than most and certainly better than mine! LOL

HI! I'm in a situation whereby I have been signed off work by my doctor for nearly 2 years following a bad car accident, and suffered whiplash, back spasm and sciatica, leaving me with difficulty walking, moving and sleeping. My company have now requested a meeting with me, after receiving a doctors report highlighting my mobility issues, stating that the outcome of the meeting could mean my contract being terminated! Basically, it looks like they want to sack me while I am signed off, but have ignored all requests for me to work from home, and have refused to actually make allowances or offer any form of help for my mobility issues in helping me to return to work. I feel i have been treated very unfairly, in that they want to do this on December 15th 2009 (great timing...NOT!) leaving me both shocked and anxious about what is going to happen. They have based most of this decision on evidence supplied by the companies' BUPA health care management team, and most of that evidence has been refuted by the latest report AND my doctor. Additionally, they have only kept me up-to-date in that I have had 2 face-to-face home meetings (informal) and 1 meeting with my manager (formal) to outline changes to the working practices of my current (soon to be lost by the look of it) position in the space of 24 months! Even emails I send to them get responded to in about 3 weeks and I have received NO letters of update, no "news letters" or even updates from my team leader or my direct line management despite requesting them on numerous occasions! My question(s) to the forum would be (and I am grateful for ANY help here!) is this: 1) Can they sack me while I am signed off sick, even though I have offered to work from home (managed by myself)? 2) Can they ignore my requests for possible help with returning to work on a part-time basis, given my current mobility issues? 3) Can they do this without prior consultation, and have thus far withheld any form of evidence to base thier decision on? 4) Refuse to allow me any form of representation other than an employee of the company to act as a witness only (who would have little bearing on the meeting at all)? I am seriously worried about this, as it means that if they do indeed terminate my contract, is going to effectively cause me further hardship, stress and anxiety with regards to the coming "season of good will" (to put it as sarcastically as possible!) Please help, I am at my wit's end! MB

Well, to say I am shocked would be an understatement! I received a phone call from my solicitor yesterday, and it bowled me over! Basically, the MIB have ACCEPTED full liability and have ACCEPTED and will deal with the claim in FULL and will also pay out the claim in full upon agreement with my solicitor! Nearly there, just waiting for the medical report and all is pretty much sorted!! I wanted to thank EVERYONE for their input and say: "Don't give up, but with the MIB it IS a waiting game, so patients is needed when dealing with such a pedantic, government run agency"

On a final note, my claim is broken down into the following: Accident Compensation offer (by MIB): £3000 (originally offered £2500 and refused this as not a fair assessment of injuries and after-affects) Loss of earnings (until current date): 18 Months+ at £1220 p/m (AFTER tax/NI deductions) Any additional costs and Legal Expenses: (also note that legal expenses on this are covered by my insurance as I have up to £100,000 legal cover on a fully comp policy!) My calculations show (and have been agreed to by my solicitor as well!) ads being in excess of: £22,260 and counting! I do NOT expect the MIB to want to pay this out, but according to my solicitor, if they refuse to accept liability, or delay any longer, my solicitor is going for £50,000 to cover ALL the case stuff! Who know, Might even see some of that!

I suppose I am very lucky, in that the MIB have now been informed by my solicitor that they should be prepared to provide a full and complete offer to end the claim or look for a good barrister, as they have accepted the place of the 3rd party in this case, then they will be issued against in the county court with regards to the issue. My solicitor has informed them of the following: 1) Based on photographic evidence supplied by myself, their claim that I accept 50/50 liability is false 2) Based on the fact that they have failed to provide any form of evidence supporting this refusal to accept liability, they will be held in contempt by my solicitor (basically, they keep delaying the case, then refusing to acknowledge letters/phone calls!) 3) They still have not supplied a statement from the 3rd party driver I have been told that the case handler has referred the case to a supervisor due to the error in handling the locus report, so my solicitor has given them until mid-July to consider their position, and informed them that regardless of their reply, the case will be forwarded to be issued by my legal team management. I will keep you guys informed as to the outcome, but my solicitor feels that we are within 1 month of resolution/county court, so heres' to waiting for a couple of weeks longer!!

Thanks for replying eyeballs! I am not too de-motivated because recently my solicitor notified the MIB to find a good solicitor to answer the claim in court, as they based their decision and underlying demands on incorrect accident site information, and my solicitor has also had enough of them delaying the claim. We are now waiting for their reply, but court case paperwork will be issued against them within 3 weeks, regardless of what they reply. Now that they have evidence based on the ACTUAL accident site, my solicitor states that their case does not hold any validity and once it goes before a judge (which is what they are now aiming to do) the MIB will have NO option but to accept liability in full as they have NOT received/obtained a statement form the other driver. I'll keep you all posted...

Also, it is intersting to note that the MIB are demanding that I accept 50/50 liability based on thier evidence (which has been proved to be completely inaccurate!) and we seem to be at a stalemate!

I would like to add (as a new user to this forum) that you are having similar difficulties to myself. I got hit by a Turkish lorry in December of 2007, and the claim was passed to the MIB in January of 2008, and has been ongoing since then! I have to say that the MIB do indeed take thier time, and I received thier photos form the LOCUS report yesterday (after 3 months of my solicitor asking for them and the report!). It is distressing to note that the Locus report shows a completely different accident site to where the accident actually took place, and what with the MIB dragging thier heals, with no end in sight and no offers of interim payments, I have now instructed my solicitor to issue claim against them AGAIN to try to get this sorted out. It is also unfiar to note, that once my solicitor gets any form of headway with dealing with the MIB, they change the case/file handler who then demands upwards of 2 weeks to reveiw the case notes and files! On a second note, if a request for an interim payment is made, does this affect the claim for lost earnings (as I have been signed off since the accident with back, neck (whiplash and soft-tissue damage) and shoulder injuries as well as difficulties with my knees since the accident!)? I could do with SOME hope for this nightmare to finally end so that I can get on with my life and enjoy my 2 very young chilren!