No win no fee news
17/04/2007

An accident too far. Ex no win no fee boss dies in car accident.

Mark Langford, former boss of the no win, no fee accident compensation firm, The Accident Group (TAG), was killed in a car accident in the Spanish resort of Marbella.

Much criticised Langford will forever be synonymous with the infamous text message he sent to his 2,500 staff following the collapse of TAG, which read, "Urgent. Unfortunately salaries not paid. Please do not contact office. Full details to follow later.."

It is believed that Mr Langford was driving when his car sped off the motorway near the resort. No one else is known to have been hurt in the car accident.

It was not the first time that Mr Langford had been involved in a car accident. In 2000, only six months after he had served a 22 month drink-driving ban, he was convicted of careless driving when he hit and killed a pensioner while driving his Ferrari.

The pensioner was hurled 15 feet into the air by impact and died in hospital two hours later. The judge passing sentence on Langford said that he was driving his high-powered Ferrari like 'a frustrated teenager'.

Staff at the Manchester based TAG group famously looted their offices following their curt dismissal by text message.

At the time of his death, Mr Langford was still being sought by HM Revenue and Customs for £4.1 million in unpaid tax.

At the time of TAG's collapse, its methods were criticised as 'seriously flawed' by its more scrupulous no win no fee rivals.