A LAWYER who turned a blind eye to dozens of dodgy road traffic claims has ended up in further hot water with regulators.

Ali Asghar, who used to run AA Solicitors, was fined £35,000 earlier this year by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

A fitness to practise panel heard Asghar was brought to book after a doctor, acting in road traffic claims, had turned whistleblower.

The medic claimed some of the lawyer’s clients had been seen by him previously, using different identities in relation to different accidents, after he analysed 27 files relating to the St Helens Road firm.

An inquiry by Dean Spencer, a forensic investigator with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), then examined a further 34 cases.

And Mr Spencer found that, after his checks, the ‘accidents’ tended to always involve more than one claimant, with similar or identical injuries recorded.

Each time one ‘lead claimant’ provided contact details but there were none for whoever else was said to be in the car.

He also found that the ‘accidents’ were nearly always rear-end shunts that required the injured parties to take two or three weeks off work.

Asghar’s firm had received legal costs of around £37,444, for 40 successful claims, with clients receiving compensation totalling £78,357.

The solicitor admitted to three breaches of the solicitor’s code of conduct but denied being reckless. No dishonesty had been alleged in his case, for which he also had to pay £31,560 in costs.

The SDT hearing was told Asghar’s firm was no longer trading, having been wound up last December.

But this has now led to a fresh appearance before the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for the lawyer.

Before AA closed on December 29, the SRA found that there was a shortfall of at least £7,138 in the firm’s client account, dating back to December 31 the previous year, which had not been promptly remedied by Asghar.

An investigation by the watchdog also found that the accounts books were ‘unreliable’ and not properly maintained.

The solicitor was given an official rebuke, with £600 costs, after it was found he had breached solicitors accounting rules.