Premium rip-off

TERESA Hunter (Business, 31 January) mentions ambulance-chasing lawyers who encourage clients to sue for maximum compensation as one possible reason for a dramatic hike in motor insurance premiums.

Might another be the fact that repairers recommended by insurance companies sometimes appear to charge at the upper end of the price range, regardless of the extent of work actually needing to be done?

I am aware of a case recently where the sole recommended repairer quoted 950 for a small bodywork job which a one-man garage in a less fashionable part of town had said would cost no more than 200.

Bridget M Stevens, Edinburgh