Fortune from 'blame claim' mantra

There was anger over this image of former boss Mark Langford

It became the most infamous text message in company history.

The brazen directive left 2,500 employees of The Accident Group in shock, without pay and unemployed.

It stated simply: "Urgent. Unfortunately salaries not paid. Please do not contact office. Full details to follow later."

What did follow was an outpouring of anger from people employed by the Manchester-based "no win no fee" injury-claim company.

And the understandable bitterness was directed at one man - Mark Langford, who has now died following a car crash in Spain.

Mr Langford, 43, founded The Accident Group (TAG) and turned it into one of the UK's biggest injury claims specialists by pushing the "where there's blame there's a claim" mantra.

It worked by offering insurance to accident victims, which covered them for making their personal injury claims. Legal expenses were paid for if they lost their case.

Mark Langford's success meant he rubbed shoulders with world leaders

The company collected the claims and then passed them on to solicitors, with customers paying the insurance fee only if they won their claim.

But the firm's business model was described as "wholly flawed" by rivals.

Its collapse in May 2003 was swift. Soon after staff with company mobile phones received the text messages its parent company was placed into administration. Liquidation followed in 2004.

But while workers were left with nothing and TAG's creditors were owed about £100m - chairman Mark Langford remained a multi-millionaire.

He blamed administrators for the decision to tell employees they had lost the jobs by text messages, claiming he was "gobsmacked" at the way workers found out.

Speaking from his £3m mansion in North Rode, Cheshire, at the time he said: "I'm absolutely devastated - particularly for the staff.

It's a sad situation for everyone, and a sad end to the life of a man who did have a damaging effect on the lives of thousands of people Alec McFadden, TUC

"I don't like what has happened. If it had been in my control I would not have done it that way."

A few months later it emerged that £11.8m of dividends was paid out to the firm's directors - which included Mr Langford and his wife, Deborah - before its collapse.

While former workers continued to battle for owed wages, Mr Langford moved his family to his villa in Marbella, continuing to enjoy his riches.

But in 2005, the authorities appeared to begin catching up with the former TAG boss.

In October 2005 the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced it was seeking to disqualify Mr Langford as a company director, along with his wife Deborah.

In December 2005, the Langfords had their assets frozen by the courts at the request of TAG's liquidators.

The following year in October 2006, the couple put their luxury Cheshire home up for sale with an asking price of £3.75m.

Depression claim

The couple's problems mounted in February 2007 when they were issued with a writ and court summons.

According to newspaper reports, a bailiff acting on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs came calling during a birthday party for their daughter on their luxury £1.5m yacht, berthed in southern Spain.

Mr Langford was ordered to appear at a bankruptcy hearing at the High Court in London on 6 March, but this was adjourned on the request of his lawyers, who said he was suffering from manic depression.

Judges adjourned until 1 May for a hearing which is now unlikely to take place and places further doubt over whether those affected by TAG's collapse will ever see anyone in court.

Trade union worker Alec McFadden, who represented the interests of sacked TAG workers, summed up the feelings of many of his members.

He said: "It's a sad situation for everyone, and a sad end to the life of a man who did have a damaging effect on the lives of thousands of people."