The Law Society is hitting back at claims that lawyers are adding to high whiplash payouts.
A new AA survey of over 5,000 motorists has found that just over a quarter of us think that court awards need to be lowered.
The typical payment is currently €15,000 - three times more than most other European countries.
Earlier this week the AA's Director of Consumer Affairs, Conor Faughnan, claimed solicitors are 'enabling and encouraging a litigation culture'.
But former President of the Law Society of Ireland, Stuart Gilhooly, says they are sometimes conned by their clients.
He said: "If a person comes into a solicitor's office and says 'I have a sore neck,' what they do is write to the person's doctor and if the doctor says 'yes, there is a claim here,' then they have no reason to believe otherwise.
They don't have resources to send private detectives out to follow their own clients.