Insurance companies poised to abuse new road traffic accident compensation system

This week the Government indicated it was set to press ahead with its controversial plans to overhaul the system for dealing with road traffic accident personal injury claims.

I blogged recently about the fact these changes, which the public seem to be unaware of let alone pressing for, are set to cost the UK £140m in revenue and the NHS £6m.

A further article in today’s Law Society Gazette caught my eye.  The main thrust of the article is with regard to the fact the Government’s plan to introduce a new online “gateway” system in which apparently any member of the public, suffering any degree of injury following a car accident, can submit a claim.  The author makes the point that this could open the door to millions of speculative claims which ordinarily would never be submitted as solicitors would either advise the client if they had poor prospects of success or there would not be supportive medical evidence.

In brief, taking checks and balances out of the system is likely to lead to speculative chaos.

As ever though, the insurance companies have a plan (and likely had it from the outset).

Their plan to break the system is simple and well-versed: deny everything.  The Gazette reports that a delegate who attended a recent Associate of Personal Injury Lawyer’s annual conference, and who has links with insurance companies, revealed that the insurance companies’ plan is to deny everything, banking on the fact the public will not be able to manage court proceedings on their own.  As I’ve explained previously, one of the perhaps cruellest aspect of the reforms is that your premiums will still be spent by the insurance companies on large defendant law firms, whilst claimants will be unable to rely upon a solicitor, resulting in a disparity of arms.  In short, it will be you on your own versus a large experienced defendant law firm, that your premiums have paid for… ….fair?

 

As an injury at work specialist solicitor my main concern remains as to whether once the insurance companies reap the increased profits from these reforms whether they then turn towards injuries that flow from an accident at work, or perhaps later down the line medical negligence even?

As also being a local solicitor in Bury, Aston Knight Solicitors are proud to have helped thousands of innocent injured people recover the compensation the law entitles them to and will continue to oppose changes which swap legal rights for insurance company profits.

By James Winterbottom, Solicitor

Aston Knight Solicitors Bury are a specialist firm of solicitors that specialise in serious injuries including medical negligence claims and work injury compensation. If you would like to discuss further then please contact a member of our team on 0800 999 6661 or info@astonknightsolicitors.co.uk for a free and confidential discussion.