BLM
Blog: Six months is a long time in politics
December 2019 was the first anniversary of Royal Assent to the Civil Liability Act 2018 and mid-January 2020 marked six months on from one of David Gauke’s last decisions as Lord Chancellor to set a new personal injury discount rate of -0.25% for England…
Analysis: Insuring care for the elderly – is the insurance sector up to the challenge?
Prime Minister Boris Johnson may be the Brexiteers’ main man, but can he also deliver the goods when it comes to caring for the UK’s growing elderly population?
Spotlight: Autonomous Vehicles: The insurance implications of a driverless marine cargo market
Similarly to developments in the auto industry, unmanned seafaring vessels could become prevalent in the future. But today the trend is towards partial autonomy. Valerie Hart looks at the prospects of improving vessel performance and safety, hurdles, and…
Changes to limitation law must be carefully considered, child abuse inquiry hears
Defendant and claimant lawyers testifying in front of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse yesterday agreed that the current system is not working for victims and survivors, but warned clarity is needed on the consequences of altering…
Analysis: 'Dangerous excesses' - Rogue firms drive increase in six-figure credit hire claims
"Outlier" credit hire companies have left insurers increasingly dealing with claims in excess of £100,000, lawyers have cautioned.
2019 Insurance Fraud Awards: Full list of winners
Zurich was the big winner at the 2019 Post Insurance Fraud Awards picking up three awards, and a highly commended including top prize in the Investigation of the Year category.
Analysis: Should the FCA impose fee caps on CMCs?
The Financial Conduct Authority is working to limit charges for claims management companies’ services, but will new regulation actually be a double-edged sword for consumers?
Analysis: Discount rate decision casts a shadow over personal injury settlements
The personal injury discount rate will be set at minus 0.25% from 5 August providing certainty for insurers and claimants alike, but uncertainty created by the Ministry of Justice review behind the new rate could have left claimants – as well as insurers…
This week: Rolling in it
Thursday seemed an appropriate day for insurtech Hippo to announce the outcome of its latest funding round – with temperatures reaching 38°C in places, the urge to emulate the mud-wallowing tendencies of its namesake animal became more and more tempting.
BLM wins fundamental dishonesty case against opportunistic fraudster
BLM has won a fundamental dishonesty case against a fraudster who claimed for whiplash from an accident where she was not in the vehicle.
Blog: Fires and cars - spontaneous combustion is 'use'
The legal definition of when a car is in use and how it affects an insurance claim has long been contentious. Alistair Kinley, director of policy and government affairs at BLM, takes a look at the latest ruling and its likely impact on the insurance…
Analysis: Industry faces financial blow from discount rate revision
Insurers that have been pricing and reserving using a discount rate of between 0 to 1% may face a short term financial hit, analysts have warned.
Landmark court ruling could lead to surge in motor premiums
Exclusive: Motor insurance policyholders could see their premiums increase as a result of a six year landmark case against Motor Insurers’ Bureau.
Insurers can 'breathe easier' as Supreme Court clarifies the use of compulsory motor insurance
Supreme Court has ruled against Axa in a landmark dispute between a property damage insurer and a motor insurer over £2m fire claim.
Analysis: Bad data - A risky business for insurers?
Data is everywhere: good data, partial data, valuable data, bad data. Insurers need data to measure and price risks but do they take enough care in assessing the quality and provenance of the data they are using and are their processes sufficiently…
Court ruling swerves ‘new category of professional negligence claims’
Lawyers have welcomed a ruling by the Supreme Court in favour of a law firm, after a claimant argued he had lost out on his chance for more compensation due to his solicitor’s negligence.
Analysis: Insuring for Brexit
How can insurers help customers facing Brexit uncertainly when they themselves face taking a blind bet on whether the UK will face a hard or soft deal when leaving the European Union? David Worsfold investigates.
Q&A: BLM's Matthew Harrington and Alistair Kinley
Against a backdrop of changing client demands, political uncertainty and new legislation, Jonathan Swift caught up with BLM senior partner Matthew Harrington and director of policy and government affairs Alistair Kinley to discuss how the law firm is…
Travel sickness CMC activity 'should be regulated by the FCA'
Claims management companies who deal with travel sickness should be included in upcoming Financial Conduct Authority regulation of the sector, warn experts.
Eateries warned they could face negligence claims following Pret allergy deaths
Coffee chains and similar outlets may face negligence claims following Pret allergy deaths, warn experts.
Insurance Fraud Awards 2018 - full list of winners
Keoghs partner James Heath, pictured, was handed the achievement prize at the Fraud Awards last night in what proved to be a fruitful night for the law firm.
Claims II: Sport injury: Hitting hard
As professional sportspeople complain about their insufficient cover for career-ending injuries, insurers fear a surge in claims from contact sports
This Week in Post: Surprises and savings
Getting a nasty surprise when the bill arrives is a feeling many of us have experienced. Some insured losses are no different.
CMCs look elsewhere as industry calls time on travel claims 'epidemic'
The epidemic of holiday sickness claims might be over, but insurers have been warned claims management companies are already moving into new areas to make up for the shortfall in revenue.