Legal reform
North of the Border: Jury still out on court reform plan
It’s been called a “great project of civil court reform” by Lord Gill, and it is true the draft Court Reform (Scotland) Bill is a significant part of the Scottish government’s programme to overhaul and update Scotland’s justice system.
DLG boss expects reforms to prompt limited benefit in tough market
Direct Line Group chief executive Paul Geddes has vowed to adopt a conservative outlook on legal reform within the motor market and has suggested financial gains will be enjoyed by consumers as opposed to insurers.
Expertise must underpin legal process warns law firm
Deficient IT processes operated by “under-qualified fee-earners” are accountable for missing serious injuries in up to 10% of low-value personal injury cases, a law firm has suggested.
Your say: A step in the right direction
I was interested to read Tony Emms' contribution to the debate on the increase in the small claims limit for whiplash claims, says Tom Jones.
Claimant view: An unjust blow to worker protection
The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill appears to be ‘not about’ a lot of things, says Tom Jones.
View from the top: Brave new pain-free world?
A balance must be struck to protect genuine whiplash claims while reducing frequency and cost, says Tony Emms.
Judge blasts Equity's 'insouciance' despite legal win on BTE lawyer choice
Before-the-event legal expenses insurers have had their conduct condemned in the Court of Appeal despite securing a legal victory.
Claimant view: David v Goliath
Genuine claimants are made to suffer by the government's 'draconian measures' in support of insurers, says Tom Jones.
Scottish independence: Age auld question
The countdown for a vote on Scottish independence has begun. With divergence between Holyrood and Westminster growing already in the claims arena, it's never too early for insurers to ask: will we be ready?
Catastrophic injury: Collaboration not confrontation
Despite its inherently adversarial nature, a collaborative approach to catastophic injury claims can prove advantageous for all parties.
SRA to make life simple for lawyers and CMCs with referral fee checklist
The Solicitors Regulation Authority will publish practical 'FAQ' guidance well ahead of the April 2013 ban on referral fees to best inform claims management companies and solicitors on exactly how the watchdog will monitor and enforce compliance.
RTA portal expert warns extension could produce de facto 'no fault' scheme
Fixed fees at the level proposed by the Ministry of Justice to apply in the extended Road Traffic Accident Portal risk creating a de facto 'no fault' scheme, according to the academic commissioned by government to assess its initial effectiveness as…
Your Say: A step in the right direction
The tentative approval by the Forum of Insurance Lawyers regarding the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers’ proposal for eliminating fraudulent whiplash claims (‘Apil urged to put words into action on whiplash fraud elimination plan’, www.postonline…
Foil seeks collaboration with industry specialists in bid to maintain relevance
Association proclaims ‘important step for industry harmonisation’
Allianz CEO Torrance blasts 99.1% COR as 'unacceptably poor'
Allianz UK's commercial lines combined operating ratio deteriorated to 99.1% for the first nine months of 2012 from 95.1% in Q3 2011 as the retail non-motor COR worsened to 101.7%.
Law firms hail OFT for looking at bigger picture beyond whiplash
Lawyers have continued to highlight their support for the Office of Fair Trading's decision to refer the motor insurance industry to the Competition Commission.
Commercial properties to become squatter target, policyholders warned
Commercial property owners have been warned that more squatters could attempt to bed down in their unoccupied buildings now that it is a criminal offence to trespass on residential properties.
Online exclusive: Will no-fault compensation soon become a reality in Scotland?
The Scottish government has today (20 August 2012) launched a consultation on no-fault compensation north of the border for injuries resulting from clinical treatment.
Williams: claims colleagues deserve equal pay and greater recognition
Axa's David Williams has called for parity in remunerating claims employees who possess equivalent knowledge and experience to their underwriting counterparts, as he departed the field last week to focus purely on underwriting.
Discount rate consultation: How should it be set?
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Justice published a long-anticipated consultation into the methodology used by the Lord Chancellor in setting the discount rate for personal injury damages. But what exactly is being consulted on, what options are being…
Two-year wait ends as PI discount rate consultation launched
The Ministry of Justice has called on stakeholders to respond to the long-awaited discount rate consultation, which it finally launched yesterday.
Comment: Pulling off a balancing act
Will the proposals for reforming insurance contract law in the commercial arena stack up?