Legal
This week in Post: highs, lows and running with the wolves
It has been a week of highs and lows in our household. My son went on his first Cub sleepover and earned the honour of becoming a Sixer. I, meanwhile, returned to the X-ray machine.
Insurance law firms 'dramatically' losing business
Law firms are seeing a ‘dramatic’ fall in business as a result of changes to the way the insurers they support operate.
Blog: Mishcon ruling won't set solicitors' PI premiums rising
In the often challenging world of solicitors' professional indemnity insurance, the conveyancing field has long held a high-risk reputation due to its propensity for claims generation. Now a new lawsuit has hit the headlines, with the controversial…
Legal Update: Driverless car policies don't preclude product liability
As automated vehicles take to the roads, the government is likely to focus on one motor insurer as the first port of call for any third-party claim to simplify the claims process. However, that will not preclude other proceedings based on product…
Blog: Whiplash reforms were supposed to be about fraud
There is something rather strange happening in the debate around the whiplash reforms. For all the sound and fury across the entrenched battle lines with which we are all familiar, there does appear to be a consensus forming across the divide.
Blog: Ogden predicted a nasty surprise way back in 1984
The late Sir Michael Ogden might be chuckling somewhere at the recent discount rate events.
Minster Law to close York office
Personal injury firm Minster Law will close its York office and offer the approximately 300 affected staff positions in Wakefield, although some site-specific roles will no longer be required.
Blog: Insurers could regret whiplash reforms
In the end, the whiplash reform moved remarkably quickly. After 12 months of deliberating, we only had six weeks of consultation, followed by seven weeks of considering what to do. The tangible result was the compiling of seven hurriedly drafted clauses…
Autofocus trial continues as defendants give evidence
The trial against former Autofocus employees for contempt of court continued today at the Royal Courts of Justice.
Legal Update: Robotic surgery - cutting through the insurance implications
With advances in robotics and artificial intelligence taking hold of the medical industry, do the benefits of robot-assisted surgery outweigh the risks - especially for insurers?
Blog: Blaming local authorities for abuse
Abuse claims are prevalent in the media, with allegations of abuse continuing to emerge against football clubs and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse holding its first public hearings, examining the cases of British children sent to…
Government to 'urgently' consult on discount rate cut after insurer CEO meeting
The government has said that it will “progress urgently” a consultation on the Ogden discount rate and “carefully consider” all the evidence submitted following today’s meeting between insurers and the Treasury.
Travelers threatens start-up broker over use of umbrella logo
Start-up broker Brolly is looking to crowdsource a new logo following the threat of legal action from Travelers.
Gallagher sues Scottish broker over client poaching
Arthur J Gallagher is suing a former member of staff and his new employer over allegations of client poaching.
Social media libel: Keyboard warriors
Social media grants people the ability to broadcast their opinions to a wide audience. What coverage can insurers provide against libel?
Blog: Pokémon no go - the rules of the game for construction professionals
How can an app where players catch animated characters affect the insurance industry?
Ex-Autofocus employees standing trial drop application as court case continues
Council representing six of the seven ex-Autofocus employees standing trial for contempt of court have withdrew an application to limit the scope of the case against their clients.
Legal Update: Motor's waiting game
The motor claims market is currently sitting in that state of indecision that business - and pilots - like to call ‘a holding pattern' as it awaits three major government consultations. These, to push the aviation analogy to its fullest, are hovering…
Law firm to pay Axa £70,000 after systematically inflating legal costs
Claimant law firm Asons has agreed to repay almost £70,000 to Axa after admitting to falsely and systematically inflating its legal costs.
AIG ex-CEO Greenberg settles long-running fraud case for $9m
Former AIG CEO Maurice “Hank” Greenberg, along with former chief financial officer Howard Smith, have agreed to pay $9.9m (£7.9m) to settle a 12-year old securities fraud case.
Legal expenses insurers to face hit from whiplash reforms
Firms offering legal expenses insurance could face heavy losses from "draconian" whiplash reforms.
Bila's Castle on the prospect of collective redress in the UK
The prospect of a full-blown, opt-out US class action culture, funded by a Plaintiff Bar made fat from its cut of the damages, is not one that most UK insurers would relish.
Cryonics: premium on immortality?
The world of cryonics, and the freezing of human tissue, is proving a tricky one for the insurance industry.
ABI and Apil give evidence in parliament over whiplash
Insurers and lawyers went head to head over whiplash reform at a Parliamentary committee hearing this afternoon.