Lawford Kidd's Blog

A survey from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) has found that the legal costs for making third party whiplash-type injury claims has fallen by 65%.

According to the IFoA, the introduction of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2013 has not only led to a reduction in the cost of legal fees, but also a reduction in the cost of making a genuine whiplash claim. The introduction of the act has also led to a decrease in the number of bogus claims throughout the UK.

The IFoA findings show that the cost of whiplash-type bodily injury claims has fallen by 19%, with the frequency of the claims also dropping by 12% from the previous year.

The subject of whiplash claims has returned once again to the spotlight with the publication of a report by the House of Commons Transport Select Committee, which looked into the impact of whiplash claims on the cost of motor insurance premiums.

The report recommends that Ministers should consider reducing the limitation period for road accident insurance claims, and require whiplash claimants to produce more supporting evidence. However, the report also stresses that genuine claimants should not be demonised.

Accreditation scheme

Looking in more detail at the report, the Committee states that it supports the proposal for an accreditation scheme for medical practitioners who provide medical reports in relation to whiplash claims.

Direct Line Insurance have been involved in a number of personal injury cases brought by injured whiplash victims who failed to receive proper compensation.

For help with all aspects of whiplash injuries in Scotland contact us on 0800 027 1480