UK’s Chartered Insurance Institute Joins Calls for Personal Injury Reform

The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) added its voice to the growing calls on the UK government to follow through on its proposed reforms to the personal injury compensation system.

The CII joined the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and other organizations in urging the government to take action (See IJ web site – https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2008/03/25/88525.htm).

The Government published a consultation paper in 2007, “proposing sensible reforms to the system,” said the ABI. However, “the public, as well as insurance and claims professionals, have been waiting for over a year for the Government to follow through with its plans.”

The proposals are aimed at establishing a personal injury claims system “that is fair and efficient; pays compensation to the right claimants quickly; and returns people to health through a structured and efficient rehabilitation process,” said the bulletin. While it’s difficult to argue with those goals, how to achieve them remains a subject for discussion.

The CII said: “One key element to ensure claimants are treated fairly is that insurers are informed of the claim within the required time and the consumer is aware of the policy wording at the point of sale. This underscores the need for clear and transparent customer information on how, and within what time scale, a claim should be made.”

CII President Lord Hunt of Wirral commented: “There is a great deal of speculation about how ministers came to lose the momentum for reform they so manifestly had a year ago. The ABI, CBI and Citizens Advice said some sensible things today about the need for the Government to get on with reforming the personal injury claims system. No one should underestimate the importance of this issue.”

He added that it “would be nothing short of a scandal if considerations that run contrary to the public’s best interests effectively veto these much-needed and often-delayed reforms.”

Source: Chartered Insurance Institute – www.cii.co.uk