The Association of British Insurers has called for a complete overhaul of the compensation system in a report, which happens to have coincided with the Compensation Bill, which is at the committee stage at the House of Lords. They believe that the current personal injury system is not working, and have suggested that claimants for injuries under £25,000 make a direct claim to the employer or insurer as soon as possible by filling out a universal claim form.
They believe that a free, independent helpline, established by the insurance industry would help claimants fill out the form. According to the Association, once the claim has been filed, the decision to accept or reject it should be made within six months. The decision on the level of compensation should be made within three months after that. They have also called on the government to introduce a new scale of compensation payments to ensure that there is transparency in the system.
Our view
These suggestions seem reasonable to make applications easier.