Personal injury (PI)
Millar leaves RBSI claims
Julian Millar, head of specialist claims operations at Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance, has parted ways with the company.
Insurance Fraud Awards 2010 - call for entries
Entries for the Insurance Fraud Awards 2010 are now open. Now in their second year, these prestigious awards recognise the general insurance industry’s efforts to combat and prevent fraud and encourage the spread of best practice and excellence across…
Motor - Safety developments: Safety first and last
Thatcham is busy testing a range of new technologies that could reduce accident rates. Leigh Jackson takes a closer look at them.
Looking back 30 years: Cricket bucks sports club claims trend
Some insurers have stopped writing personal accident business for sports clubs, in view of poor claims experience.
Legal update - residential care: A duty of care
The Department of Health consultation on charging for residential care, which recently closed, has again raised the issue of who should pick up the tab for residential care in personal injury compensation cases. Sallie Harrington and Paul Stephens…
Law report: Decision in Land of Leather allergy case favourable to insurers
Horwood and others v Land of Leather (in administration), Zurich Insurance and others (Queen's Bench Division — 18 March 2010)
Legal update - referral fees: Simple complexity
Lord Justice Jackson views referral fees as "offensive and wrong in principle" but Helen Withers argues that an outright ban may generate more losers than winners.
RTA PI claims portal endures "bumpy ride"
The new portal for administering road traffic accident personal injury claims has had a "bumpy ride", despite the high number of electronic claims notification forms created since the live date of 30 April.
Apil “bitterly disappointed” at Queen’s Speech damages omission
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers has expressed its disappointment at the coalition government’s decision to leave the draft Civil Law Reform Bill out of the Queen’s Speech.
QBE takes to the road
This month QBE is taking to the road to explain the benefits of early claims reporting to motor insurance brokers and clients around the UK in a series of educational roadshows.
BIBA 2010: Insurers and brokers warned over "cancerous" credit hire issue
Delegates were warned yesterday that if the industry does not address the issue of credit hire, it will get even more “cancerous” and ultimately ruin the insurance industry’s reputation.
Law reports: Evidence suggests fractures were sustained earlier in athletics case
Davenport v Farrow (Queen's Bench Division — 18 March 2010)
Law reports: Case underlines high threshold needed with fraud allegations
Noble v Owens (Court of Appeal — 18 March 2010)
Fraud - MOJ reforms: Against the clock
With the MoJ's 15-day timeframe for insurers to make liability decisions on third-party injury claims from road accidents now in force, Veronica Cowan examines whether the increased time pressures risk rendering the reforms little more than a cheat's…
Industry rails against SMS claims farming
Insurers have reacted angrily to the growing number of unsolicited claims farming text messages being sent by claims management firms.
Claims Club News: Cutts: PI industry is at odds with access to justice
A conflict between access to justice and the so-called personal injury industry has sprung up according to Forum of Insurance Lawyers president Dan Cutts.
Claims Club News: RTA portal needs revamp
The road traffic accident portal, which went live last week, will need to be refreshed as early as the summer according to Fraser Fundell, chief executive of IDSL, the firm commissioned to manage the technology.
Fortis and RBSI hail RTA portal link-up success
Only a handful of insurers successfully took steps to link their internal IT systems to the Ministry of Justice's road traffic accident portal ahead of its roll-out, Post has learnt.
Marsh backs personal injury reforms
Organisations could potentially reduce their claims costs and motor fleet insurance premiums by adhering to the Road Traffic Act’s new personal injury claims process, which was introduced in England and Wales on 30 April, Marsh has said.
Law reports: Homeowner not negligent over workman's accident
Kmiecic v Isaacs (Queen's Bench Division — 12 March 2010)
Law reports: Tour operator bears burden in snowmobile accident case
Emma Moore v Hotelplan (T/A Inghams Travel) & Tantera (Queen's Bench Division — 22 February 2010)
Broking focus - referral fees: Fight less, pay more
Brokers have been told they can expect falls in income generated from referral fees after new reforms were implemented on 30 April. Ralph Savage discusses the potential fallout from these new rules and what impact it could have on brokers' bottom line.
View from the top: Last of the icy conditions?
It's been a hard winter for many — but particularly for insurers. Claims losses have been rising for several years and the recession isn't helping either. CIFAS, the UK fraud prevention service, says that 2009 saw a 55% increase in false insurance claims.
Claims Cub News: Apil president warns of pre-emptive Jackson adoption
Lord Justice Jackson's report was described as a "magnum opus" which will "set the agenda for the personal injury world over the next 18 months as we pass from consultation to what is termed the implementation stage".