The Association of British Insurers’ head of motor and liability James Dalton asked whether injured people should actually be provided solely with rehabilitation rather than receiving an award of damages.
He said: “We need a debate about whether someone should be awarded money for a low-value, low-impact and very minor injury claims. It’s a debate about whether you should be provided with rehabilitation and no cash. That is a legitimate public policy debate for society to have and politicians to decide on.”
All other things being equal, a debate would be sensible. I actually think there is a lot to be said for a no-fault approach to rehabilitation immediately after an accident. It may stop,, or at least ameliorate, some of the negative stories with which personal injury claims have become wrongly associated.
rehabilitation rather than damages?
However, all things are not equal and therein lays my objection to Mr Dalton’s request. Experience tells us that insurers would lobby politicians, the Ministry of Justice would deliver misleading statistics to support insurers’ position and insurers would dupe the public with empty promises of lower car insurance premiums.
The tabloid Press would hang on the insurers’ every word, labelling the very action of making a personal injury claim as in some way against society’s better interests.
Read the full story via Peter Watson: Repairing damage over injury claims – Yorkshire Post.
