12 Aug 2019
Susan Henry, Operations Director talks The Civil Liability Bill
Last month, Modern Law Magazine approached our Operations Director, Susan Henry, to write an opinion piece on The Civil Liability Bill, colloquially known as the ‘whiplash reforms’.
As the deadline approaches for the implementation, there are still many questions and much to be answered when it comes to the reforms and it’s been a hot topic for anyone working across both the legal and insurance industries for the past few years. In the article Susan quips that it would actually be easier to write about everything we don’t know about The Civil Liability Bill reforms at present, a feeling shared by many affected by them.
Whilst the tariff scheme for whiplash injuries and the ban on pre-medical offers have already been publicised, there’s still uncertainty over whether the ‘whiplash reforms’ will bring the perceived claims culture under control and whether the pre-med ban would further reduce the instances of fraudulent claims that has already seen a significant decline in recent years.
At Speed Medical we always put the injured party at the heart of any process or service, so naturally Susan’s piece speaks candidly about the potential issues of unrepresented individuals finding their way around the proposed new system and how best to inform, educate and assist those in need through what could be a complex system to navigate. From a medical reporting agency perspective, Susan also brings to light how those unrepresented members of the public could select and instruct a quality medical reporting agency for their cases.
Going on to explore non-whiplash claims, initial reports, DME (direct to medical expert) and quality issues, the piece also highlights how there’s uncertainty for both insurers and solicitors as the reform deadline approaches. As insurers currently benefit from solicitors doing a lot of the work upfront to ensure that the claim is sound and valid, there are questions over how insurers will suddenly deal with an influx of unrepresented claimants, likewise there’s uncertainty in the solicitor market with some deciding to leave the small claims sector altogether.
With less than 12 months to go there’s much to still be clarified but you can rest assured that whatever the outcome, Speed Medical will be dedicated to providing clinically governed medical reports and the customer service excellence that they’ve become renowned for to whoever requires support.
To read Susan’s opinion piece in full make sure you check out this month’s Modern Law Magazine – available both digitally by clicking here or in print.
