Several major insurers, along with more than 40 law firms, medical reporting agencies and rehabilitation providers, have expressed their commitment to the Association of Consumer Support Organisations’ (ACSO) and the Association of British Insurers’ (ABI) brokered statement of intent, which aims to ensure personal injury claims can be settled promptly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“So far the vast majority of insurers we or our members have engaged with have confirmed they are supportive of the principles of the statement of intent, which they are applying in their own ways,” he said.
Maxwell Scott explained that the statement, which was extended for a further three weeks on May 15, was geared at easing the pressure on courts and tribunal services as they address the significant case backlog that resulted from the COVID-19 restrictions.
The measures include agreeing to remote medical examination and rehabilitation, extending the negotiation period, and using established escalation points, considering joint settlement meetings and/or using independent barristers’ chambers to arbitrate a settlement.
“We have to prepare for a long haul, when it comes to settling injury claims, because a return to anything resembling business as usual seems a fairly distant prospect,” Maxwell Scott said.
“We share the same customers, so we urge all parties to make use of the temporary measures to get cases settled as quickly as possible, to ease the backlog and make sure consumers don’t have to carry the after-effects of their injuries any longer than necessary,” he said.
