The government’s Compensation Recovery Unit performance data shows that over the 2017/18 period, 650,019 motor injury claims were received, the lowest level since 2009.
Claims peaked in 11/12 at 828,489 before falling in 12/13, the year LASPO was introduced. They climbed again in 15/16 and 16/17, before falling by 20% from 780,324 to this year’s 650,019.
Brett Dixon, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, said: “This discredits the principles behind the Civil Liability Bill, due to be debated by peers tomorrow, which the government claims will reduce premiums by slashing injury compensation paid to people with whiplash injuries.
“This Bill will not achieve its aims to lower premium costs for motorists.”
James Dalton, director of general insurance policy at the Association of British Insurers said: “Given how road traffic accidents have declined in recent years, it is a sign of how broken the system is that it has taken this long to see one year’s worth of falling claims.
“The main reason for this is the threat of legislation, which has seen claimant lawyers and CMCs move into other areas such as holiday sickness, which the government recently announced it was cracking down on.
“Failing to fix the broken system for whiplash claims now would most likely see claimant lawyers and CMCs return in numbers and millions of motorists will pay the price.”
Last month, insurance leaders pledged to pass on all savings made through the Civil Liability Bill reforms to policyholders in a letter to Lord Chancellor David Gauke.
Article is care of www.postonline.co.uk
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