Car accident victims ‘have right to compensation claims’

Posted 16/09/2009

People who suffer a personal injury in a car crash should be made more aware of their right to make compensation claims, according to a consumer group.

The Consumer Council of Northern Ireland has expressed concern that many accident victims are failing to insist on taking legal advice due to a lack of confidence or awareness of their rights, reports the BBC.

Contributing factors may include victims feeling vulnerable because they are still recovering from the trauma or non-English speakers not being familiar enough with the legal system.

This comes in response to a recent suggestion from the Law Society that certain insurers in Northern Ireland are dissuading those involved in accidents from contacting a solicitor.

It claimed that this represents bad practice, which may be resulting in customers failing to receive fair compensation settlements.

Alison Donnelly from the Consumer Council concurred with the Law Society’s assessment, saying “Any insurance company that actively discourages consumers from getting [legal] advice is behaving unfairly and should be stopped.”

According to the most recent figures from the Department of Transport, around 27,740 people were killed or seriously injured in road accidents in 2008-09.