Insurers ‘pressure’ crash victims

Posted 09/06/2009

Road safety charity, Brake, has recently voiced concerns that insurance companies are trying to force drivers to settle claims just hours after accidents and before the victim has even thought of seeking an independent solicitor. More and more claims are now being settled without the claimant gaining independent legal advice and there is a strong perception that many claims are being under settled.

Tim Gleave, a Personal Injury lawyer at Ashtons Legal comments: “This activity is becoming more and more common place in the industry. We have acted for a number of people who were originally approached in this manner prior to instructing Ashtons Legal. Some have been tempted to accept such offers and although they would receive a payment at an early stage they may be under-settling their claim. Some offers may prove to be fair but until medical evidence has been obtained it is not possible to quantify what an appropriate settlement would be”.

“We strongly advise that all victims of road traffic collisions should seek independent legal advice to ensure they gain the settlement that they are fully entitled to. In addition to this, any good solicitor can offer wider support to ensure that their clients get the most suitable medical and therapeutic treatment available”.

MASS (Motor Accident Solicitors Society) has launched a national campaign to warn consumers of the dangers of dealing direct with an insurance company and describe this practice as “unjust and plainly wrong”. They believe that there is a loophole in the regulations, which enable insurers to carry out this practice unchecked and unregulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Government through the Compensation Act. Consequently, they are lobbying the FSA and Government to tighten up their rules.