Personal injury claims soar despite fall in accidents

A sharp rise in the number of people making personal injury claims following a road accident has been revealed by insurance analysts.

A report from the Actuarial Profession reveals that despite an 11% fall in the number of road accidents in 2011, personal injury claims rose by 18%.

It says this may cost the insurance industry an extra £400m a year.

The government is planning new laws to limit the amount of money that firms can make from 'no win no fee' cases.

The legislation, announced in March 2011 by Justice Secretary Ken Clarke, would prevent lawyers claiming "success fees" from the losing side. Instead they would receive a share of the damages.

The proposals follow a review carried out by Lord Justice Jackson in 2010 at the request of the previous government.

The legislation also aims to prevent insurance companies and others from passing on motorists' details after an accident.

Read More - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18700212

Preserving the essence of personal injury

The personal injury claims industry has come under extreme criticism in recent years, with the Prime Minister calling for significant change to the way lower value claims are processed. In particular, whiplash claims have been blamed for the widespread increase in vehicle insurance premiums.

The term ‘no win no fee’ has developed fairly negative connotations both inside and outside the legal profession. However, it’s important to note that the ethics behind such legal services are all about improving access to justice. If ‘no win no fee’ was taken away, the only people able to access the justice system would be people who can afford to fund litigation, or those with the appropriate legal insurance cover.

At the less reputable end of the legal industry, the tactics used to entice consumers to bring a claim, and the prevalence of in-your-face TV advertising, have contributed to the growing criticism of ‘no win no fee’ practitioners. It has also become more difficult for consumers to identify qualified practitioners that are genuinely on their side in seeking fair compensation for an injustice – nothing more and nothing less.

Read More - http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/31/preserving-the-essence-of-personal-injury/

Hybrid cars are safer, concludes report

Hybrid cars have been found to offer a significant safety advantage conventional rivals because of their additional weight helps reduce the severity of crashes, according to a new study from the Highways Loss Data Institute (HLDI).
The US non-profit organisation dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries, found that the odds of being injured in a crash are 25 per cent lower for people in a hybrid car than for people travelling in a non-hybrid models.
"Weight is a big factor," explains Matt Moore, HLDI vice president and an author of the report. "Hybrids on average are 10 per cent heavier than their standard counterparts. This extra mass gives them an advantage in crashes that their conventional twins don’t have."
However the Institute acknowledges that other factors may also be contributing to the safety of hybrid models, such as how, when and by whom hybrids are driven. To maximise the fuel efficiency benefits of a hybrid car, hybrid drivers often adopt a greener driving style-such as looking further ahead to avoid harsh braking-which is known to be a safer style too.
According to the Institute the new findings are good news for green-minded drivers who don’t want to trade safety for fuel economy. Not so long ago, car buyers had to choose between the two because fuel-efficient cars tended to be smaller and lighter. Now, consumers have more options than ever when it comes to picking an environmentally friendly — and crashworthy — vehicle.
"Saving at the pump no longer means you have to skimp on crash protection," Moore says.
In the study, HLDI estimated the odds that a crash would result in injuries if people were riding in a hybrid versus the conventional version of the same vehicle. The analysis included more than 25 hybrid-conventional vehicle pairs, all 2003-2011 models, with at least 1 collision claim and at least 1 related injury claim filed under personal injury protection or medical payment coverage in 2002-10.

Read more - http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2011/11/17/hybrid-cars-are-safer-concludes-report/

Hybrids Have Lower Injury Odds Than Conventional Vehicles

On average, the odds of being injured in a crash are 25 percent lower for people in hybrids than people traveling in nonhybrid models.

Hybrids have a safety edge over their conventional twins when it comes to shielding their occupants from injuries in crashes, new research by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, shows. On average, the odds of being injured in a crash are 25 percent lower for people in hybrids than people traveling in nonhybrid models.

"Weight is a big factor," says Matt Moore, HLDI vice president and an author of the report. "Hybrids on average are 10 percent heavier than their standard counterparts. This extra mass gives them an advantage in crashes that their conventional twins don't have." He notes that other factors, such as how, when, and by whom hybrids are driven, also may contribute. Researchers included controls to reduce the impact these differences may have had on the results.

Read more - http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/49772/