Personal injury reform
In my last (which was also my first) column, I suggested that the personal injury small claims reforms might suffer a bump or two themselves (see NLJ, 12 February 2021, p6). While we now know that the whiplash reforms will come into effect on 31 May, it is gratifying to see that other injury claims are to be left alone after all. I know the Ministry of Justice says that further reforms are possible. The department might look at fixed costs for cases worth between £25,000 and £100,000. The Ministry promised to publish final proposals no later than 6 September 2019. It didn’t and hasn’t.
On employers’ liability cases, we saw the Association of British Insurers combine with Thompsons Solicitors to declare that neither side wanted change. There was no evidence of fraudulent claims and the respective lawyers got on very well.
Incidentally, it was Stephen Gold, legendary columnist at NLJ, who first declared that the reforms
