Compensation Culture or Aware of Legal Rights?

Earlier this year, David Cameron announced a bid to crack down on ‘compensation culture’ in an effort to get lower car insurance premiums for all. While there may be some people that exaggerate (or even invent) their symptoms in the hope of making a personal injury claim, this crackdown doesn’t take into account those that are genuinely injured and are relying on a successful injury compensation claim to make up for loss of earnings and additional bills which are a direct result of the accident.

Over the last five years, the Department for Work and Pension’s compensation recovery unit has reported a 52% rise in those making a personal injury claim because of a road traffic accident, with a 19% rise in those making claims against public authorities, and a drop of 17% in those claiming against employers. While David Cameron and his government might claim that this is Britain turning into a compensation culture, might it not instead be people finally deciding to stand up for what they deserve and claim what they are entitled to. The British are a nation which traditionally like to keep the ‘stiff upper lip’ and not complain – does finally becoming aware of and standing up for our legal rights really mean that we are on the slippery slope to a compensation culture?

The other target of this compensation culture campaign is those making an injury compensation claim for whiplash, a common condition suffered by those in a car accident, particularly when someone else has driven into the back or side of your car. Insurers say that whiplash is claimed too easily, and often falsely, but the reality is that it can be an extremely painful and debilitating injury, which varies across sufferers. Some may experience painful symptoms for a day or two, while others can be out for weeks.

For more information please visit – www.phclaw.com/personal-injury-claim.html