New guidelines from the Lord Chief Justice’s Courts and Tribunals Judiciary Judicial College (hereinafter known as The Judicial College Guidelines) are set to set sky-high whiplash payouts soaring ever higher.
In a move that frankly savours of rank insanity, judges has been ordered to increase damage awards for the imaginary affliction of whiplash injury by a whopping 5.000%. Understandably, the move has provoked dismay and consternation amongst the UK’s hard-pressed insurer fraternity.
Uvavu director of casualties Richard “Wild Dick” Hiscocks claimed the move only makes it harder to contain claims costs and will “further encourage” those who “bombard the public with nuisance calls and texts to claim for whiplash.”
Meanwhile, in an interview with Insurance Tights magazine this week, Simon Denier of upmarket fashion brand DVF explained the baleful effect the updated Judicial College Guidelines would have on things like layers, areas, factors and pursuing.
“This is going to add a significant extra layer of cost in an area where claims volumes are increasing,” he said, adding that “if you have damages going up, that is going to be an extra factor in pushing upwards the incentives for getting and pursuing this sort of claim.”
At a time when Government has strongly signalled that it’s time to stamp out the personal injury claims free-for-all once and for all, insurers clearly have every right to express their righteous indignation at the judiciary being so far out of step with the clear intent of executive and legislature.
Will the woe of whiplash never end?
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