Press Releases
| Press Releases Mr Logan today welcomed the report of independent market analyst Datamonitor, which calls into question the idea that the UK is an increasingly litigious nation, reporting that general insurance claim figures remain more or less static, and generally puts the “compensation culture” myth into perspective. Mr Logan said: “In the past, all too many accidents at work and industrial disease claims (e.g. for asbestosis) went unreported and unclaimed. Victims of severe employer negligence often pursued no claim. “Sometimes, the investigatory authorities, such as (in the UK) the Health & Safety Executive, were not notified of accidents at work, or had inadequate resources to investigate them fully. “Equally, pressure of work upon police and prosecutors meant that some quite serious injuries suffered on the roads as a result of a third party’s careless driving resulted in no criminal proceedings. “In those circumstances, a compensation claim in the civil courts may be the only means of obtaining redress that an injured person is able to pursue.” Angus Logan criticised what he sees as a concerted campaign by the insurance industry to create a false public and media perception of a “have a go” or a “compensation culture”. He sees it as a self-interested lobby by insurers to save the
industry money. In Mr Logan’s experience, insurance companies and the legal principles of being required to prove negligence often make it difficult to succeed in claims against schools, hospitals and local authorities. The idea that many such claims are impoverishing public services is pure invention. Vexatious and frivolous claims are weeded out by experienced solicitors at a very early stage, long before they are allowed to proceed to court. Mr Logan continued: “Legal costs are a necessary part of properly investigating a personal injury case. Victims rarely have substantial financial resources, whereas insurance companies have considerable investigative powers at their disposal. “Legal costs in personal injury claim cases tend to rise steeply only when insurers fail to admit liability in obvious cases, or to do so much later than they ought to do.” Mr Logan concluded: “The insurance industry campaign, typified by the recent Norwich Union report, has been very successful in creating a false impression of a compensation culture. The unbiased and independent Datamonitor report, by contrast, reflects the true situation today.” -ends- Editor’s notes: 1. ANGUS LOGAN Angus Logan is a specialist personal injury lawyer, accredited as such by the Law Society of Scotland. He is Scottish Secretary of the Pan-European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers (PEOPIL). Angus Logan is also the Director of the Accident & Injury Claims Centre, a division of Ayr-based solicitors Frazer Coogans. The Accident & Injury Claims Centre was set up in 1998 by Frazer Coogans senior director Norman Geddes. 2. FRAZER COOGANS SOLICITORS, AYR, AYRSHIRE, SCOTLAND Frazer Coogans’ Ayr office operates a specialist Accident Claims & Personal Injury Damages Centre to assist clients in making claims for personal injury damages after road traffic, workplace, slip and trip accidents and also in criminal injuries compensation. This Ayrshire firm of solicitors has also established a significant presence in Scotland’s property conveyancing market, advising clients on all aspects of buying, selling and leasing premises both domestic and commercial, and handling property conveyancing for diverse clients across Scotland. UK divorce and family law is another area in which Frazer Coogans solicitors possess particular expertise, advising on the legal, financial and child related issues associated with divorce, providing negotiation for amicable settlement and undertaking litigation where needed. Frazer Coogans solicitors also offer a professional, dedicated and sympathetic service for wills and estates in the UK, including the administration of estates and appointing Executries. Issued on behalf of Frazer Coogans Solicitors by Fame Publicity Services. Contact Murdoch MacDonald on +44 (0)1292 281498. Fame Publicity Services Telephone: +44 (0)1292 281498 Website: www.famepublicity.co.uk Frazer Coogans Solicitors Telephone: +44 (0)1292 280499 Websites: Web links: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/12/prweb187964.htm http://www.openpress.com/index.php?a=press&id=3178 |
