Personal injury claimants win out over insurers - 14 June 2007

Despite pressure from insurance companies to increase the small claims limit from the current £1,000 for personal injury claims, the Government has recently decided to keep it at the same level. Wards Solicitors (specialists in personal injury claims), welcome this news for people who have suffered injuries because of someone else's negligence. It means they will still be able to instruct their own lawyer and claim their legal costs back at the end of the case.

The limit has been set at this level for some time but insurance companies say that people bringing injury claims do not need legal representation for small claims. In practice, however, they will then use a lawyer to fight the case on their behalf. This means that either the injured person does not receive any damages or does not receive the full amount that they are entitled to.

Janet Hendey, Head of Personal Injury at Wards Solicitors says: “Keeping the claims limit at £1,000 means that more people who are injured as a result of someone's negligence can continue to instruct their own specialist, local solicitor and know that they will still have their legal costs paid by the insurer at the end, if they are awarded damages of more than £1,000. As most injury claims do result in damages awards of more than this amount, this will apply to the majority of claimants.”