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21 August 2002

Whinging insurance industry puts profit before people

Campaigning for improved health and safety at work

The largest firm of solicitors acting for injury victims called on the insurance industry to stop whinging and instead join with trade unions and their lawyers in campaigning for improved health and safety at work.

Thompsons, the UK's largest specialist personal injury and trade union law firm, accused the British Insurance Brokers' Association of putting profit before safety by calling for changes in the law on employers' liability insurance.

While Thompsons welcomes BIBA's acknowledgement that better health and safety and risk assessments will reduce companies exposure to compensation claims for injury and disease (something the unions have been saying for years) reducing or removing employers' obligations will only result in injury victims losing out.

Safe working environments must be operated

Tom Jones, a partner at Thompsons, said: "It is entirely disingenuous for BIBA to talk of employers being unable to afford insurance premiums due to an increase in litigation, ambulance chasers and record-breaking awards. The insurance industry has produced no proof of any of this and  as the insurance industry knows the UK legal system requires fault to be proved by the claimant. No compensation is payable if fault cannot be proved in a court.

"BIBA's claim that when employers' liability insurance was introduced court awards were lower and asbestosis was unheard of is nonsense. When the EL Act was passed in 1969 of course court awards were lower, but so were insurance premiums and the cost of employing staff. As for asbestosis, its dangers have been well known to employers and insurers since the turn of the 20th century and they have sought to avoid their obligations to the workers they have killed or whose health has been ruined ever since.

"It's time the insurance industry stopped hiding the true reason for increasing premiums - protecting their profits - and recognised that the only way to avoid claims is to operate safe working environments. If they fail to do so then employers and their insurers, not the government, must be responsible for the consequences."

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident which was someone else's fault, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.

There are strict time limits in place to make any personal injury claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.

Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.