Settled a claim today involving an accident at work

The insurers insisted on messing around for months on liability raising daft questions about daft issues and refusing to concede primary liability.

In the end they did but by then costs had escalated considerably.

Net result - we ended up with three times the clients damages in legal costs. I dont say this with any glee - sure you are always happy to see money coming in and a healthy cheque is all the more pleasing. However you have to say that in many of these cases, insurers are tossing around on liability with low paid poorly trained claims handlers making frivolous defences almost to justify their existence.

Well here's some tips for insurers to help them save a few bob:


1) Train your staff - make sure they deal with claims they can handle. Some of your people arent fit to deal with a windscreen claim let alone PI

2) Dont hire muppets - theyre only any good when theyve got a hand up their arse.

3) Re-learn the Protocol - do you remember this - it was quite big 7 years ago when you all thought it was flavour of the month. Then you realised how much work it involved, you got backlogged and now the only bit you remember is the PART 36 rule. I received a part 36 on a special damage claim for an excess the other day. What the f*ck*!!

4) Only argue the toss when there is an argument to be had. If you know youre beat - hold your hands up sooner rather than later.

5) The longer a claim goes on the more it costs - thats your own mantra that the ABI reel out every time they are asked about the burgeoning compensation culture (dont get me started on that) so why the hell dont you remember it.

Dont delay - just pay (I like that one - might use it next time I part 36 on liability)

Now with that off my chest Im off to watch "Lost" so that I can forget how frustrating it is to have to deal with claim monkeys.

legalspy