Allianz ready to embrace the personal injury reforms

Here is the the latest compensation news in the UK.

The forthcoming injury claim reforms are being embraced by some insurers.

17th September 2007

In a move which has surprised many, Allianz Cornhill the well known insurer has decided to take a lead regarding the personal injury reforms which are soon to be introduced by the Ministry of Justice.

The reforms are still going through the consultation stage but observers anticipate the changes to take effect by spring 2008. The reforms will introduce tough new guidelines and protocols for both claimant and defendant parties and most agree that the end result should allow for a slicker, more accessible claims environment.

Many insurers, however, argue that they will not be able to cope with the very tight deadlines and with backlogs for some companies running at 2 to 3 months worth of correspondence, it is easy to see why there are fears within the industry.

The protocol changes will impact greatly on the lower end injury (less than £15000 damages) cases such as whiplash claims and minor soft tissue injuries.

Allianz are taking an admirable lead and rather than being negative about the changes, they are seemingly embracing them with a new team being put together in Bristol to help cope with the demand.

Kevin Howard, Allianz Insurance claims investigation manager, said: “The Ministry of Justice proposals to radically improve the process in fast-track cases will reduce the time available to investigate and make a decision on liability for most compensation claims.

“There are big opportunities for companies who can meet the challenges that the new process will present. We have therefore taken the opportunity to review the remit, resource and structure of our claims investigation team. This will help us to meet the Ministry of Justice requirements, control leakage and reduce our outsourcing levels and cost."

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