Andrew Wild Comments on the UK Justice Committee Calls for Investigation into Official Injury Claim Service Backlog

On discussing the news The UK Justice Committee has called on the Ministry of Justice to conduct an urgent investigation into the 349,000 unresolved cases in the Official Injury Claim Service Portal, Andrew Wild, head of legal at First4InjuryClaims, said:

“The current delays faced by claimants is totally unacceptable and the fact that concerns are finally being listened to can only be a positive step.   

“There are several reasons why delays are so long. One being that there is no penalty for bad behaviour, such as denying liability in the face of clear evidence to the contrary or failing to respond in a reasonable timeframe during negotiations. Prior to the reforms, cost sanctions could be imposed and should be re-introduced.   

“Another perceived reason is represented claimants holding onto medical reports, however, as shown by the Supreme Court involvement these claims are not straightforward and they often involve complex injuries or losses.     

“More needs to be done to raise awareness of the portal. However, I believe the majority of claimants will still not be confident pursuing matters themselves and want the support and reassurance of a legal professional.    

“What is clear is that the industry must work together to create a system that better benefits injured motorists and behaviours must be scrutinised or these problems will persist.”