Lord Young of Grantham has been tasked by the government to crackdown on advertising for personal injury claims as part of a review of the “health and safety compensation culture.”
He will submit proposals to the Prime minister, Cameron, who set up the enquiry amid his Party’s concern at the increase in television advertising by claims management companies or so called “ambulance-chasing lawyers” shouting “No win No Fee.”
However sources close to Lord Young’s review, said he will recommend that the content of personal injury advertisements should be restricted, rather than subject to an outright ban.
Some claims management companies appealed to the Government urging it to drop the plans to ban or even restrict TV ads on the basis that the ads inform people of their rights and they help reduce the number of bogus claims going to court.
The over-saturation of No Win No Fee” ads and the poor quality of the majority of them give a clear impression of “ambulance – chasing lawyers” promoting their own interests rather than making consumers aware of their legal rights.
“No Win No Fee” funding was introduced as a way to open access to justice for thousands of victims of accidents who could not afford the services of a lawyer after legal aid was stopped. Millions of people who have suffered injuries through accidents and work-related illnesses have since benefited enormously from this alternative way of funding personal injury claims.
An outright ban may not be the solution but advertising for personal injury claims must be restricted to ads of “good taste.” What is of good taste is to be determined by the regulatory body of claims management companies.
Asiimwe Balinda
Personal injury solicitor