Upcoming Changes to Personal Injury Law

There have been a variety of changes mooted for personal injury law for the past three years, which finally will be coming into play on 1st April 2013.

The reform will bring major rule changes into existence which could affect any individuals as well as businesses which are entitled to make a claim under personal injury law.

The new legislation will become law under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act.

Changes to the laws regulating costs

The new Act has made a significant change when it comes to the costs associated with bringing a claim. According to the revised rulings, the claimant would not be required to pay the legal costs of the defendant upon losing the claim. However, it still remains the same that the defendant would still be required to pay the legal costs of the claimant if the claim was successful.

Changes to industrial disease and medical negligence claims

Significant changes are also set to come in on the 1st April in relation to claims for industrial disease and medical negligence.

One of the biggest issues associated with this type of claim was the length of the process in many of the cases, with medical evidence often required at each stage of the case. This can potentially prolong the waiting time for many claims.

In order to sidestep this issue, the revised rulings now impose time limits for medical records to be produced. Now any medical body which does not produce the required records within 60 days will be liable for a fine. In addition to this, any records that are not produced within 40 days will not be paid for.

These financial incentives are in place to ensure that medical bodies improve the speed and efficiency for which they produce important medical documents which can be vital for the success of the claim.

The reason for the changes

The reason behind these changes is to ensure that those who are entitled to make a claim are able to do so in the easiest way possible.

If you have suffered a personal injury due to the fault of another, whether an individual or organisation, and feel that you may be entitled to make a personal injury claim it’s vital to enlist the help of a personal injury solicitors to guide you through all the legal issues every step of the way.