header-logo header-logo

COVID-19 & the impact on catastrophic personal injury claims

15 July 2020 / Ken Young
Issue: 7895 / Categories: Opinion , Covid-19 , Personal injury
printer mail-detail
24295
Remote working should be embraced as a catalyst for change & the breaking of (bad) habits, says Ken Young

COVID-19 has clearly heavily impacted all aspects of society and claims for damages arising from catastrophic personal injuries have not been exempt. However, has it—in certain ways—provided an opportunity to pause, put our foot on the ball and look at the claims process and how that could be improved? What are the practical outcomes for future claims costs, handling and behaviours in this area?

Naturally the pandemic has affected the progress of claims, with courts closing, evidence gathering stalling (or impossible), and rehabilitation curtailed.

Generally speaking, that would result in longer claims cycles and increases in damages and costs. However, is that the inevitable outcome or are we already seeing signs of progress, new thinking and innovation to adapt to the changing environment? While still early days, there are some interesting themes developing.

The most serious cases generally require early, intensive, and hands-on rehabilitation. In many cases

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

DWF—19 appointments

DWF—19 appointments

Belfast team bolstered by three senior hires and 16 further appointments

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Firm strengthens leveraged finance team with London partner hire

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Double hire marks launch of family team in Leeds

NEWS
Artificial intelligence may be revolutionising the law, but its misuse could wreck cases and careers, warns Clare Arthurs of Penningtons Manches Cooper in this week's NLJ
Small law firms want to embrace technology but feel lost in a maze of jargon, costs and compliance fears, writes Aisling O’Connell of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in this week's NLJ
The Supreme Court issued a landmark judgment in July that overturned the convictions of Tom Hayes and Carlo Palombo, once poster boys of the Libor and Euribor scandal. In NLJ this week, Neil Swift of Peters & Peters considers what the ruling means for financial law enforcement
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve reports on Haynes v Thomson, the first judicial application of the Supreme Court’s For Women Scotland ruling in a discrimination claim, in this week's NLJ
Bea Rossetto of the National Pro Bono Centre makes the case for ‘General Practice Pro Bono’—using core legal skills to deliver life-changing support, without the need for niche expertise—in this week's NLJ
back-to-top-scroll