How should local authorities respond to the compensation claims landscape, asks Carol Dalton
One of the most significant changes for local authorities has been the extension of the claims portal to include employers’ and public liability claims. The aim was to simplify and streamline the claims process, reduce time spent on handling claims, and to provide costs certainty at a much-reduced level. In reality local authorities are facing new challenges following the introduction of the portal.
Process manipulation
While the portal works well for many claims, local authorities have identified that a limited number of claimant firms appear to be manipulating the portal process so that claims “fall out” of the process and enhanced costs are then claimed. For example, a claimant’s solicitor might provide inadequate information about an accident locus in a highway tripping claim, making it impossible for a council to identify whether there was a defect as alleged. In this scenario if an admission of liability is not made within 40 days the claim will leave the portal
