Claims begin to filter through RTA claims portal
Low-value road traffic accident personal injury claims sent through a new electronic data exchange launched three weeks ago have begun hitting insurers’ desks this week, figures show.
Of the first 617 claims submitted as the Gazette went to press, liability had been admitted in 386 cases and 48 had progressed to stage two.
However, some firms were still unable to process claims from start to finish because software testing had not been completed. Others had still not received portal login details.
Insurer RSA said it had received more than 150 claim notifications since 30 April, while insurer Allianz said it received 57 notifications between 7 and 14 May and accepted liability on seven claims. Both insurers reported improved response times.
However, some solicitors who have been able to log into the portal have been unable to select the correct insurer to submit a claim. According to an email sent to one solicitor on Tuesday, IDSL was still uploading the full list of insurers to the portal.
As the Gazette went to press, firms using case management software rather than a web browser to access the portal could only complete ‘stage one’ of the claims process, where they submit a claim to an insurer. However, because of delayed software testing, they could not use the portal to progress to ‘stage two’, where, if the insurer accepts liability, the parties agree on the level of damages.
Fraser Fundell, chief executive of IDSL, which manages the portal, said there had been ‘teething problems’ which were being addressed, and a dedicated helpline had been set up for support.
Fundell said that all of the 1,450 law firms and 81 insurer brands that have already registered will receive login details ‘shortly,’ and organisations registering from 19 May will receive login details in five working days.
Fraser Whitehead, Law Society representative on the steering group implementing the portal pending its takeover by an LLP, said: ‘While there have been some delays in some law firms obtaining their registration details, over 75% of registrations have proceeded without any hiccup, and it is hoped that all firms will be registered by the end of this week.
‘The underlying IT system is working well with no reported problems. While testing of phase two remains to be completed, it will be some time yet before claims reach the stage two completion level, and by that time all testing will be finished.
‘So far there has been nothing but support for the system itself. Solicitors whose claims have been accepted within the first 15 days of the programme will shortly be receiving their cheques for stage one fees.’
He added that neither claimants nor their legal advisers will have been prejudiced by any login problems.
Comments
Orwellian doublethink
What is the point of the Law Society? In the same article:
"Fraser Fundell [IDSL]... said there had been ‘teething problems’ which were being addressed, and a dedicated helpline had been set up for support." BUT "Fraser Whitehead [Law Society]... said: ‘The underlying IT system is working well with no reported problems." So that's clear then.
Elsewhere, John Spencer of MASS says "It is becoming increasingly clear that the portal is still not yet operating as it should be and being in the third week of the new process I cannot in all consciousness and with any confidence assure Members at this stage that the problems with the portal are going to be overcome completely and in early course." Bit of a u-turn from MASS which was saying as recently as March "MASS is the only specialist RTA PI organisation that has been so closely involved with [the new] process right from the start. John Spencer and Janet Tilley were engaged in all stages of the negotiations." You'd think they'd have anticipated some of the problems, then, wouldn't you?
Anyone with the slightest bit of actual knowledge of the current situation knows it's a mess.
I am not stupid but I am being asked to accept blatant lies and misinformation. The fact of the matter is that all organisations consulted about the new system FAILED MISERABLY. What exactly did these organisations do? Here's what I think happened:
IDSL: "We're going to build a portal; nothing like it anywhere else but it'll be dead simple. What could go wrong?"
Consulted organisations: "Uh, like, that's IT stuff, init. Well you probably know what you're doing. We're pretty sure you won't catastrophically undermine the bread and butter of lots of law firms up and down the country and make them incur thousands of pounds in unrecoverable costs. Oh, yes, we know it has to be DPA compliant and all that crap but don't worry about an SLA or terms and conditions of use. You know lawyers, they don't bother with detail."
FARCE FARCE FARCE and your so called "representative body" hasn't got a clue.
The figures dont add up...
"Of the first 617 claims submitted as the Gazette went to press, liability had been admitted in 386 cases and 48 had progressed to stage two..."
- So from 01 May to 20 May 2010, only 617 claims were submitted?! I understand over 300,000 RTA claims are submitted each year which equates to 821.92 claims a day! With 20 days of the new process that would mean over 16,400 claims should have been submitted to the new process.
Perhaps the reported figures are not accurate?