CONFERENCE: McKinney extols socially responsible attitude

Personal injury solicitors must adopt a more socially responsible approach to advising clients, even if it means losing work as a result, the new president of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) suggested last week.

Speaking at the FOIL annual conference in London, Claire McKinney - partner at Kent-based Davies Lavery - said both claimant and defendant lawyers should strive towards getting victims of accidents back into the workplace where possible, as this would benefit clients, employers and the public purse.

She said this could be achieved through better risk management to stop accidents from happening in the first place, along with greater use of rehabilitation to help clients recover.

Ms McKinney said this would mean lawyers seeing fewer cases come through the door.

But she urged: 'Arguably, society as a whole benefits if more people are working, earning, creating wealth and feeling fulfilled.'

Delivering the keynote speech at the conference, the Master of the Rolls, Lord Phillips, backed Ms McKinney's call for greater use of rehabilitation - but said the government was also under an obligation to put the funding in place to achieve this.

Lord Phillips said the UK record on rehabilitation was sadly lacking when compared to other countries.

In Scandinavia, people have a 50% chance of resuming full employment following a serious injury, with almost a third in the US returning to work.

However, in the UK the figure is just 14%, even though rehabilitation could save the government 1.3 billion annually.

'This must surely merit the consideration of serious investment,' he argued.

Paula Rohan