Four out of five personal injury clients would not trust insurers to compensate them fairly if they were without legal representation, research claimed this week.


A study by the Law Society's strategic research unit showed that more than three-quarters of injury victims do not feel confident in bringing a claim themselves.



Some 83% of clients considered that their solicitors' advice had been 'very important' to the value of the claim according to the interim research, based on responses from 119 clients so far.



The research was published as the government prepares to launch a consultation on simplifying the claims process. Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said it showed that insurance industry proposals to raise the small-claims limit from £1,000 to £5,000 would 'leave thousands of victims unable to pursue justified claims'.



He added: 'This survey reveals that insurers, whether rightly or wrongly, are not trusted and access to independent legal advice is essential.'



A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers said it was impossible to draw 'any meaningful conclusions' from such a small sample size and pointed to a study of 100,000 claims that it commissioned this year, which suggested that claimants receive more compensation in a quicker timeframe when they are not represented by solicitors (see [2006] Gazette, 13 July, 1).



Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) President Richard Langton said the Law Society's findings echoed its own MORI poll of 2,000 people last year, which found that 64% would be unlikely to pursue their case without an independent solicitor.



The Law Society launched its own 'Fast and Fair' proposals to streamline the claims process in October (see [2006] Gazette, 19 October, 3).



Rachel Rothwell