Negligence: questionnaire promotes best practice


Legal indemnity insurer St Paul Travelers has launched an on-line facility that enables solicitors to evaluate how adept they are at risk assessment.


The Electronic Risk Assessment (ERA) asks lawyers to consider their risk assessment skills through a nine-stage questionnaire, with the aim of educating users about avoiding negligence claims against the firm and promoting best practice. There is no paperwork involved and feedback is provided on solicitors' results.


The multiple-choice quiz focuses on issues such as the way solicitors deal with clients, support staff, other fee-earners, managers and other professionals, as well as addressing their technical competence.


Participants will gain one hour's worth of CPD points after the Law Society endorsed the programme.


All responses are confidential, and the ERA section of the Web site can only be accessed through a username and password provided by St Paul. The scheme was designed by solicitors Tim Prior, now senior risk management consultant at the company, and Richard Gerrard, its marketing manager.


Mr Prior said: 'I wanted ERA to be accessible and convenient - for fee-earners as well as those running the firm. Harnessing IT was the obvious choice.'


Link: www.stpaultravelers.co.uk