Trust me, I'm a PI lawyer

We were told that it was peace in our time.

A deal that would end the guerrilla warfare over costs in personal injury cases and bring certainty, speed and general joy to solicitors in that field.

But far from being an armistice, it was just a brief ceasefire.

Having got their feet in the fixed fees door, it is unsurprising that liability insurers want to throw it open to far more than just pre-issue road traffic cases worth less than 10,000.

The argument that their concerns over the rising costs apply just as equally to other areas of practice has some force.

However, we await the results of research into the level of fees in employer and public liability cases.

There is a strong argument to say that the insurers are acting too soon.

It was not easy to get suspicious claimant lawyers to the table in the first place, and while each side now has a better appreciation of the other's position - and the sincerity with which it is held - there is still a lot of trust to be built.

The pre-issue scheme must have a fair run, and there is a responsibility on both sides not to abuse it, lest the whole edifice comes crashing down.

The parties are now back around the table to discuss success fees, which is a positive sign, especially given Lord Justice Brooke's second unexpected intervention on the issue.

The insurers should bide their time.

If pre-issue works, then their arguments may become irresistible.