A new free-to-use consumer service has been launched aimed at helping remove the need for people to use accident management firms to handle routine personal injury claims .
Itsmyclaim.com says tens of thousands of people each year could easily make their own claim against a range of organisations including supermarkets and strike a blow against claims firms raking in billions of pounds in legal costs.
The service will also allow companies, particularly those in the retail and leisure sectors, to save many millions of pounds they currently pay out in costs.
A number of Citizens Advice Bureaux in the North West of England are helping clients with potential claims who choose to use the service.
The consumer friendly website removes the need for claimants to use one of the thousands of organisations chasing personal injury claims and hiking up claims with added legal costs.
These disproportionate legal costs and other fees are often invisible to the claimant and can include a chain of middlemen such as referral and medical report companies. In some cases, the claimant can even find that these are deducted from their compensation award.
Founder and CEO Mark Brickles said: “itsmyclaim.com puts the consumer in control of their affairs and breaks the hold that No Win No Fee companies have, resulting in the hiking up of legal costs unbeknown to the claimant. The service offers consumers access to justice when dealing with compensation claims in an expedient manner.”
“The withdrawal of legal aid in this area has led to a system of No Win No Fee arrangements that often involve high legal costs and delays with outcomes.
“Few consumers understand the risks and potential financial liabilities they are exposing themselves to when they sign up to conditional fee agreements and do not realise they may be liable for certain unpredictable hidden costs.
“Itsmyclaim.com offers consumers direct control of their personal injury claims and is a viable alternative to the use of claims management firms. We will assist clients who request our help with potential claims.”
To use the service, consumers simply visit the website to detail the location and circumstances of their accident. The information is then registered and the organisation is duly notified of the claim. The defendant will in turn investigate the incident and liaise directly with the consumer to provide fair compensation if they are liable.
Through liaising directly, consumers benefit from receiving all of their damages and if a clear breach of duty has occurred both the decision and damages are dealt with expediently. Itsmyclaim.com also allows business to process claims efficiently and effectively without the delaying tactics sometimes employed by accident management companies and designed to increase their fees.
Reform to reduce the cost of personal injury claims was recently called for by Lord Justice Jackson who stated that “the personal injury litigation industry is populated by numerous interest groups and middlemen, all of whom have to meet their overheads and make a profit on top”. Referral fees of up to £1000 paid to accident management companies are not uncommon and these fees are then added to a claimant’s legal costs. The launch of itsmyclaim.com answers the call for reform by streamlining the claims process and removing charges.
Successful businessman John Hinnigan, a director of itsmyclaim.com and part of the investment team, said: “Itsmyclaim.com is the ethical solution to break the unscrupulous culture of ramping up legal costs in personal injury claims.
“Through using software as a solution, itsmyclaim.com has created a straightforward process for consumers to remain in control of their claim and receive all of their awarded compensation with minimal disruption. For organisations, it reduces costs significantly, provides early decisions on liability and enables businesses to meet their own customer and social responsibilities.”
In 2007, it was calculated that £4.4billion was paid out in legal costs for personal injury claims, while the Association of British Insurers reported that, for claims below £5,000, every £1 in compensation led to 93p of additional claimant legal costs.
