Workers’ rights affected by whiplash bill
The civil liability bill is widely expected to complete its transition through parliament this month. The bill is intended to tackle a whiplash "epidemic", says the Government, but it hides a £1.3bn annual gift to insurers and means a shortfall to the Government of circa £146m per annum. It is claimed to also impact thousands who's injury is unrelated to whiplash.
The government plans to hush through a doubling of the small claims limit, below which injured individuals will not get their legal fees paid.
Increasing the small claims limit to £2,000 will mean workers suffering injuries such as collapsed lungs, a fractured wrists or elbows and loss of front teeth, will be denied access to justice.
It has been suggested that up to 40% of those injured at work, will lose their rights. And workers will potentially have to fight insurers on their own. Furthermore thousands of individuals, whose claim has a value of up to £2,000, will be expected to take on insurance companies themselves.
The proposed changes are being criticised as giving the green light to irresponsible employers who may cut corners in the knowledge that workers will either not seek compensation, or struggle to do so on their own.
According to the Unite, GMB, Unison, RMT, Usdaw unions, 'the Government is using the furore around whiplash claims as a smokescreen to attack vulnerable claimants and further enrich their friends in the insurance industry (who have already saved £11bn since 2013 due to earlier injury legal reforms)."
"Injured workers should be exempt from any increase, and on behalf of those injured through no fault of their own we intend to oppose these proposals every step of the way".
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