APIL chief calls for end to cold calling

The chief executive of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), Deborah Evans, has called for cold calling to be banned in the personal injury claims sector.

Evans, speaking at the Motor Insurance Summit in London, said that getting rid of the practice would curb fraud and restore some credibility to the claims industry.

“The practice of cold calling by claims management companies is widely hated by the man on the street,” she said.

“To put an end to it could restore some credibility and respect to the claims industry and stop the dishonest and impressionable few from thinking it is standard practice to make a claim for an injury they do not have.

She made her comments in light of Government proposals to eliminate general damages for minor soft tissue injuries and to raise the small claims limit.

“There are practical solutions to tackling fraud and reducing the number of claims without installing barriers for people who are genuinely injured,” she said.

Last October, the Government issued a call for evidence for a fundamental independent review of the way that claims management companies are regulated.

It said that it wanted to take action to curtail the behaviour of what it called “rogue” claims management companies who provide bad services and are responsible for people being bombarded with nuisance calls.

Mark Dugdale