Kennedys has released an updated version of its personal injury litigation tool KLAiM which allows users to call upon the services of a barrister without having to speak to a solicitor.
KLAiM is a virtual defence lawyer and was designed to help clients use lawyers less. The latest version guides insurers and claims handlers through the infant approval hearing stage of a matter and even enables the direct instruction of counsel when costs have not been agreed and attendance is required – all without instructing a solicitor.
KLAiM allows clients to take claims from the service of court proceedings to settlement through a straightforward, intelligent step-by-step workflow. In the last 24 months, over 75% of cases managed by KLAiM have been settled successfully, saving one client in particular well over a quarter of a million pounds annually, a 20% reduction in their annual legal defence spend.
Richard West, head of Kennedys’ liability division, said: “Innovations such as KLAiM are central to our core principle of helping clients to use lawyers less.
“Although seemingly counter-intuitive for a defendant law firm to develop a tool that removes a revenue stream, we’re of the belief that lawyers should be instructed only when they’re really needed. At Kennedys, we view technology as an enabler of change that will help benefit us, and most importantly our clients. Our clients are striving to reduce legal spend, the shelf life of claims and they are calling for innovation.”
The latest KLAiM release comes on the back of the firm’s recent appointment of Karim Derrick as head of research and development. With a background in cognitive computing, Karim brings experience in semantic and machine learning technologies to Kennedys and will be developing new iterations of KLAiM and the Kennedys online products.