2020 UK Personal Injury Consumer Report - COVID-19 has Seen More Online Hearings - ResearchAndMarkets.com

The "Personal Injury Consumer Research Report 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Personal Injury Consumer Research Report 2020 is the third annual edition of this report from the publisher, offering insights into consumer behaviour, perceptions, brand awareness, and opinions. This report is based on responses from 514 consumers involved in a personal injury or clinical negligence incident.

The latest consumer research findings show that half of the personal injury (PI) cases covered by the research would fall under the 5,000 small claims limit. Many consumers would be concerned about dealing with these cases themselves particularly if they had to provide evidence that it was someone else's fault, or if they had to prepare court forms or represent themselves in court. However, the percentage of individuals that would be willing to submit all their documents to an online portal in a relatively simple PI claim has passed the 50% mark for the first time this year.

COVID-19 has seen more online court hearings, online medical examinations, and online rehabilitation programmes taking place but the jury is out on whether claimants would want these to become the usual way of doing this. Almost half would be willing to have a medical examination online but far fewer - around a third - would want to deal with their rehabilitation online or have an online court hearing.

Almost half managed to deal with the claims process by only using their insurance company. Another 24% used a legal representative alongside their insurers, and another 14% only used a legal advisor.

Client satisfaction with the services offered by PI practitioners has increased slightly this year while the main factors individuals look for when selecting a legal advisor are speed of service, helpfulness and friendliness of staff. Cost of service, which was joint top last year, has slipped to third.

Consolidation in the sector is likely to continue and gather pace in the next year and over half of the leading PI brands covered in the survey (13 out of 23 brands compared) have increased awareness since the last survey.

Companies Mentioned

• Accident Advice Helpline
• Admiral Law
• Bott & Co
• Carpenters
• Cooperative Legal
• DAS Law
• DLG Legal
• Express Solicitors
• Fieldfisher
• First4Lawyers
• Fletchers Solicitors
• Harris Fowler
• Hudgell Solicitors
• InjuryLawyers4U
• Irwin Mitchell
• Leigh Day
• Lyons Davidson
• Michael Halsall Solicitors
• Minster Law
• National Accident Helpline
• New Law Solicitors
• Patient Claim Line
• Slater & Gordon
• Stewarts Law
• Thompsons Law
• Thorneycrofts
• Winn Solicitors

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary

• Summary
• Incidents led by RTAs and accidents in a public place
• Majority of claimants involve an insurer but not always a solicitor
• Half of pay-outs are 5,000 or less, so in the proposed small claims limit
• Funding led by "no win, no fee" deals but other models are important too
• Almost half shop around for legal advice
• Speed and helpfulness of staff are key choice factors
• General satisfaction with claims advice is improving
• Individuals dealing with their own claims is a concern for many
• Over a third involved in mediation at some stage in the claims process
• Over half of the leading PI brands have increased awareness in 2020
• Post-COVID 19 - consumer interest in online medical examinations

2. Introduction

• Overview
• Methodology
• Abbreviations

3. Background

• Road traffic accidents lead the way
• Over half would be willing to use an online claims portal

4. Personal Injury Claims

• Almost half only involve an insurer in their RTA and whiplash claims
• Various sources used to choose a legal advisor
• Over half agree that whiplash is a genuine injury
• Most claimants did not immediately consider a claim

5. Claims Process

• Range of advisors used, and most consider their credentials and accreditations
• In 2020, less than half of claims are settled out of court
• Less than half state that the claims process was simple

6. Claims Funding and Settlements

• Half of claim pay-outs are up to 5,000, and 20% are over 25,000
• Various funding options but "no win no fee" still the most popular
• Legal expenses insurance forms part of other policies or memberships for most
• Over a third involved in mediation at some stage in the claims process

7. Small Claims, Fixed Fees for Clinical Negligence Claims

• DIY small claims - some LIPs would struggle in court and in negotiations
• Mixed views on fixed fees for clinical negligence claims

8. Legal Services Providers - Selection and Satisfaction

• Almost half shop around when choosing a legal advisor
• Speed of service and helpfulness of staff are top of the choices for claimants
• Claimant satisfaction levels with their advisor have been consistently high

9. Awareness and Use of Personal Injury Brands

• Awareness of more than half of the PI brands increased in 2020
• InjuryLawyers4U leads awareness of TV ads

10. COVID-19 and Virtual Examinations and Hearings

• Consumer interest in online medical examinations

11. Market Trends

• RTAs and industrial accidents declining but claims against the NHS increase
• Improved market growth in 2019 but unlikely to be sustained

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sj2upr

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