Independent claims specialist InterResolve has launched an extension to its Bodily Injury Claims Scheme giving claimants access to independent legal advice on personal injury claims without the need for formal representation.
Claimants will receive advice from LawAlliance, which employs 1,500 independent lawyers, within a fixed fee structure based on the complexity of the claim.
According to InterResolve, this could reduce legal costs by between 50% and 80% in most cases.
LawAlliance member firms will operate under contractually-agreed arrangements with InterResolve, participating insurers, employers and public bodies.
The scheme will also deliver fixed legal costs for employers' liability (EL) and public liability (PL) claims.
InterResolve chief executive Peter Ashdown-Barr said: "The legal costs associated with many smaller personal injury claims are disproportionate and insurers face costs in the region of £2,000 to £5,000 per case. By providing independent legal and medical advice under a fixed structure together with neutrally facilitated settlements we can bring total claims costs down in simple claims to £700 to £800."
He said because lawyers were not retained, the claims process should be quick and cost-effective.
InterResolve's scheme aims to deal with claims at a very early stage providing immediate medical assessment, rehabilitation and mediation services to settle claims prior to the pre-action protocol, which adheres to the proposed ABI personal injury reforms.
