The
Insurance Industry, the media and certain politicians have brought into
existence a very effective myth – The Compensation Culture. We are led to
believe that this ‘culture’ is out of control and is responsible for many of
society’s ills, including high insurance premiums. These two words have become
so widely used that many people now take for granted –
- That it exists,
- That it needs to be stopped,
- That it is largely the fault of lawyers.
But it is
indeed a myth.
The Master
of the Rolls, one of the country’s senior judges, acknowledged this in a speech
in March 2013. He referred to ‘media created myths’ He went on to say –
‘All of this may also require a substantive educative effort
on the part of government, the courts and the legal profession to counteract
the media-created perception that we are in the grips of a compensation
culture.’
The government has showed little appetite for dispelling the
myth. In fact they have been happy to promote it in order to help their
insurance company friends.
The myth has been effectively used to attack victims of
motor accidents.
Now it seems that it is to be extended to those who have
accidents at work or who suffer work related illnesses. The Telegraph has
recently reported claims by AXA that businesses are victims of – ‘fraudulent
injury compensation claims by an employee’. They cite one example!
The reality
is that a tiny minority of those who suffer from work related accidents or
illnesses, actually pursue compensation claims. One government report says that
85% of those injured at work are not compensated. Recent changes in the law
have made it much harder for victims to pursue cases against their employers. Many
simply don’t want to do it for fear of losing their jobs.
This is a
worrying development. There is no such thing as a compensation culture. It is a
fiction. The insurers have used it with great effect to attack victims of car
accidents. Now, it seems, they have their sights fixed on a new group of victims.
There is a
clear risk that we could indeed revert to Victorian days when it was virtually
impossible to obtain justice for a work related injury. The development of
Health and Safety Regulations, alongside the right to claim against careless
employers has saved thousands of lives in industry over the last fifty odd
years. This cannot be allowed to change.
The biggest fraudsters are those who promulgate this myth for their own ends.
ReplyDeleteIt is right that many workers suffer from accidents at work place and work related illnesses. Safety rules & regulations must be followed to avoid accidents or mishaps. Health and safety programs are very useful for as the employees are trained for handling the tricky situation, they will keep themselves cool and composed in the time of crisis. And less injury take place at workplace.
ReplyDeleteRegard
Arnold Brame