General Advice – May 2021

Will It Ever Stop?

This personal injury industry is a bit like a self-saucing pudding. It never seems to diminish.

In countries where there is “no fault” insurance (for example, New Zealand), this type of litigation is uncommon. Whether you are in a hospital bed because of severe multi-trauma from a road traffic accident or because you have somehow contracted hepatitis would not matter. You would be compensated anyhow.

Under our system, you either need to identify a culprit or alternatively, sue the Nominal Defendant. Whichever course is followed, there is a profit to be made. The lawyers are clearly in it for the money, the plaintiff is too and dare I say it – even Orthopaedic Surgeons are paid.

In essence, none of the stakeholders seem keen to put on the brakes.

That’s life!