Petition GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSAL ON FIXED RECOVERABLE COSTS IN PERSONAL-INJURY MATTERS

We call on the Government to dispense with its proposal to introduce in April 2013 a new fixed-costs regime for personal-injury matters. According to this proposal, many solicitors will lose up to 70% of their costs.

The proposed changes will adversely affect the legal profession, the justice system and the economy because:

1) Thousands will lose their jobs: solicitors, barristers, paralegals and office personnel.

2) PI lawyers will no longer recover £140 million in CRU benefits. So the taxpayer will have to underwrite the cost of rehabilitating and supporting injured victims.

3) There will be fewer legal job opportunities.

4) Smaller businesses will be unable to function and will go out of business.

5) Solicitors will be unable to take on PI work, for it will be uneconomical to do so.

6) Thousands of accident victims will lose their right of access to justice.

We therefore urge the Government to abandon its proposal.