Post by jman on Aug 30, 2011 14:29:36 GMT 1
Article in Guardian on Saturday about Paralympians concerns about legal aid cuts
"Paralympians warn legal aid reforms will penalise serious accident victimsHopes of rehabilitation are likely to be hit by cost-cutting plans, warn skier and gold medal-winning swimmer
Jamie Doward and Daniel Boffey guardian.co.uk, Saturday 27 August 2011 20.52 BST Article history
Two of Britain's leading paralympians fear the government's shakeup of the legal aid system will have a severe impact on the ability of seriously injured people to claim adequate compensation.
Baroness Masham of Ilton, who won gold in the 25m breast stroke in the first Paralympic games in 1960, and Talan Skeels-Piggins, who represented Britain at skiing in last year's Winter Paralympics, are urging ministers to rethink the reforms drawn up by Lord Justice Jackson. Their high-profile intervention will highlight the plight of victims of serious accidents who require significant resources to rebuild their lives.
Jackson's cost-cutting reforms include a proposal to abolish the "success fee" paid to a claimant's solicitor by the defendant's insurer. Instead, claimants will pay their own solicitor's fees, which would be capped to a maximum 25% of the damages awarded.
To "soften" the blow, the government will increase the ceiling for damages payouts by 10%. But legal experts argue that the reforms, designed to save taxpayers more than £350m a year, will have serious financial consequences for severely injured people and warn that the imposition of a cap on fees would see solicitors declining to take on complex accident litigation claims.........."
Rest at link below
www.guardian.co.uk/law/2011/aug/27/paralympians-legal-aid-reforms-accidents
"Paralympians warn legal aid reforms will penalise serious accident victimsHopes of rehabilitation are likely to be hit by cost-cutting plans, warn skier and gold medal-winning swimmer
Jamie Doward and Daniel Boffey guardian.co.uk, Saturday 27 August 2011 20.52 BST Article history
Two of Britain's leading paralympians fear the government's shakeup of the legal aid system will have a severe impact on the ability of seriously injured people to claim adequate compensation.
Baroness Masham of Ilton, who won gold in the 25m breast stroke in the first Paralympic games in 1960, and Talan Skeels-Piggins, who represented Britain at skiing in last year's Winter Paralympics, are urging ministers to rethink the reforms drawn up by Lord Justice Jackson. Their high-profile intervention will highlight the plight of victims of serious accidents who require significant resources to rebuild their lives.
Jackson's cost-cutting reforms include a proposal to abolish the "success fee" paid to a claimant's solicitor by the defendant's insurer. Instead, claimants will pay their own solicitor's fees, which would be capped to a maximum 25% of the damages awarded.
To "soften" the blow, the government will increase the ceiling for damages payouts by 10%. But legal experts argue that the reforms, designed to save taxpayers more than £350m a year, will have serious financial consequences for severely injured people and warn that the imposition of a cap on fees would see solicitors declining to take on complex accident litigation claims.........."
Rest at link below
www.guardian.co.uk/law/2011/aug/27/paralympians-legal-aid-reforms-accidents