UK women are less likely than men to file a claim for personal injury compensation after a traffic injury or after receiving a personal injury at work, according to a new report released on Tuesday.
The Scale of Injustice Report, which was conducted by the National Accident Helpline, shows widespread confusion over personal injury claims. 16% of the population find the legal process daunting, 20% don’t know who to discuss their problem with and only 6% believe they have a full understanding of their legal rights.
There is also a social stigma attached to the whole personal injury industry with more than 50% of the survey’s respondents thinking that people who make claims are simply working the system, only a third of those interviewed said that financial gain would be their motivation.
Over 50% of people say they would file a personal injury claim if they wanted to highlight an instance where other people could be at risk of a similar accident.
10% of employees said they were worried that they would lose their job if they sought legal advice about a personal injury at work and 14% were concerned about the financial implications for their employee if they filed a claim. 20% thought that making a claim could make them less attractive to future employers.
Recently, Lord Young called for restrictions on personal injury television adverts but experts believe that without TV ads, people will not know their rights or how to find a personal injury solicitor to get advice.