Insurance premiums will continue to soar if ‘excessive’ injury claims not tackled

Consumers face higher insurance prices if “excessive” personal injury payouts — sometimes three times higher than those in England and Wales for similar injuries — are not tackled, a business group has warned.

Employers body Ibec said “excessive judicial awards and a litigation culture” were feeding into higher consumer prices, and even minor accidents were increasingly prompting compensation claims.

At the launch of its report, Time to Reduce the Burden of Personal Injury Claims, it said even when liability is not contested, those claims often lead to unnecessary, costly court cases.