Following the Woolf Report, the legal procedure for handling personal injury claims changed in April 1999. 

All such incidents will be Fast Tracked, and this will place additional responsibilities on your business in addition to the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980 which require you to record the following:-

(a) Fatalities and major injuries
(b) Dangerous occurrences
(c) Other accidents to employees resulting in over three consecutive days absence

In the event of any accident involving employees or third parties at your premises we strongly recommend that you adopt the following procedure immediately after the event whilst it remains fresh in people's minds:

· Complete Accident Book
· Interview all witnesses and record details
· Investigate circumstances and implement any system/procedural changes necessary to prevent a re-occurrence

Incidents under (a) and (b) should be advised to us by telephone and as with (c) details will need to be advised to Insurers on a report form thereafter.

Summonses will no longer be issued for these types of claims. Instead Solicitors will send a “Letter of Claim”, you have 21 days to acknowledge this letter and to provide the Solicitor with details of your Insurer. A copy of this letter should be forwarded to MANNINGUK immediately.  As Insurers only have 3 months to investigate the claim and to accept or deny liability, your co-operation with them will help to protect your position.

You should not admit liability and all correspondence should be forwarded to us unanswered.