Today’s Daily Telegraph reports that David Cameron plans to tackle that modern scab on society: no win no fee lawyers. The type of lawyers that got their qualifications out of a cereal packet. It’s the equivalent of a qualified accountant working for over the phone only loan companies.
As Cameron says, these sordid companies have been born out of the culture of health and safety, were every authority and company has to cover it’s back. You can’t blame them. Claimer XYZ falls over a stick in the car park and BANG- you’re in court! H&S should be the preserve of those who work in professions were the risks are high, but can be managed. A code of conduct. But not a chance for every mechanic who cuts himself in public sector employment (Honestly, it happened once) and gets a pay out. That’s called an occupational hazard, like a criminal getting locked up as the opening credits of Porridge remind us.
Cameron says rightly that people cannot expect a risk free life, and quite right. People need to take some personal responsibility. There is a difference between negligence and people looking for a claim (a trade union special, I’ve seen this). That difference has been blurred and needs to be redefined.
The Tories claim they will stop these companies from advertising on TV and making huge referral fees.
They have spoken about it, now lets see it because this is something that lots of people need reminded of: life is dangerous. Manage it.