Modern Law Magazine Issue 65

ROUNDTABLE
ROUNDTABLE
“Throughout the client’s journey we make
the best possible use of existing technology, whilst
also investing in and fully embracing the best of new
technology and interactive media.”
In a sector as fiercely competitive as Personal Injury, what sets your company
apart from other competitors in your field? What gives you the edge?
Sarah: ILS has over 30 years of experience in the case
management marketplace, and we have learned a lot
over the years. Not only do we offer nationwide case
management coverage for both adult and paediatric
clients, but we have fantastic back-office support, freeing
our case managers up to do the thing that motivates them
most- supporting catastrophically injured clients to achieve
their aspirational goals.
Alongside our head office support team, we have a highly
skilled team of professional mentors, all experienced case
managers in their own right but not holding a case load,
they are able to step in should a case manager be unable
to respond to an urgent matter as they know their team
cases really well. In addition to that function the support
they offer is essential to ensure case managers have access
to the clinical supervision required to manage complex
cases effectively.
Kirsten: We offer a transparent insurance policy and
although we are a compact team, we offer a bespoke
one to one service with lawyers on the other end of
the phone. This means we can make decisions quickly
and those decisions are being made by someone with
previous experience in personal injury – no one is feeding
information into a machine to reach an answer.
Jeff: What sets Winns apart from competitors is the one
stop shop service provided for those who suffer a non-fault
accident. Winns assess any accident circumstances via a
24/7 call centre. A decision is quickly made as to who is
liable and if the client is not liable for the accident, we
help them place their repairs, obtain a replacement hire
vehicle, recovery and storage etc. We then pursue all claims
including any other losses and personal injury which occur.
Heather: It is a competitive field we work in, and I feel
that our USP must be the highly specialist nature of our
organisation. We only work with traumatically brain injured
clients (and TBI associated disability) in their own homes/
community and workspaces, with a goal focussed approach
on outcomes. We have a very strong, experienced clinical
team of specialist neuro-OTs that reach across the whole of
the UK, so we are national in our approach.
It is an important distinction that we do not support our
clients, we rehabilitate them, and for our more severely
brain injured clients we deliver intensive one-to-one therapy
of up to 10 hours a week, as required to meet their SMART
goals. For our head trauma and concussion clientele, we
operate a very flexible, technology driven service. Our entire
team is passionate about the work that we do, and I firmly
believe that this passion, combined with our innovative,
flexible approach that strives for best possible outcomes
sets us apart from our competitors.
“‘During the pandemic we have seen that virtual
platforms have been invaluable within the litigation, the
case management, and the rehab processes.”
How can we better bring those
involved in the PI process together
to discuss the relationship
between the claimant, the solicitor,
case manager, insurer, and rehab
provider? In what ways would this
improve the overall process and
patient journey?
Kirsten: We have always believed in the importance of
bringing together all those involved. This often means we
chat with a Solicitor, a funder, and a referrer around the
table to reach a conclusion that works for everyone. There
always needs to be a level of understanding of the case
type between all parties that have an interest in the client
and the case. This discussion can often be emotive due to
the nature of this work, but any case must also be in the
interest of each company involved as without this, the PI
process and patient journey would be non-existent. This
collaboration improves the overall progression as it allows
for an understanding of each business and highlights how
we can work together to achieve a good outcome on all
cases for clients.
Heather: During the pandemic we have seen that virtual
platforms have been invaluable within the litigation, the
case management, and the rehab processes.
The ability to have a remote team meeting from the
outset to introduce all team members and establish a
baseline from which to progress is essential. Therefore,
everyone is clear on the key goals and drivers.
Additionally, this is a positive opportunity for a claimant,
if wished, to be listened to, understood, and heard. This
is often such a powerful experience for the claimant and
often lends to better engagement in the process.
Sucheet: Communication and clarity are key to a
successful relationship between all the parties involved.
There needs to be understanding across the board
about what is the objective and how are they going to
get there. The sharing of information is important but
also the tools to make this happen. Again, legal tech
has a part to play where information can be shared
quickly to allow decisions to be made.
“‘New technologies,
in particular artificial
intelligence will assist in
the delivery of products and
customer care.’
“‘There is a big drive on
collaboration within
case management and
rehabilitation services,
however this needs to
go wider and involve all
stakeholders.”
What opportunities do new
technologies offer in relation
to the delivery of products,
customer care & services?
Jeff: New technologies, in particular artificial
intelligence, will assist in the delivery of products
and customer care. Much of the work on non-fault
claims are very similar and lend themselves to artificial
intelligence
Sucheet: New tech in my view should not be
considered as a method to replace client care but to
complement it. A key skill for any lawyer is empathy
and tech will struggle to replace that quality, built up
over years of experience and understanding. However,
tech can help support lawyers to spend more of their
time with client care by handling the more routine
parts of any legal process.
Heather: There is an abundance of technology
which can aid the rehab process. I will answer from a
clinical viewpoint. For the head trauma and concussion
cohort of claimants, technological solutions to
delivering rehabilitation products are crucial and this
is something we champion within Reach. Assessments
and treatment sessions can be delivered using various
technologies, enabling claimants to access innovative
online therapy options, giving them flexibility and
ownership. The outcomes we are achieving have been
quite astonishing, which has led me to believe the
days of F2F treatment sessions for a variety of patient
groups are long gone
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