Modern Law Magazine Issue 65

ROUNDTABLE
Making Legal Services
Personal, Efficient & Stress Free
The Only Fully Integrated Legal App
Digital Signature
Branded App/Portal
Biometric ID/AML
Full CMS Integration
Automatic Updates
Payments on Account
Push Notifications
Electronic forms
in-case.co.uk
“We have a moral and legal responsibility to consider
the mental health and wellbeing of our own staff, as
well as our clients, otherwise we will not be able to
complete the work that we strive to achieve.”
What are the primary challenges in the Personal Injury and rehabilitation world,
and what impact does this have on the claimant?
Heather: Post-COVID and from a rehab perspective,
the primary challenges appear to be timely execution
of appropriate rehabilitative interventions to aid
the recovery process. While it is right and proper
for claimants to access statutory services in the first
instance, there is less and less statutory provision
available for this client group, especially in the
community. This results in potential rehabilitation
opportunities being missed and claimants muddling
through while adopting maladaptive strategies,
hence compromising their longer-term recovery.
This approach not only has a negative impact on the
claimant’s recovery and mental health and the overall
wellbeing of their family, but it also protracts the
claim, as the case is drawn out with higher ongoing
costs as rehabilitation potential is compromised.
Early notification and early intervention is key for all
stakeholders involved in this process.
Jeff: The primary challenge is for MOJ to make the
personal injury portal much more efficient so that
solicitors can download the information required and
respond to the information efficiently. It is clear that
claimants do not wish to proceed without a solicitor and
feel they need a solicitor. The failure to get the system
solicitor-friendly is causing a major headache and resulting
in higher deduction from damages.
Sarah: The primary challenges have shifted in recent
years, and I would now place recruitment at the top of
the challenge agenda. We know that we have what it
takes to recruit great case managers, but it can be a real
challenge to recruit support workers and therapists. We
want the process of applying to be easy and interactive,
including utilising a video interviewing functionality of our
recruitment software. With technology working alongside
our tireless recruitment team making personal contact, we
are hopeful that we can catch great applicants early and
secure the best candidates to suit each client team.
Sucheet: It’s a challenging situation. Rehab delivered
quickly can have a profoundly positive impact for the
claimant in terms of recovery. However, understanding
what that rehab is and getting permission or funding from
a compensating insurer can be very time-consuming.
When I used to practice, I would often find delays
between assessing rehab needs and insurer involvement
that only served to delay treatment which is painful for the
claimant and costly to the insurer.
“With technology working alongside
our tireless recruitment team making personal
contact, we are hopeful that we can catch
great applicants early and secure the best
candidates to suit each client team.”
51