An agreement on the level of success fees payable in road traffic cases has been welcomed by claimant personal injury lawyers.
The agreement, thrashed out between claimant and defendant representatives at a Civil Justice Council meeting at the weekend, sets success fees for road traffic accident claims (RTAs) at 12.5% when they are settled without a trial, with a success fee of 100% for cases which have to go to trial.
"We couldn't be more pleased that this issue has finally been resolved and we can now look forward to some clarity in procedures for dealing with road traffic claims, which represent two thirds of all personal injury cases," said David Marshall, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).
"I hope we can also now expect an end to the costs war, which has seen the courts log-jammed with cases due to arguments about, among other things, the level of success fees in these cases.
"This is a very fair conclusion to a protracted series of negotiations, and reflects the reality that no road traffic claim is risk-free," he continued. "The fact that solicitors will be properly recompensed for the additional risk of taking such cases to trial is also most welcome."
