I read with interest Katy Dowell's piece on personal injury (News Analysis, 3 May) and must commend Insurance Times for taking a leading role in the debate around the DCA's personal injury claims process reforms.
However, knowing how much influence the magazine holds in shaping such debates, I feel it is essential that I clarify a significant point within the article: I can categorically state that the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (Foil) as an organisation has never pledged its support to a referral fee system.
Within the insurance sector as a whole, this is a highly contentious issue that has rightly come under scrutiny in recent months.
However, individuals hold a variety of views on the rightness or otherwise of these fees. I have my own personal views on the subject, as do our members, but Foil does not have one unified position.
We keep the interests of our members very much as the centre of our work. The DCA's current review is a critical issue in the legislative calendar, and a massive opportunity to create a system which is faster, fairer and more transparent for all.
It is right and proper that we should ensure that the collective voice of our membership is heard on the DCA review at such a crucial time. However we cannot and will not overstep the mark by presuming to represent our members' views on the particular issue of referral fees.
Henry Bermingham, Vice president of Foil and partner at Berrymans Lace Mawer
