Over 150 insurance and law firms have signed up to pledge their support for the COVID-19 Personal Injury Protocol launched last week to protect claimants, according to James Dalton, director of general insurance at the Association of British Insurers.

The list is dominated by law firms, with 17 insurers so far on board, namely Acromas, AIG UK, Aioi Nissay Dowa, Aviva, Axa, Catalina, Covea, Direct Line Group, Hastings, KGM, LV, NFU Mutual, MIB, RSA, Riverstone, Sabre and Zurich.

The protocol, launched by the ABI and defendant law firm, Thompsons, is designed to mitigate the impact of coronavirus disruption on personal injury claimants. It will remain in place up to the 18th April -- with a joint review in the week of the 13th April, by which time the Lord Chief Justice’s office may have put formal instructions in place., organisations can pledge their commitment to the protocol on the ABI’s website.

The aim is for law firms and insurers to sign up to the protocol to ensure that neither party in a personal injury claim is unfairly impacted by coronavirus disruption.

The protocol targets practical or procedural opportunism presented by coronavirus related disruption. It calls for a flexible and pragmatic approach, whether that is to limitation periods, delays in submitting medical evidence or a defence, and seeks to recognise restrictions on attending hearings while social distancing guidance is in place.

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