'No win, no fee' culture makes liability insurance a must

Posted on March 07^th 2012

In the UK we seem to be following America's 'sue' culture as 'no win, no fee' legal firms become increasingly bold in their marketing campaigns, making liability insurance more important than ever before. Everything from PPI insurance to PIP breast implants have been targeted by law firms as companies fall foul of an increasing number of claims.

The latest businesses to be hit, Horse and Hound Magazine claims, are riding schools and livery yards, as compensation for horse riding related injuries are pursued in the courts. Talking to the popular specialist magazine, Forbes Solicitors told Horse and Hound that they were getting up to four enquiries a month from people injured in riding accidents and wanting to sue, prompting them to tout their services on social media site Facebook.

For those stables not covered by watertight liability insurance, the potential cost to their riding business could be devastating. For example, the average compensation award for a neck injury comes in at £2,000-£5,000, while serious accidents causing head injuries and brain damage can be upwards of £200,000.

David Buckton of South Essex Insurance Brokers, explained: "Equestrian businesses - and riders - must make sure they have all their paperwork in order and ensure they have proper liability insurance in case someone makes a claim."

Related links

Horse and Hound article

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• No effect on liability insurance from relaxation of RIDDOR rules