Accident management specialist, Auto Logistic Solutions (ALS), has launched a new, comprehensive legal expenses insurance (LEI) product designed exclusively for UK brokers. Called Full Circle, the service allows insurers to outsource the complete accident management process, improving efficiencies and driver satisfaction, while enhancing revenue streams.
While the volume of whiplash claims continues to fall, there are still areas where efficiencies can be made, according to ALS which has developed this product to drive down operational costs and improve the customer experience during the complex post-accident period.
Developed to be a white labelled product (marketed under the brokers’ brand), Full Circle enables brokers to completely outsource the claims handling service to an experienced third party which boasts an ‘excellent’ Trustpilot rating. Utilising its nationwide network of approved vehicle repairers / bodyshops and its own fleet of hire vehicles, ALS handles every aspect of the accident management process – from the moment the driver calls the helpline. Crucially, Full Circle also employs the services of ALS Law, the company’s in-house, Law Society regulated legal team, which is able to efficiency process injury claims.
Kyle Harris, founder and managing director of Auto Logistic Solutions, said: “The personal injury claims process has changed dramatically over the last few years – the new tariff-based system for simple soft tissue whiplash claims, which came into effect in June 2021, not only removed fixed costs for representative solicitors, but reduced dramatically the awards given for such injuries.
“Despite calls for greater simplicity and transparency, this regime still requires significant expertise to navigate. The combination of the complexity of managing the claim and the awards given has helped to fuel the decreasing numbers of claimants, as they feel it simply isn’t worth it. We do not feel this is fair for the many drivers who genuinely have a right to claim redress against a negligent driver.”
The whiplash reforms that came into effect in June 2021, in the wake of the Civil Liability Act 2018, forced a rethink on just how the innocent driver could have access to justice. With no fixed fees, how were solicitors expected to fund cases going forward? The short answer came from increased legal expense premiums, or Damage Based Agreements (DBAs) being entered into by the clients directly with the solicitor. In practice, this involves the claimant agreeing to give a percentage of their award to the person who manages it for them, typically this could be anywhere between 25 and 40% being taken.
Kyle Harris continues: “We didn’t want to pass on the burden of running cases onto the innocent driver, preferring to absorb these costs by subsidizing within the group of companies. This has enabled us to keep our premium prices to an absolute minimum. There has to be a happy medium here – which must consider the customer journey as the prime objective. We think our 20 plus years of experience, coupled with our ‘total solution’ approach enables us to provide a competitively priced service, while delivering world-class levels of customer satisfaction which are reflected by our excellent Trust Pilot ratings.”
Full Circle also includes a dashcam app, called 4Sight, which automatically links to ALS’s UK-based customer support centre, providing instant video footage of any accident. This fully-integrated app is available on both Android and Apple devices – making it available to all drivers.
