Leading personal injury specialists, Thompsons Solicitors has launched a campaign to fight government proposals to increase the small claims limit, proposals which would severely impede injured people’s access to legal representation in road traffic accident cases.

In the Autumn Statement, the government proposed a set of reforms to the small claims limit which, if allowed to go ahead, will mean that almost everyone injured in a road accident will not have legal representation in personal injury cases against insurance companies unless they are willing and able to pay for it. The Thompsons Solicitors’ campaign, ‘Small Claims, Big Impact’ encourages people to voice their opposition to prevent this change going ahead.

At the moment, an injured person’s legal costs are paid by the insurance company of the person responsible for causing the injury - on the grounds that it wasn't the injured person’s fault.

If the changes to the small claims limit proposed by the Chancellor on 25 November 2015 come in, they will severely restrict access to justice for people injured in road traffic accidents and, by raising the limit, the government is allowing only those who can afford to pay the legal fees the right to justice.

Without access to independent legal advice, victims will be at the whim of the insurance industry who will be able to decide who they wish to compensate and how much to award them. By placing all the power in the insurance industry’s hands, the government is selling the rights of the injured party down the river, handing all the power to multimillion-pound companies driven by a desire to increase profits for their shareholders, not to do right by road accident victims.

Tom Jones, head of policy at Thompsons Solicitors, said: “The government’s cynical attempt to redefine what constitutes a ‘small’ claim comes at the expense of injured people. The previous cases that we have fought and the injuries we have seen from road traffic accidents, are in no way ‘small’.

“We’re launching the ‘Small Claims, Big Impact’ campaign against these unjust changes. The government may wish to redefine accidents that have a dramatic impact on both the injured and their family as ‘small’ to please their friends in the insurance industry, but, at Thompsons, we’ll continue to stand up for the rights of the injured and mistreated by fighting these attacks to the small claims limit.”

“We want people to add their voice – by completing our short survey and joining the debate on Facebook. It is only through action and collaboration that we will be able to quash this threat.”

To get involved in the campaign, search ‘Small Claims, Big Impact’ on Facebook, #ProtectSmallClaims on Twitter or visit our car insurance campaign page.