askCUE established to cut PI fraud

In an attempt to prevent fraudulent claims entering the compensation process, representatives from claimant solicitor organisations and the insurance industry have collaborated to establish the askCUE PI (personal injury) service.

The service will be mandatory to use from 1 June 2015. Solicitors are being encouraged to prepare their businesses now and to ensure that they register to use the service from 5 May 2015.

The work has been led by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), the Motor Accident Solicitors Society (MASS), Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and the Law Society and forms part of recent updates to the Civil Procedure Rules.

Claimant representatives processing claims covered by the Ministry of Justice’s RTA Protocol will be required to use the service from 1 June 2015 before submitting a Claim Notification Form (CNF) for a personal injury claim through the Claims Portal. The new enquiry service will allow approved organisations to do this.

James Dalton, director of general insurance policy at the ABI said, ‘This represents a significant step forward as the insurance industry and claimant communities join forces in the fight against fraud. The development and delivery of the service is a tangible demonstration of what can be achieved when our sectors work together. There’s plenty that we disagree on, but getting the fraudsters and cheats out of the personal injury claims system is something we all agree on which is why the delivery of askCUE is an important milestone in the on-going fight against fraud.’

Susan Brown, chairman of MASS said, ‘Having worked towards this for the last 4 years, MASS is delighted that insurers and claimant solicitors will now be able to share information, at an early stage in a claim, that might indicate potential fraud. This is an important first step in greater collaboration across the industry and we look forward to actively exploring how further data sharing might contribute to the fight against fraudulent claims.’

John Spencer, immediate past president of APIL said, ‘APIL welcomes the opening of the askCUE data base. This is a really good first step for the sharing of information to tackle fraud.’

Catherine Dixon, Law Society Chief Executive said, ‘This new system means the legal profession and the insurance industry can crack down on fraudulent claims. The collaboration between lawyers and insurers is a huge step forward showing that we can all work together to achieve a common objective which will benefit consumers.’

On Tuesday 5 May 2015, the service (available from www.askCUE.co.uk) will open for registration and it will be important for solicitors to get their registration completed early to avoid a last minute rush. Registration will allow an unlimited number of enquiries during a 12 month period for £110 +VAT.

Solicitors who submit a small number of personal injury claims a year can register for a set enquiry package which provides up to 10 searches per annum, for which there is no charge.

Only approved organisations will be able to use the service. Solicitors can register by either having one account covering all office locations or having a separate account for each office location.