Sir, – Behind your report (“Legal bills of €500m for motor insurance cases”, Front page, December 19th) lies a story of multiple failures: the insurance industry cannot control its charges, the courts seem unable to control false and exorbitant claims, and the government cannot do anything useful.
Perhaps it is time to start using the technology. The adoption of event data recorders (EDRs) is reckoned by the EU to reduce road traffic accidents by 20 per cent; knowing that your driving behaviour is being recorded can have a salutory and positive effect.
These devices are analogous to flight data recorders in aircraft.
In the event of an accident they can reveal lots of information about the behaviour of cars immediately prior to the crash.
These “black boxes” are fitted to cars as standard and can be a requirement for motor insurance in some countries. – Yours, etc,
MIKE NORRIS,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – Congratulations to your Business Editor on his article detailing fees paid to the legal profession in motor claims (Ciarán Hancock, Front page, December 19th).
I believe it would be of enormous benefit to the taxpayer if he or anyone else, could shed light on the legal fees paid in medical litigation.
If, in the likely event, these fees correspond proportionally to the motor insurance fees, the legal profession is the recipient of millions upon millions of taxpayers’ money.
Knowing this exact amount might spur someone to change this outdated and expensive system of settling medical claims. – Yours, etc,
Dr MATT LINEHAN,
Co Galway.