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Lawyers urge SA government to implement fairer compensation scheme for injured motorists
13th Mar 2019
Lawyers in SA are calling on the state government to urgently adopt recommendations that will provide fairer compensation to people injured in car accidents.
Now that the report from the Review of the Operation of the Motor Vehicle Accidents (Lifetime Support Scheme) Act 2013 has been released, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has written to the SA government urging it to act on the recommendations.
“People injured in car accidents should be able to have confidence that they will be fairly compensated for their time off work, the disruption to their lives, plus their pain and suffering,” said Ms Sarah Vinall, the ALA’s SA State President.
“We welcome the report on the Review of the Operation of the Motor Vehicle Accidents (Lifetime Support Scheme) Act 2013 and encourage the government to quickly take steps to implement the recommended reforms.
“Our members have had significant concerns about the operation of the scheme, and how it adversely affects those injured in motor vehicle accidents, for many years now. It’s nearly six years since the changes were made to the legislation and two years since we submitted our concerns for consideration.
“The current threshold means that a large number of injured people who have suffered fairly significant injuries resulting in time off work and significant disruption to their daily lives, such as broken bones, do not qualify for compensation for pain and suffering.
“The current scheme also means that people who suffer multiple injuries often receive insufficient compensation that does not reflect their level of disability and restriction. We are calling for a review of this approach so that the cumulative effect of all injuries are considered when determining compensation.
“Implementing the report’s recommendations will ensure that more people with debilitating injuries can access adequate compensation for the pain and suffering caused to them through no fault of their own.”
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