Interviews
Scott Whyte Scott Whyte, Managing Director of Watermans, told Modern Law about the current challenges facing the personal injury market in Scotland and what his prediction is for the Scottish market.
Q A
What are the current challenges in the personal injury market?
Uncertainty is probably the greatest challenge in the market overall. The market as a whole has faced numerous changes both north and south of the border in recent years (although more so in England and Wales than anywhere else). The uncertain market has the biggest impact on injured people and the proposed erosion in their rights to fair representation and compensation is of particular concern to me.
Q A
What do you predict will be the impact of the personal injury reforms on the Scottish market?
It has been interesting running a Scottish PI firm and watching the attack on injured people and the firms that represent them by successive justice ministers. On the one hand, I am extremely thankful that we have a separate legal system and that the proposed reforms won’t come into force in Scotland. On the other, I have no doubt that the insurance industry will do all they can to push for similar reforms in Scotland. Whilst the implementation of the reforms as they currently stand won’t impact Scottish claims, there are a number of organisations we work with within the sector who will be undoubtedly be affected by them and this will have a knock on the sector in Scotland.
8 Modern Law Supplement