Judges are entirely to blame for shocking insurance mess

I AM the owner of a guesthouse in Dublin. I have recently been advised by my insurance broker that none of my staff is allowed to attempt the Heimlich manoeuvre unless specifically trained in the technique. This is in case the choking person suffers a fractured rib or some other injury.

The broker issued this advice on the instructions of some of the insurance companies he deals with.

I also have significant anecdotal evidence that medical personnel are much less likely now to stop at the scene of an accident or assist in other medical situations on a voluntary basis.

These relatively recent changes are in addition to the difficulties being faced for a long time by crèches, festivals and sports organisations, as well as every business in this country.

These changes in our cultural norms are shocking and sad in equal measure. It is no longer just an issue of money, but of lives.

I believe that the judges of this country are entirely responsible for this mess. The very high awards in this country not only push up insurance costs in their own right but also encourage frivolous claims.

I can only speculate as to why the judges in this country think it is reasonable to give out awards which are four times the average in Europe.

Is it stupidity, naivety, Marxist tendencies, excessive fraternising with the rest of the legal profession, or is it that given that they are paid approximately four times as much as the average person in this country that they in turn consider the value of money to be just a quarter of what the rest of us think?

Furthermore, the above-mentioned instruction from the insurance broker exactly parallels a recent High Court judgment that medical personnel must be absolutely confident in their assessment of a medical diagnosis. In other words, that unless one is absolutely certain of what one is doing then one should not be involved.

If the judiciary cannot sort out this problem soon then the Government must act by legislating or even by constitutional change.

Change must occur before the very fabric of our society is torn apart. Patrick Finn

Egans Guesthouse, Dublin 9