I have been a member of APIL since it came into existence. I had the privilege of being its president in 2004 to 2005. As with all presidents, I gave a speech at the annual conference. Two of the themes in that speech are still very relevant today. The first relates to the image of lawyers who practice personal injury law. The general view of them is not at all good. This is a great pity. All of the personal injury lawyers I know who represent injured people, are thoroughly committed to the work that they do. Securing a good outcome for such individuals is an absolute priority for them. I only hope that in the future, a much more positive view of personal injury lawyers is established.
The second concerns rehabilitation. APIL began its rehabilitation campaign in 2003. It continues to put forward the proposition that in every case consideration has to be given as to how the personal injury claims process can be used in order to ensure that there is maximum recovery for the injured person. This is the approach of most personal injury lawyers and I sincerely hope that, in the not too distant future, such an approach becomes all-embracing and that all of those involved in conducting claims will see this as the top priority.
Here’s to APIL's next 25 years.