A staggering 134 million personal injury compensation calls and texts are estimated to have been made in the UK in the last 12 months*, new figures reveal.
More than 20 million people were subjected to unwanted cold calls or texts touting for injury compensation claims, exclusive research carried out by YouGov for the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) shows.
“It’s time for an outright ban on intrusive and upsetting cold calls about personal injury claims, which is what the public wants,” said APIL chief executive Mike Benner.
“Some 89 per cent of the people surveyed want a total ban. Our research shows strong emotional responses to calls with people left feeling angry, anxious, disgusted, or upset. It’s hardly a surprise when they are being pestered in their own homes,” he added.
“Solicitors are banned from cold calling for personal injury claims, and we fully support this. Claims management companies however, are still allowed to contact people,” he explained.
APIL, a not-for-profit organisation which campaigns on behalf of people injured by negligence, wants the Government to make an amendment to the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (No. 2) currently going through Parliament and ban cold calls about making personal injury claims.
“In the past the Government stopped short of an outright ban on cold calling by introducing new rules so that people must consent to receiving calls and text messages, but the rules are confusing and ambiguous,” said Mr Benner.
“The evidence is clear that millions of calls are still being made and the public is overwhelmingly frustrated. There is an opportunity in the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill to put this right.
“Many calls will no doubt go to the elderly and vulnerable, causing them untold worry and upset. How would you feel if it were your grandmother fielding cold calls she had not invited on something she knows nothing about? They are intrusive and exploit vulnerable people.
“Our research shows 38 per cent of adults surveyed received an unwanted injury call or text and it’s not just one either; on average each person who received these calls or texts said they had seven calls or texts in the previous 12 months so it’s a big problem.”