In a significant reversal for the market, the number of NIHL
claims fell significantly in the second half of last year. The
first half of 2015 saw claim numbers that were 8% higher than the
same period in 2013, when over 40,000 claims were made.
However, according to figures from the Faculty of Actuaries'
UK Deafness Working Party, in the final quarter of 2015, the number
of claims was 35% less than earlier in the year.
One reason for the fall is likely to be due to the reducing
number of eligible claimants, which may already have reached
critical mass. The conduct of claimant firms will also have had an
impact. The surge in such claims was largely as a result of claims
farming activities by claimant firms and claims management
companies seeking to replace revenue lost by the Jackson reforms,
particularly in relation to the motor market. This resulted in a
significant proportion of claims being without merit and resulted
in a successful repudiation rate for
