More than 200 people filled the Column Hall at the Sejm of the Republic of Poland during the conference “Personal losses – doctrine, judicial rulings, insurance practice”. The conference, which was held on 27 November, was organised by: the Parliamentary Club of Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe, National Council of Legal Advisers, and the Polish Insurance Association. This was one of the largest conferences organised by the PIU in recent years.
The aim of the event was to exchange views about personal losses and the related issue of compensation for the harm caused in a motor accident and the scope of claims to which persons close to a claimant are entitled in such cases. The conference was opened by Zbigniew Tur, Vice-president of the National Council of Legal Advisers. The guests were also greeted by J. Grzegorz Prądzyński, President of the PIU, who stated that predictability of recompense is a key issue. He added that this aspect is very important to claimants but also to insurance companies since it makes it possible to predict the premium in a reliable and realistic way.
Józef Zych, PhD – Judge of the State Tribunal and Sejm Speaker during the II session of the Sejm of 1993–1997, raised the issue of personal loss in court and insurance doctrine and practice. He stated that even in w 2012, jointly with Andrzej Maciążek, Vice-president of the PIU, he initiated efforts to have the Civil Code amended to better regulate the issue of recompense. Citing PIU data, he added that only 20% of claims for recompense end up in court, while 80% end with a settlement.
Andrzej Maciążek, Vice-president of the PIU, talked about insurance issues associated with claiming recompense, the costs of treatment and rehabilitation as part of compulsory third-party liability motor insurance, and voluntary third-party liability insurance for hospitals and physicians. He pointed out that every policy holder is an economic payer of recompense and it is in the interest of many entities to regulate them and to bring about predictability. This means that legislative changes in the legal system are needed urgently.
Doctor Dorota Gałczyńska Zych, director of the Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko Memorial Bielany Hospital, talked about the hospital’s experiences in determining the costs of treatment and rehabilitation. She also emphasised the importance of post-accident rehabilitation of claimants and the implications it has for subsequent return to health and life.
The conference ended with a presentation given by Zbigniew Tur, who talked about the problems related to the law in connection with pursuing recompense in common courts and the role of the legal adviser. Moreover, he emphasised the need for legal advisers to cooperate with physicians in order to take a joint decision on the value of the claim. A publication of the Supreme Court called “Recompense for a claimant in a motor accident and for persons close to the claimant”, which is a summary of the scientific conference held on 24 May 2017 at the seat of the Supreme Court, was also presented during the conference.
