It will come as no shock to hear that we live in a compensation culture. We’ve all seen the adverts, and possibly thought about legal action ourselves. The simple truth is that blame can always be traced back to a single party, or person. And when that is the case, there are financial gains to be found. In most cases, claiming compensation is entirely legitimate, and indeed helpful. If you’ve suffered an injury, you’ll know that there are severe costs involved. Medical bills mount up and you may incur a loss of income. Your property may have been damaged, and repairs are essential. You’ll also need to hire a personal injury attorney who can help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

Money can’t solve everything, but it can take the financial strain out of a difficult period. For example, if you’ve found yourself the victim of a car crash, the emotional and financial pain is very real. If it’s not your fault, you shouldn’t be held accountable for the actions of others. You need a personal injury attorney to help you get the proper compensation from the injuries you’ve sustained. You may hire a car accident lawyer to help make the guilty party cover your medical bills and your repairs. This has been the case for decades. So, today we’re asking why this industry is growing at such a rapid rate. Sources at Scranton Law Firm have told us that their claim rates continue to rise. More and more people are filing personal injury suits. We investigate why, and in what areas.

The single biggest area of personal injury claims lies in the automotive sector. Car crashes, collisions and accidents account for the majority of compensation claims in the car insurance industry. There are two reasons for this. First of all, car crash rates continue to rise in this country. Despite improved safety techniques, there are more road users than ever. This correlates to an increase in drink driving and dangerous driving. More crashes leads to more personal injury claims. Second of all, insurance companies are no longer paying out at the top rate. Due to the recent recession, insurance companies were squeezed to their limit. Payouts were lower and barely covered costs. It forced victims to seek alternative measures: compensation.

There is, of course, another huge sector that accounts for personal injury claims. That sector is workplace injuries. In the 1970s, the federal government introduced an Occupational Safety and Health law. It put the responsibility of employee safety firmly in the hands of employers. It meant that any small trip or fall at work instantly became a problem for businesses. At first, employees didn’t feel comfortable suing the company they worked for! But, over time, the insurance business boomed. Corporate companies insured themselves up to the eyeballs. With this in place, employees felt less guilty about claiming compensation and claims rose. They continue to rise to this day as employees begin filing on the grounds of mental health.

Finally, claims have risen against animal attacks and defective products. Compensation culture is self-fulfilling prophecy. The more exposure it gets, the more claims are filed. The more claims that are filed, the more that are won. The more this happens, the more it becomes a commonplace process.

Undoubtedly, there is a place for compensation. It is a lifeline for those who have suffered trauma or difficulty, and long may that continue. However, it’s important that the system remains healthy and doesn’t suffer abuse. If you have a personal injury story, we’d love to hear from you, please share it with us.