Surge in claims

In its Annual Report for 2013, the Medical Defence Union, the parent company of the DDU, revealed the number of claims against its dental members rose by almost 10 per cent during the year.

Legal changes affecting the amounts claimants' solicitors could expect to be paid were introduced on April 1 2013. Realising they were going to have to reduce their fees in future, lawyers rushed to take on claimants under the old arrangements which led to a surge in cases being notified, the DDU explained. 

The DDU has employed additional dento-legal advisers to help keep up with the demand for its services from members.

Rupert Hoppenbrouwers, head of the DDU said:

"2013 was an extremely busy year for the DDU. As well as answering thousands of calls from dental professionals on our 24-hour advice line we have continued to see a huge increase in new claims being notified to us. We fully support the legal costs reforms that came in to effect in 2013, but in the short term we have seen claimants' solicitors rushing to notify claims under the old arrangements, prolonging the disproportionately high costs the legal changes are intended to address.