Ms Fiona Muldoon:

My colleague, Ms McMahon, will describe the process. In general, FBD keeps its customers informed. The system is adversarial. We are well aware that many of our insured parties are upset at the level of awards that end up being made. It is a difficult thing for us because they are our customers but we sometimes have to pay heavily disputed claims.

Employer liability was mentioned in the letter from the committee as being one of its areas of focus. It is very difficult for an employer to provide any sort of contribution to the accident because, by the nature of the fact that an employer has employed a person and he or she is on the premises, and the only reason he or she is there to do his or her job, then it is almost certainly going to be the employer's fault no matter in what circumstances the accident occurs.