MOTOR ACCIDENTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19123, 18 September 1936, Page 7

MOTOR ACCIDENTS

SCOPE OF INSURANCE EXTENSION PREDI'CTEI) HIGHER PREMIUM LIKELY (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. An intimation that he was workingvery actively on the problem of overhauling the legislation relating to motor accident insurance was given by the Attorney -General, the Hon. IT. G. E. Mason, in the House, in replying to the second reading debate on the Law Reform Bill, which contains one clause relating to motor accidents. The existing law debars those injured by a motor vehicle, of which the driver is killed, from claiming against the deceased’s estate. This deficiency is remedied in the Law Reform Bill. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Nat., Waitoniu) said that the bill widened the opportunity for claiming damages, and it was questionblo whether it was not going to be too wide. He thought that as a result of the bill motor insurance premiums may have to be increased coa sid erably. The Minister said that the question of insurance premiums had been discussed with the insurance pool. He felt that he must do his best to meet their point of view and see that there was not placed upon them an unfair burden for which they would be liable in the present year. “VERY URGENT PROBLEM” That was the reason why some of the clauses were not to come into operation until next June, when the current premiums for motor insurance would run out. After then a fresh start could be made, and if it was found that payments for damages had increased considerably it might be necessary to raise the amount of premiums, which could be increased in any -case quite apart from the operation of the bill. ■ He understood that the insurance pool had made a loss this year, and it might he that the time had come for premiums to be adjusted, but lie did not think the bill would come into it very much. The Minister added that lie was sorry that there did not appear to be a chance this year to .alter the basis of insurance in respect to motor accidents. He was working on the problem of changing the basis altogether, so that every person who suffered injuries in a motor accident would be entitled to compensation. “That is a separate problem and a very urgent problem,” lie concluded. “1 regret that I will not be able to deal with it this session. This bill takes the matter as far as I am able to take it during this session.”