By Carlena Knight
The recent hit and run accident on Friars Hill Road has brought on discussions about whether the legal penalties are sufficient for convicted drivers, and whether there is sufficient monetary support for the victims, many of whom need extensive medical care.
And while not much thought has been put into the legal framework of this rising concern, Cabinet did indicate that measures will be put into motion to look at assisting these victims by raising the amounts they receive from insurance companies.
The announcement was first made briefly in the October 27 edition of the Cabinet notes, but according to Information Minister Melford Nicholas, a series of consultations must first take place before any major steps can be taken to change the current policies.
“Cabinet notes would have indicated that the government does intend to have a revision of the insurance liabilities in respect of these situations. Clearly, this will involve consultations with insurance companies. It is only fair that we have a look at that again, of course, these things are one to be done, we would need to have a process of consultations, but whether or not we are looking at the penalties for the offending drivers or for the liabilities to the insurance companies when bad accidents happen, we are certainly going to have to take a look at both,” Nicholas revealed.
While revising the laws governing these specific incidents was not an immediate thought for Cabinet, Minister Nicholas did indicate that it is a matter that they could look into, and can easily be addressed.