Factors influencing time to claim closure in older versus young road traffic injury claimants
Keywords: Insurance, Post Crash Rehabilitation, Emergency Hospital Trauma, Older Drivers & Road Users
ACRS
Submission Date: 2018 Conference: ARSC
Abstract
Prolonged claim closure following road traffic injury is associated with adverse outcomes [1], yet has not been investigated in older people, despite Australia’s ageing population and increasing life expectancy. NSW compensation data was analysed using logistic regression to identify predictors of late claim closure (>24 months) in older (≥65 years) versus younger (17-64 years) people. Legal representation was the dominant predictor for both age groups after adjusting for other variables, although the odds were higher for younger people. Qualitative studies are recommended to identify older people’s underlying reasons for earlier closure, the influence of legal representation and impact on recovery.