Heading for a fall

Employers' liability insurance has had a chequered history in the changing legislative landscape of the past 30 years. However, despite the market hanging on following the EL crisis of recent years - with largely incremental rates appearing at last renewal - Dr Michael Collins argues that EL, in time, will lose its grip

There are numerous arguments highlighting that, in the long term, the compensation of employees injured or made ill in the course of their work is not something commercial insurers should expect to be able to cope with economically.

Years ago it became settled law that an employer was vicariously liable for negligent acts of an employee who injured a fellow employee in the course of their mutual employment. The insurance market itself decided that, where this occurred and the employer's insurer