New reforms to outlaw predatory practices

RIVERLAND residents who may one day find themselves the target of unsolicited calls after an accident or injury will now have greater protections, after reforms to outlaw predatory practices passed SA Parliament.

The new laws ban the behaviour known as ‘claim farming’, where individuals or businesses cold-call potential victims to obtain their details and sell them on to law firms in exchange for payment.

Attorney General Kyam Maher said the changes were designed to protect the vulnerable from being exploited.

“Targeting vulnerable people who have been injured, including victims of abuse – at a point in their life where they desperately need help and support simply to try and make a quick buck – is gutter behaviour,” he said.

“While all persons with an injury are vulnerable to some degree, claim farmers often target people with vulnerabilities additional to the injury.

“It is immoral behaviour that soon, due to the State Government’s proactive work in this area, will be illegal.”

Under the reforms, anyone found engaging in claim farming could be fined up to $50,000, while lawyers involved in such practices may face disciplinary action under the Legal Practitioners Act.

Mr Maher said the laws would ensure victims retained their dignity and autonomy, while still being able to access legitimate legal pathways.

“People who have suffered an injury through no fault of their own deserve better, and these laws will help prevent predatory operators who seek to profit from their misfortune,” he said.