27 June 2012

ACC’s compo deal should come with no strings attached

ACC should remove the obligation on victims of its privacy breach to sign away their right to talk about its compensation offer or take any legal action in the future, the Green Party said today.

As part of its $250 payment to victims of its mass leak of sensitive claimants’ details, ACC is asking them to accept it is a “full and final” settlement and to stay quiet about it forever.

“It’s neither fair nor reasonable for ACC to demand the claimants give up their right to sue in future over the breach or to complain about their treatment by the corporation,” Green Party ACC spokesman Kevin Hague said,

“The small sum of $250 should be seen as a nominal acknowledgement of harm by ACC and be given with no strings attached.

“It should not be seen as a fair settlement between two parties. There has been no negotiation, or any sort of process where the claimants have been able to have their individual situation heard and acknowledged, and which has led to a settlement.

“The insulting offer of $250 to everyone, regardless of their circumstances, on ACC’s terms alone, is symptomatic of the arrogance which got the corporation into this trouble in the first place.

“New Zealanders gave away their right to sue over injury when they agreed to the formation of no-fault ACC scheme in the early 1970s.

“These people should not feel compelled to give away their right to a full negotiation or compensation just because it’s convenient for ACC,” Mr Hague said.
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