British Ministry of Justice: Savings for Motorists as Whiplash Reforms Come Into Force

LONDON, England, June 2 -- The British Ministry of Justice issued the following news release on May 31, 2021:

Motorists across England and Wales will save up to pound sterling35 a year on their insurance as new rules on whiplash claims come into force today (31 May 2021).

The changes are designed to reduce the unacceptably high number of whiplash claims made each year, with more than 550,000 in 2019/20 alone, which will allow insurers to cut premiums for millions of drivers.

The reforms include a new user-friendly online portal for road traffic accident claims under pound sterling5,000 - simplifying the process and removing the need for expensive lawyers. They also introduce a ban on settling whiplash cases without medical evidence - a practice which has opened the door to fraudulent or embellished claims.

Insurers have pledged to pass on the savings these reforms will create to drivers - worth a total of pound sterling1.2 billion.

Despite the UK having some of the safest roads in Europe with fewer crashes reported year-on-year since 2013, road traffic accident claims are more than 40% higher than in 2006. This has been fuelled by a reported increase in exaggerated and often disproportionate claims, driving up the costs of premiums for ordinary motorists. The Government is determined to clamp down on this behaviour and help reduce the cost of insurance for drivers.

The Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland QC MP, said:

* For too long the system for making whiplash claims has been open to abuse by individuals looking for an easy payday - with ordinary motorists paying the price.

* Our changes, which come into force today, will put an end to this greedy opportunism and ultimately see savings put back into the pockets of the country's drivers.

Dominic Clayden, Chief Executive of Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), who operate the new Official Injury Claim online claims portal, said:

* We are pleased to have delivered on our remit to build a service that meets the requirements of these important policy changes.

* MIB's focus has always been about making sure the new legal process is as easy and straight forward as possible for anyone who might need to make a claim.

* To make sure the service works well for everyone we will continue our work with the Ministry of Justice to listen to feedback and to make further enhancements.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said:

* There are almost as many lurid headlines about whiplash claims as there are claims themselves.

* This new system should mean legitimate cases are easier and quicker to deal with, fraudulent claims are more likely to fail and all drivers benefit from decreases in their insurance premiums.

Key changes that have been introduced today include:

* A new digital portal to make a claim for any road traffic related personal injury valued at under pound sterling5,000, including claims for whiplash. This means claimants can settle their own claim without the use of a lawyer if they wish. It is anticipated that the majority of road traffic accident claims will use the portal in future.

* Increasing the small claims track limit for road traffic accident-related (RTA) personal injury claims from pound sterling1,000 to pound sterling5,000. Therefore the majority of all RTA related claims will now proceed through the cheaper small claims track where legal costs are not recoverable.

* A new fixed tariff of compensation for whiplash injuries setting out how much can be claimed for an injury, depending on how long it impacted the claimant with the duration up to two years. It provides claimants with a clear guide to how much their injury would be worth when they make their claim.

* A ban on the practice of seeking or offering to settle whiplash claims without first obtaining medical evidence.

The reforms are part of measures contained in Part 1 of the Civil Liability Act 2018.

The new online portal will revolutionise how claims are made, creating a system that is simple and more efficient to use. It has been tested by professionals in the industry and reviewed to ensure it is easy to understand - with user-guides available to explain how to make and progress a claim at every stage. For those who require additional assistance, a helpline will also be available.

Meanwhile, the increase to the small claims track limit for road traffic accident injuries will mean that claimants whose compensation is valued at less than the pound sterling5,000 can use the new portal - in most cases sparing them court appearances, fees and legal costs.

The new whiplash tariffs will give claimants clarity, predictability, and certainty about how much their claim will be worth, while ensuring costs are controlled and that compensation is proportionate to the injury suffered.