Changes to Personal Injury claims - and how this may affect you

Changes in the Personal Injury sector came into force on 31st May 2021 as the Civil Liability Act and the Whiplash Injury Regulations are updated, introducing new fixed compensation amounts and preventing whiplash claims being settled without a medical assessment.

But what does this mean? Operations Director, Karl Ford from NewLaw Solicitors explains:

“Previously, anyone who was involved in a road traffic accident and suffered whiplash injuries that were deemed to be worth over £1,000 in compensation was entitled to have their legal costs paid for by the at-fault party’s insurer. From 31st May this limit will now increase to £5,000. As a consequence of these changes more claims will be processed at the new lower threshold, making it difficult to find legal representation and submitting a claim unaided could be challenging”.

Will it still be possible to make a claim that is under this new limit?

“Yes, it will, but claimants may find it more difficult. They will have to use the Motor Insurers Bureau’s new ‘Official Injury Claim Portal’ to present their case and may even have to represent themselves in court – something that would be daunting for even the most confident claimant.”

Would claimants be able to obtain legal assistance?

“The new regulations and limits do make claiming legal costs in lower value cases more difficult, so many law firms are less willing to take on these claims. However at NewLaw, we approached this problem by looking at how we could continue to provide our market leading legal support for claimants in the new environment. We have invested heavily in developing our client-focused online portal – ‘Pilot’ ahead of the changes to ensure claimants will still have access to the legal assistance they need.”

How does the NewLaw portal work?

“Launched on day one of the new reforms, NewLaw’s Pilot works in conjunction with the Official Injury Portal. Instead of being left to submit a claim yourself, Pilot provides a simple, structured online process to help collect all the information needed, submit and track the claim - but all with the added reassurance that experienced, qualified legal support is on hand to guide claimants when they need it. Pilot ensures claims are as strong as possible and takes away the burden of having to deal with defendant insurers yourself.
NewLaw’s goal has always been to ensure ‘Our clients are at the heart of everything we do’ and that’s why we’re still committed to supporting our clients following the reforms, ensuring they obtain high quality legal redress.”

NewLaw have already partnered with several well-known businesses to provide access to the Pilot portal helping their customers to access experienced legal support in the new personal injury environment from the very beginning.

If you would like to find out more about how you could offer your customers innovative legal services and continued claims services in the personal injury sector, contact Darren Pardon on 07595 330 204.