Rules have recently changed around claiming for low-value injuries from a road traffic accident. 

If your driver, or a passenger/colleague in their vehicle, is injured in an accident that wasn’t their fault and they want to claim compensation from the negligent party, prior to the rule change, as long as the value of the injury compensation claim was over £1,000, the negligent party’s insurer would pay the solicitor’s legal costs for representing you. 

The new rules mean that the compensation claim will now need to be over £5,000 before their solicitor can recover the legal costs from the negligent party’s insurer. 

What does this mean for me? 

This means if the injured party has a claim less than £5,000, they will need to employ a solicitor to represent them and pay their own legal costs. 

Alternatively, claimants can make a claim themselves through the Official Injury Claim Portal (OIC) which will involve arranging a medical, uploading documents, negotiating compensation and any uninsured losses and managing any disputes. 

Why have these changes happened? 

The government has introduced these changes to reduce the number and cost of minor road traffic accident claims. 

The good news is that the government is aiming to pass the savings on to the consumer through reductions in car insurance premiums.