New Portal RTA Claims

From the end of May 2022, the Official Injury Claims Portal (OIC) is the new portal to be used for claims for whiplash or soft tissue injuries flowing from road traffic accidents.

This portal captures claims where the injuries are worth less than £5,000 or, the claim in its entirety is worth less than £10,000.  However there is an exception for vulnerable road users.

Vulnerable road users include:

• Motorcyclists
• Pillion and sidecar passengers
• Cyclists
• Pedestrians
• Horse riders
• Mobility scooter users
• Wheelchair users (inc powered wheelchairs)

Vulnerable road users will only have to make their claim through the OIC portal if the general damages part of their claim is valued at up to £1000 or under.

This new portal gives the opportunity for all low value injury claims from an RTA including whiplash to settle without the need for legal representation or going to court. It is heavily standardised and designed to be used by the general public.  There is no entitlement to legal costs for claims run in the OIC Portal and so many legal firms are unable to advise clients on these claims any longer.

Calculating the compensation amount can be divided into two categories, General Damages, and Special Damages. General Damages are the compensation you receive directly related to your injuries. As part of the new OIC Portal, the Government has also introduced a tariff for whiplash/soft tissue injuries which are much lower than the Judicial College Guidelines that Legal Practitioners would usually use to value injuries, where your claim was not eligible for the OIC. Special damages include all financial losses that are a consequence of your injury, such as lost earnings, care and attendance, vehicle repair and substitution costs.

The new service is free and accessible for claimants to use, it has been carefully designed to be a user-friendly digital system supported by guidance. There is also an alternative method if you do not have web access or a struggling with the online service, you can get assistance via the Portal Support Centre by calling 0800 118 1631.

The link to the gov.uk website has been provided to you with all the documents and information you may need if you are looking to make a claim. Also provided below is the link to the Official Injury Claim “Guide to Making a Claim”. It is noted that you do not have to read through the entirety of the guide before making a claim, however you may find it helpful to refer to a specific part, ie Eligibility.

Whiplash Reform Programme: Information and FAQ – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

guide-to-making-a-claim-version-20-april-2021.pdf (officialinjuryclaim.org.uk)