A whiplash claim is a claim which commonly results from a car accident where one vehicle has been hit from behind by another and the driver of the car that has been hit (and / or their passengers) sustains neck injuries.
The government and the insurance industry have long suspected that there are many fraudulent whiplash claims made. The insurance industry points out that fraudulent claims can push up the price of car insurance premiums for everyone.
The Ministry of Justice has issued a press release outlining the latest attempt to combat fraudulent claims by limiting the amount that can be claimed for medical reports.
From October 2014 the new rules will mean that medical professionals can only charge £180 for an initial whiplash report, reflecting the time taken to carry out and write up an assessment. Currently, prices of up to £700 are charged.
Other measures will come into effect through new court rules, including:
- introducing an expectation that medical evidence will be limited to a single report
- discouraging insurers from settling whiplash claims without a medical report confirming the claimant's injury
- stopping experts who produce medical reports from also offering treatment to the injured claimant.
For the full text of the press release go to News
The new changes are a reminder that for the best chance of success, personal injury claims should be handled by solicitors which specialise in this area. If you require advice in relation to a personal injury claim contact us.