The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has published details of proposed changes to the way whiplash claims are handled.
The proposals include:
- Medical assessment of whiplash claims would be carried out by an accredited medical expert. They would need to show their financial independence from claimant solicitors, take into account the circumstances of the collision rather than the claimant’s reported symptoms, and undergo training in latest diagnosis techniques. Accreditation would be carried out by a Board made up of Government, judiciary, claimant interest groups, compensators and medical experts. The Board would develop the accreditation process and standardised whiplash medical reports, and arrange for the claimant to be examined.
- The Small Claims Track Threshold would rise from £1,000 to £5,000 for all road traffic personal injury claims.
- There would be a laid down prescribed level of damage awards for whiplash, at a level set independently.
- Any claimant whose whiplash claim is in part exaggerated or made up should automatically have their entire claim dismissed.