This week, the new whiplash reforms came into effect, but just 25 medical experts have so far been approved to diagnose injuries for litigants in person using the official injury claims portal.
However, more than 150 applications for approval have been made by direct medical experts or medical reporting organisations
Approved medical experts were required to complete MedCo’s mandatory whiplash reforms course by 31 May or lose access to MedCo.
Once accredited, they can now be instructed by unrepresented claimants.
Any Road Traffic Act claim for £5,000 or less will now be treated as a small claim and must be pursued via the new portal.
The cost of an initial medical expert report is £180
The government has touted the new rules as saving motorists £35 each on their car insurances and to tackle ‘fraudulent or embellished’ claims.
Most claims will now proceed through the small claims track where legal costs are not recoverable, with a new fixed tariff of compensation for whiplash injuries.
A 64-page guide for litigants in person has been issued by Official Injury Claim, which lawyers has criticised as “wading through treacle”.
