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Whiplash Injury Compensation 2025-04-02
02 April 2025
Lead MP
Nicholas Dakin
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
Justice & CourtsDefence
Other Contributors: 2
At a Glance
Nicholas Dakin raised concerns about whiplash injury compensation 2025-04-02 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The draft Whiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025 amends the fixed tariff for whiplash compensation by applying an inflationary uplift. The aim is to ensure claimants receive proportionate compensation until the next review in 2027, maintaining a fair and efficient system for both claimants and defendants.
Kieran Mullan
Con
Bexhill and Battle
The tariff remains unchanged but will increase by 14% to 15% across all bands, accounting for inflation since 2021. The framework includes two tiers for whiplash injuries with or without minor psychological injury, requiring a single medical report and discretionary uplifts in exceptional cases. The review process highlights challenges in determining prognosis due to inconsistent medical reporting.
Nicholas Dakin
Lab
Nottingham North
The updated tariff is a necessary correction for inflation, but it must not be seen as the end of the matter. The system needs to maintain fairness for claimants, preserve judicial discretion where needed and ensure that savings are passed on to customers.
Government Response
Justice & CourtsDefence
Government Response
The draft Whiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025 adjust the whiplash tariff values to account for inflation, ensuring claimants receive fair compensation. The amendments uprate tariffs by around 15% based on actual and expected inflation between 2021 and 2027. No other changes are made, maintaining a balanced system.
Shadow Response
Dr Kieran Mullan
Shadow Response
The tariff increase accounts for inflation since 2021 with an additional buffer until the next review in 2027. The framework remains unchanged but includes commitments to improve medical report clarity and quality. We welcome this commitment and look forward to a thorough post-implementation review. The official Opposition supports the direction of travel, reminding us that the reforms must help real people and real lives. The report by HM Treasury shows a reduction in insurance costs for customers due to whiplash reforms but separately, the Ministry of Justice will conduct a post-implementation review later this year.
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Assessment & feedback
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