Plans For Further Whiplash Reforms Shelved By MOJ

The very idea of a local or central Government consultation, is usually met with a cynical tut, a roll of the eyes and the question: whether it is a genuine consultation or a fait accompli? However, in what will doubtless be seen as a shock move to the personal injury and credit hire sectors, the Ministry of Justice have recently responded to a 5 year old consultation process with the ditching of plans for further whiplash reforms. See Part 2 of the Government Response to: Reforming the Soft Tissue Injury ('whiplash') Claims.

Despite a chorus of objections, overwhelmingly from the claimant sector, May 2021 saw the implementation Part 1 (raised financial value limit for the Small Claims Track and introduction of fixed tariffs for compensation for RTA whiplash claims) of what was anticipated to have been only the first of inevitably further whiplash reforms to come. Part 2 was wider in scope, including proposed reform in the areas of credit hire and