Public opinion is not supportive of the whiplash reforms, fresh polling commissioned by APIL reveals.

“Only a tiny fraction of the public, just five per cent, think the compensation offered for whiplash injuries under the tariff is fair,” said APIL chief executive Mike Benner, as the association finalises its evidence to the Ministry of Justice’s post-implementation review of the radical 2021 reforms.  

“The evidence lays bare the categorical failings of the reforms, challenges their basis, and uncovers serious flaws with the system,” he said. 

APIL commissioned Opinium to ask members of the public a series of questions about road traffic injuries caused by someone else and which affect the injured person for up to two years.

“The rhetoric at the time of the Civil Liability Act’s passage was that ‘low value’ injuries like whiplash are minor or trivial, and undeserving of compensation. This new polling shows there is overwhelming public support for compensating these types of injuries,” said Mike.

Of the people polled who had suffered whiplash injuries, 90 per cent said they had struggled day-to-day, or could not carry out their usual activities without help. 43 per cent had to take sick leave or reduce their hours at work.  

“Motor insurers are now lobbying to extend the tariff to further types of injury. The public must not be cheated again,” he said.

“The reforms have had a devastating impact on access to justice for injured victims of negligence and have failed to reduce the cost of motor premiums. We made this clear at the time. Injured people were always the wrong target,” Mike went on.

“If the Government is serious about reducing costs to policyholders there must be a review of repair and hire costs,” he said. “The work proposed by the Motor Insurance Taskforce on repair and hire costs should be monitored to ensure that it tackles the excessive costs in these areas.

“Any further reform to the PI sector would be unwarranted, misinformed, and would exacerbate the existing unfairness for injured people since 2021,” he said.

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Notes to editors: 

• Opinion polling results are from two opinion polls undertaken by Opinium. One set of polling covered all adults in England and Wales. The sample size was 1,724 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 5th - 9th September 2025. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in England and Wales (ages 18+). A further set of polling covered adults in England and Wales who had suffered an injury which affected them for up to two years. These injuries were the result of a car collision that someone else caused. The sample size was 300. Fieldwork was undertaken between 28^th August - 4th September 2025. Opinium is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Both sets of polling were commissioned by APIL.
• The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) is a not-for-profit campaign organisation formed in 1990. Members are like-minded professional personal injury lawyers who are committed to protecting the rights of victims of negligence. Members, who include solicitors, barristers and legal executives, are dedicated to securing access to justice for all who need it, and to turning around the lives of people seriously injured due to the negligence of others.
• Any queries should be directed to APIL’s press and communications officer Julie Crouch on 07808 768623, [email protected], or communications manager Jane Hartwell 07541 490 988 [email protected].
• Click here to visit the APIL website. Follow APIL: @apiluk on Bluesky; @APIL on X, @injuredpeople on Instagram, and on LinkedIn.