THE ‘REFORMS’ HAVE NOT JUST RESULTED IN A COLLAPSE IN CLAIMS - THOSE WHO STILL CLAIM FACE INCREASED BARRIERS WHEN THEY TRY TO PURSUE JUSTICE: Since the ‘whiplash reforms’ came into effect, there has been a 23percentage point increase in claimants who find the compensation process very stressful. Fewer than half of road injury claimants who were injured before the ‘reforms’ found the process very stressful. For claimants who were injured after the ‘reforms’, this rose to 71%. As part of the ‘reforms’, a new online system - Official Injury Claim (OIC) - was introduced. This was meant to simplify the claims process, and allow victims to submit claims without the support of lawyers. In reality, victims are struggling to make claims when they do not have legal support. APIL’s analysis has found that for every ten claims submitted by those without representation, more than six calls are made to the OIC’s support centre. This astonishingly high number of calls shows just how much the system is not the easy-to-use process promised. A more stressful process Victims are struggling to grapple with the online claims system A lack of awareness of the OIC is fuelling the justice gap APIL’s opinion polling revealed that 69% of adults in England and Wales were not aware of the OIC. Fewer than half of those with an injury affected by the ‘whiplash reforms’ were aware of the system. PAGE 9
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