How to make a claim for minor injuries in a road traffic accident

The law has changed for any drivers or passengers, involved in road traffic collisions, wanting to claim for minor injuries which occurred on or before 31^st May 2021. It is important to note, at this stage, that the law remains unchanged if the road traffic collision involved pedestrians, cyclists or infants.

If you have been involved in an accident, and if you fall into the categories listed below, you should now file your claim yourself on the government’s Official Injury Claims (OIC) portal:

• you are aged 18 or over
• the accident happened in England or Wales
• the accident happened on or after 31st May 2021
• you were inside a vehicle
• you believe the accident was not your fault
• you have a minor injury with a value under £5,000.

What is the Official Injury Claims (OIC) portal?

The OIC portal was brought in to make it simple for victims of minor injuries to pursue a claim for compensation themselves for free, without legal help.

In order to submit your claim on the portal, you will need to have the following information:

• where and when the accident happened
• injuries you have as a result
• the vehicles involved and who you think was responsible

How to make a road traffic accident claim on the Official Injury Claims (OIC) portal

Follow this link to their official page: https://www.officialinjuryclaim.org.uk/

Once you have submitted your claim onto the OIC portal, the relevant information will then be passed onto the Defendant’s insurer, who will then investigate the claim and provide a liability decision.

You will be able to check the progress of your claim on the portal and will receive notification of any updates as and when they happen.

If the Defendant accepts responsibility for your accident, the next stage will be to obtain medical evidence and provide evidence for any financial losses (the OIC will help you with this part). Once the evidence has all been submitted onto the portal, you will be presented with an offer, which you could either choose to accept or challenge.

Once an offer has been agreed, you will be contacted by the Defendant’s insurer to arrange payment. Your claim will then be closed.

How do I know if my road traffic accident claim is worth less than £5,000?

If you have fully recovered from your injuries within less than 12 months from the date of the accident, your claim is likely to be worth less than £5,000.

What if I think my claim is worth more than £5,000?

If you believe that your claim may be worth over £5,000 because your injuries lasted for more than 12 months or because you have incurred significant financial losses making the total value of your claim over £10,000, then you should consult with a personal injury solicitor before filing your claim on the Official Injury Claims (OIC) portal.

How we can help you

We have a friendly & local Personal Injury and Medical Negligence Law Team that has a strong local reputation not only for helping our clients make a successful claim, but we happen to have one the highest client satisfaction rates in the country.

We offer a free initial consultation to hear your story, understand what happened, it’s effect on your life and help determine if you have grounds for a successful claim.

We will take all the financial risk and represent you on a No Win, No Fee basis – so it won’t cost you any money throughout the process of filing your claim, and if you don’t win you won’t owe us a penny.

Speak to a member of our Personal Injury team today in Mansfield and Ashfield on 01623468468 or in Nottingham on 01159105555.

Alternatively use the enquiry form below and an experienced member of our team will be in touch within 24 hours.