MIB opens registration for whiplash claims portal

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) has opened the whiplash claims portal for registration.

Called Official Injury Claim, claimant representative and compensator organisations can register between now and the launch of the service on 6 April online at www.officialinjuryclaim.org.uk.

The MIB is delivering the whiplash portal on behalf of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), following passage of the road traffic accident and Civil Liability Act reforms.

The April 2020 target was thought to be unachievable, but the MoJ has stuck to the timeframe laid down last year, which itself was the result of a delay.

Commenting on the whiplash portal recently, James Heath, immediate past-president of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers, said: “With the MoJ maintaining that the reforms will launch on 6 April 2020 unless and until we are told otherwise, the sands of time are diminishing. Launch is now just over the horizon and yet despite this we still have uncertainty over wide parts of the final programme.”

“If we are going to launch in April, then the time has come for clarity and indeed visibility over the final process, rules and portal service. Without this, neither claimant representatives or Compensators can make the key decisions required to make operational changes necessary for the new regime. These are decisions that cannot be made on hypothesis or guesswork—certainty is required.”

“Without this, there is understandable concern at whether those changes can now be made in time for an effective April launch. There is no more time for uncertainty—professional users of both sides of the divide need clarity, and need it now.”

Dominic Clayden, chief executive officer of the MIB, said of Official Injury Claim: “Today’s launch is a significant milestone for the successful delivery of the new service to support the whiplash reforms set by the Ministry of Justice.”

“By opening up the registration window today we are able to give organisations the chance to choose a registration time that best suits them in the coming weeks. There is still much to do ahead of launch but from an MIB perspective, work on the build has gone well and overall delivery is in good shape.”

He continued: “The website you can see today will be updated at launch to put consumers centre stage—and support and guide them simply and quickly through the new process. This is a service built with consumers at its heart and shaped with their input. The second round of testing amongst consumers is currently underway and we will publish high level results in the coming weeks.”

The advanced registration phase will enable claimant representative and compensator organisations to set up their organisation, create accounts for web users and facilitate testing of integration to the service.

In November, the MIB concluded the first of two testing phases to inform the development of the service. The second phase of testing is now underway.

Mark Dugdale