Whiplash meaning

Note: As of 1 October 2023, the CPR has been updated to broaden the scope of fixed recoverable costs. These changes apply where the cause of action arises on or after 1 October 2023 (typically the accident date). For the version of Part 45 that applied before 1 October 2023, see: Can more than fixed costs be recovered? London weighting A 12.5% uplift to fixed costs applies if the claimant resides or works, and the instructed solicitor practises, within one of the London areas identified in CPR 45. Other circumstances For direction on other situations where recovery beyond fixed costs may be possible, see Practice Note: Fixed costs in road traffic accident claims. Children Distinct fixed costs apply to infant approval hearings, known as Type C fixed costs. The schedule for fixed costs under the Pre-Action Protocol for Low Value Personal Injury Claims in Road Traffic Accidents (the RTA protocol) appears at Table 10 in CPR PD 45. See Practice Note: Fixed costs in...

The following are some of the features and factors (not all of which will be readily discoverable at a very early stage) to consider when assessing whether a claim is appropriate for the LVI defence: The respective weight of both vehicles: a heavier vehicle striking a lighter one creates a greater impact than a crash between vehicles of comparable weight. Age and design of the vehicle: some models provide better shock absorption, for example with large bumpers. Location of impact: a direct rear-end hit passes more energy than a collision at an angle. Presence of a tow bar: a tow bar channels impact energy through the car, increasing injury risk. Handbrake applied: engaging the handbrake reduces the likelihood of injury. Claimant’s age and sex: females face a higher chance of whiplash, and risk rises with age. A pre-existing medical condition: heightens susceptibility to whiplash injury. Whether the claimant anticipated the impact and braced themselves: bracing diminishes the risk of neck...

Checklist This checklist sets out the matters a practitioner ought to weigh when assessing general damages. It reviews various heads of damage, such as pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA), Smith v Manchester awards, loss of congenial employment, loss of use, holiday disruption, harm to relationships, reduced marriage prospects, aggravated damages, unnecessary treatment, fatal accidents, and interest. PSLA Pain and suffering reflect the claimant’s personal, subjective experience. Loss of amenity denotes a diminished capacity to carry out ordinary activities. Damages can be granted for physical and/or psychiatric injury and cover distress in the past, present, and future. There is no precise formula for valuation in these assessments of such claims...

In this issue Key DR developments Claims and remedies Costs and funding Litigation Applications—general Evidence and disclosure Appeals New content Dates for your diary Useful information Daily and weekly news alerts Key DR developments CPR Committee minutes Minutes of the CPR Committee meeting—6 June 2025: The Civil Procedure Rule Committee met on 6 June 2025 in a hybrid session at The Rolls Building (Royal Courts of Justice) and via video conference. The minutes confirm a forthcoming CPR 51 pilot enabling non-parties to obtain court documents, arising from the Supreme Court ruling in Cape Intermediate Holdings Ltd v Dring [2019] UKSC 38. They also record approved amendments to the e‑working pilot, progressing towards a permanent electronic filing system as part of ongoing court modernisation. Further topics included summary assessment of costs, arbitration updates, disclosure, civil restraint orders, closed material procedures, judicial review reforms for infrastructure projects, whiplash reforms, digital services and other procedural...

Note: the CPRC has ceased distributing the supporting background papers alongside the minutes; accordingly, this News Analysis does not include documents elucidating the topics considered. A copy of the minutes can be found here: Minutes of the Civil Procedure Rule Committee. Welcome, action log and matters arising (item 1) The minutes of the 5 July meeting were formally approved and the action log was noted—see News Analysis: Minutes of the CPR Committee meeting—5 July 2024. The following items were considered: Ryan Morris v Williams & Co Solicitors [2024] EWCA Civ 376—the matter had previously been covered under item 4 in the Minutes of the CPR Committee meeting—held 5 July 2024...

Note: the CPRC no longer distributes the underlying papers with the minutes, and consequently no documents explaining the matters discussed are supplied alongside this News Analysis. A copy of the minutes can be found here: Minutes of the Civil Procedure Rule Committee. Welcome, apologies and introductory remarks (item 1) The minutes of the 9 May 2025 meeting were approved (for more detail, see News Analysis: Minutes of the CPR Committee meeting—9 May 2025). From the action log, the following items were recorded: Forms and standard orders—various strands of work remain in progress, and a new working group will be created. The Chair and Secretariat will finalise the finer details outside the committee. Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024—drafting was agreed under item 3 at the Minutes of the CPR Committee meeting—9 May 2025, and the finalised draft is now circulating within the sub-committee for approval. A handful of substantive issues have emerged but are not anticipated to require consideration by the full committee....

PI & Clinical negligence horizon scanner—July 2025 [Archived] ARCHIVED: This Practice Note is archived and is not maintained. It summarises the principal legal developments relevant to personal injury and clinical negligence practitioners as at July 2025. For developments predating this horizon scanner, see PI and Clinical Negligence horizon scanning and key cases—overview. Key PI and clinical negligence developments The personal injury discount rate—a review In late 2024, the Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood MP, revealed the outcome of her five‑month review of the discount rate, initiated in July 2024. One month after the new +0.5% discount rate took effect, Thea Wilson (barrister at 12 King’s Bench Walk) assesses its impact on cases, the responses from claimant and defendant representatives, and the consequences of the change for legal practitioners. See News Analysis: The personal injury discount rate—a review. MoJ announces reduction in CFO’s interest rates The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced lower interest rates for the Courts Funds Office’s (CFO) special and basic accounts...

The introduction of the Pre-Action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims Below the Small Claims Limit in Road Traffic Accidents The Pre-Action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims Below the Small Claims Limit in Road Traffic Accidents, referred to as the RTA Small Claims Protocol, took effect on 31 May 2021. It delivered reforms first trailed by the government in 2015, aimed at cutting both the volume and expense of low-value RTA cases. The initial policy sought to abolish compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA) on low-value whiplash claims entirely. This was subsequently revised so that only the level of damages recoverable was reduced. Legal costs, other than disbursements, cannot be recovered from the defendant. A digital claims portal was created (see: Official Injury Claim), designed to provide a simple, user-friendly online route enabling claimants to pursue their own cases without legal representation, directly if they so choose...

This Practice Note summarises the principal legal updates relevant to personal injury and clinical negligence practitioners as at 2 March 2026, aimed at assisting current practice. For earlier developments, see PI and Clinical Negligence horizon scanning and key cases—overview. Key PI & clinical negligence developments Eighteenth edition of the Judicial College Guidelines due The 18th edition of the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) will be released on 9 April 2026. The Lexis+® UK PI & Clinical Negligence team will refresh the JCG link within our Key Resources on the Lexis+® UK PI & Clinical Negligence homepage, together with all connected materials. Law Society publishes practice note on conduct of litigation following Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys Following the High Court’s decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys [2025] EWHC 2341 (KB), the Law Society has issued guidance for solicitors, law firms and legal businesses to ensure that only individuals authorised under the Legal Services Act 2007 undertake the conduct of litigation...