Majority Using Legal Support Through Portal

The new Official Injury Claim portal – lauded for its ease of use for clients – has seen almost all of the people using it represented by legal specialists, according to one insurer.

The news was announced by LV=, through a Legal Futures article, after only approximately 12% of cases they received so far were from litigants in person.

A number of bugs have been reported too, with the portal not accepting double-barrelled names or those with an apostrophe in them.

Despite being built up around its ease of use, a daunting 64-page user guide, on top of over 200 pages of pre-action protocol and rules, has made the process far more off-putting for clients.

Government agencies, working with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, designed the portal, with reduced tariffs for injury compensation, to make the process of claiming more straightforward and negate the need for legal assistance for claims under the value of £5,000.

With insurer claims suggesting a saving of £35 per premium, and £1bn overall as a result of the reforms, Matthew Maxwell Scott, executive director of the Association of Consumer Support Organisations, is doubtful.

“There is still nothing to show that the changes will do much more than save insurers money.”

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