Whiplash claims · England & Wales

Whiplash Injury Claims — No Win No Fee

Hurt in a crash that wasn't your fault? We explain the whiplash tariff, the Official Injury Claim portal and what you can claim — in plain English — and handle your claim on a No Win No Fee basis.

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No Win No Fee: The law limits our success fee to 25% of the compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity and for past financial losses, after any state benefits are repaid. Compensation for future losses is not counted. If you win, our success fee is deducted from your compensation. It is a percentage of our basic charges, and the law limits it as set out above. Any After the Event insurance premium is payable only if you win, and is never charged upfront. Your letter of engagement sets out exactly what you will pay for your type of claim, and we explain it before you sign. If you lose, you pay us nothing. This applies as long as you keep to your responsibilities under the agreement. You may have to pay costs if you end your claim early, fail to beat an offer the other side made, or a court finds your claim dishonest or exaggerated; where we have arranged After the Event insurance, it covers some of these costs if you keep to the policy's terms. See exactly what you pay.

Written by Leanne Henton, Head of Personal Injury and Medical Negligence.
Reviewed by Leanne Henton on 2026-11-10.

Part of our personal injury claims service.

In short

For accidents on or after 31 May 2025, whiplash lasting up to two years is paid at fixed tariff amounts — £275 to £4,830, or up to £4,975 with minor psychological injury. Adult drivers and passengers usually claim through the Official Injury Claim service when the injury part of the claim is worth up to £5,000 and the whole claim up to £10,000. Lost earnings and other costs are claimed on top.

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Figures verified with NJS Law on 9 November 2026.

On this page

Whiplash claims at a glance

Time limit to claim	Usually 3 years from the accident
Cost to you	No Win No Fee — nothing upfront and nothing if your claim is unsuccessful
Whiplash tariff	£275 to £4,830, or up to £4,975 with minor psychological injury (accidents on or after 31 May 2025)^[1]
Who the tariff covers	Drivers and passengers in a car, van or other motor vehicle (not a motorbike), with whiplash (soft tissue injury to the neck, back or shoulder) lasting up to 2 years. It does not depend on what the claim is worth.
Injury part up to £5,000	Adult drivers and passengers usually go through the Official Injury Claim portal, if the whole claim is worth up to £10,000^[4]
How long it takes	Often 3–6 months through the portal
On top of the tariff	Lost earnings, physiotherapy, travel and vehicle costs

Could you be entitled to whiplash compensation?

You may be eligible to claim if all three of the following apply:

You suffered whiplash or another neck, back or shoulder injury in a road accident

It happened within the last three years

Another driver was fully or partly at fault

Symptoms can appear hours or days later — that doesn't stop you claiming. Check your time limit.Find out if I can claim — free

What is whiplash?

Whiplash is a neck injury caused by a sudden jolt of the head forwards, backwards or sideways — most often in a rear-end collision. Symptoms include neck pain and stiffness, headaches, shoulder or back pain, dizziness and pins and needles. See a GP or call NHS 111 even if you feel fine at first.

Whiplash claims are governed by a special legal framework:

The Civil Liability Act 2018

Introduced fixed tariff compensation for whiplash lasting up to two years.

Civil Liability Act 2018

The whiplash tariff

Amounts set by regulation and increased for accidents on or after 31 May 2025.

Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021, as amended

The Official Injury Claim portal

Handles claims by adult drivers and passengers when the injury part is worth up to £5,000 and the whole claim up to £10,000.

Pre-Action Protocol for RTA claims up to £5,000

Who can make a whiplash claim?

Situation	Eligible?	Notes
Adult driver	Yes	Tariff applies for symptoms up to 2 years
Adult passenger	Yes	Tariff applies for symptoms up to 2 years
Child	Yes	Outside the tariff and the portal
Pedestrian or cyclist	Yes	Outside the tariff — valued under the Judicial College Guidelines, 18th edition (2026)
Motorcyclist or pillion	Yes	Outside the tariff and the portal
Symptoms over 2 years	Yes	Valued under the Judicial College Guidelines, 18th edition (2026)
Partly at fault	Possibly	Compensation reduced by your share of blame

How long do I have to make a whiplash claim?

You usually have three years from the accident.^[5] Children have until their 21st birthday.

Type of claim	Limitation period	Notes
Adult driver or passenger	3 years	From the accident or your date of knowledge
Child injury claim	Until age 21	3-year clock begins on 18th birthday
Mental incapacity	Does not start	While the person lacks capacity from the date of injury. If capacity is lost later, the time limit keeps running
Fatal accident claims	3 years	From date of death or date of knowledge
Untraced (hit-and-run) driver	Different rules	MIB Untraced Drivers Agreement — act quickly

How much is a whiplash claim worth in 2026?

For accidents on or after 31 May 2025, whiplash lasting up to two years is paid at fixed tariff amounts.^[1] In exceptional circumstances a court can increase the tariff amount by up to 20% (Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021, regulation 3).^[2]

Whiplash tariff: accidents on or after 31 May 2025
How long your symptoms last	Whiplash only	With minor psychological injury
Up to 3 months	£275	£300
3 to 6 months	£565	£595
6 to 9 months	£965	£1,025
9 to 12 months	£1,510	£1,595
12 to 15 months	£2,335	£2,435
15 to 18 months	£3,445	£3,550
18 to 24 months	£4,830	£4,975

Whiplash tariff: accidents on or after 31 May 2025. Source: The Whiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/615), Table 2 on legislation.gov.uk.

For accidents between 31 May 2021 and 30 May 2025 the lower 2021 amounts apply: see The Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021.

Outside the tariff

Type of injury	Key factors	Indicative range
Neck injury — soft tissue, longer recovery (over 2 years)	A less serious soft-tissue injury that takes longer to recover, or a pre-existing condition made worse	£10,420 to £18,150
Neck injury — moderate	Ongoing symptoms and treatment	£10,420 to £50,850
Neck injury — severe	Lasting disability	£60,080 to £195,970

Judicial College Guidelines, 18th edition (2026)^[6]. Lost earnings, physiotherapy, travel and vehicle costs are claimed on top.

What have we won for people in your position?

Road traffic accident£50,000 for physical and psychological injuries after a head-on crashA driver crossed the centre line and hit our client head-on. We gathered medical evidence for physical and…Read the case Road traffic accident£28,000 for nerve damage after a rear-end crash at a red lightOur client was hit from behind while stopped at a red light. Injuries that began as whiplash developed into chronic…Read the case Road traffic accident£20,000 for a pedestrian hit at a crossingOur client was struck by a vehicle while crossing the road at a…Read the case

See our case studies

Figures are compensation before any deductions.

Which accidents can cause whiplash?

Rear-end collisionsThe most common cause of whiplash.Side and head-on impactsSudden sideways or forward jolts.Injuries to passengersFront or back seat, any vehicle.Taxi and minicab accidentsThe operator's insurer deals with it.Bus and coach accidentsIncluding sudden braking.

How do we support your whiplash claim?

We decide the right route. Official Injury Claim portal or the standard Pre-Action Protocol — and we tell you why.

We build your evidence. Police reports, dashcam, CCTV, witnesses and medical records — you don't need to gather it.

We instruct independent medical experts whose report forms the basis of your valuation.

We claim every financial loss — earnings, travel, physiotherapy, vehicle costs and care.

We seek interim payments for treatment and lost income where liability is admitted.

We negotiate firmly — and go to court if a fair settlement isn't offered.

How do I make a whiplash claim? A step-by-step guide

Most whiplash claims follow these stages.

Free case assessment

We check your claim and tell you whether it belongs in the portal.

Funding agreement

We explain how your claim will be funded before you commit.

Medical report

An accredited medical expert confirms your injury and prognosis.

Claim and insurer response · 30 working days in the portal

The insurer has 30 working days to say whether it accepts fault (40 working days if the Motor Insurers' Bureau is dealing with the claim).

Settlement

Your compensation is paid, usually within a few weeks.

How long does a whiplash claim take?

Portal claims

3–6 months

Liability admitted

Outside the portal

9–18 months

Higher value or other injuries

Disputed

12 months+

Liability contested

What does No Win No Fee mean?

If your claim is unsuccessful, you pay us nothing in most cases. The arrangement is called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA):

Nothing upfront and nothing during the case, however long it takes.

If you win, our fee is taken from your compensation — we explain exactly how it works before anything is signed.

If you lose, you pay us nothing. This applies as long as you keep to your responsibilities under the agreement. You may have to pay costs if you end your claim early, fail to beat an offer the other side made, or a court finds your claim dishonest or exaggerated; where we have arranged After the Event insurance, it covers some of these costs if you keep to the policy's terms.

Read our full No Win No Fee guide

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Legal Lingo

What do the legal terms mean?

All Legal Lingo terms

Legal LingoWhiplash tariff

Fixed amounts set by law for whiplash lasting up to two years.

Legal LingoOfficial Injury Claim portal

The online service adult drivers and passengers use when the injury part of a road traffic claim is worth up to £5,000 and the whole claim up to £10,000.

Legal LingoMinor psychological injury

Anxiety or distress linked to whiplash — included in the higher tariff.

Legal LingoSpecial damages

Financial losses such as earnings, treatment and travel.

Legal LingoExceptional circumstances uplift

In exceptional circumstances a court can increase the tariff amount by up to 20%.

Legal LingoLimitation period

The deadline to start a claim — usually three years.