Insurers warned as personal injury motor claims fall to record low

The number of personal injury motor claims has fallen to its lowest level in five years, new figures from the government’s Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) have revealed.

Published today (26 January 2024), the data showed that 83,050 claims were made in Q4 2023, down from 85,830 in Q3 2023, 89,361 in Q2 2023 and 93,989 in Q1 2023.

The figure recorded between October and December this year was also the lowest for a quarter since 2018, with the previous low standing at 84,257 in Q4 2022.

And the 352,230 personal injury motor claims recorded across 2023 was the lowest annual figure since 2018.

The data was obtained by the Association of Consumer Support Organisations (Acso) through a freedom of information request.

The association warned that these record lows were being recorded despite annual mileage rates returning to pre-Covid levels.

Executive director Matthew Maxwell Scott said: “On the face of it, there are fewer people reporting accidents and so that should be welcome.

“However, our view is that the number of road traffic accidents hasn’t changed much, it’s just that in the face of a litany of government reforms, fewer and fewer people are choosing to claim for their injuries.”

Premiums

Back in 2021, the Official Injury Claim (OIC) service portal was setup as part of the government’s whiplash reform programme.

On 13 February 2023, the justice committee called for evidence into its impacts and asked for the sector’s thoughts on specific issues.

Its report, published on 20 September 2023, highlighted that the average time taken to settle cases was 251 days and was predicted to increase further.

And with personal motor injury claims dropping, Acso said that the “insurance industry cannot now claim that lower-value personal injury claims are responsible for rising motor premiums”.

According to data published by Confused.com and WTW earlier this month (16 January 2024), prices surged by 58% in the last 12 months, with UK motorists now paying £995 on average for premiums.

The data also revealed premiums had now risen for nine consecutive quarters since Q4 2021, with the final quarter of 2023 recording an average price rise of 8% (£71).

“The FCA’s review of whether savings from the whiplash reforms have helped reduce premiums, due later this year, will make for interesting reading,” Maxwell Scott said.

“Given the dramatic fall in injury claims numbers, we need to ask what the value of cover is when it brings fewer and fewer benefits.”