Association of Personal Injury Lawyers

Whiplash reform has failed injured people - Insurance Post Trade Voice: Mike Benner, CEO of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, warns that further personal injury reform would only exacerbate the unfairness

Subscribers to the Insurance Post can read the article here: www.postonline.co.uk/claims/79597...

The whiplash reforms have failed injured people and further personal injury changes would only exacerbate the unfairness claimants face, APIL chief executive Mike Benner has written in the Insurance Post.

"Any further reform to the PI sector is unwarranted and misinformed".

"The human misery caused to patients who are the victims of avoidable NHS harm has been laid bare in the House of Commons PAC report on clinical negligence spending. It is obvious that negligence is at the root of every penny spent on redress."
Read more: apil.org.uk/blog/Delays-...

The extended FRC system is mired in uncertainty for injured people and law firms. "There is a lack of clarity around allocation and assignment to a complexity band," said APIL executive committee member John McQuater in the latest press release. 👉 apil.org.uk/press-releas...

Unmarried fathers in England, Wales and NI are denied bereavement damages if their child dies due to negligence. The law on statutory bereavement compensation is completely out of touch with what a modern family looks like in 2026.

#BereavementDamages

The wait goes on for some solid direction on the future of e-scooters in the UK, with trials extended to 2028. Collisions and injuries remain high, with illegal use of private e-scooters still widespread. Want to know more about the state of e-scooters in 2026? 👇
apil.org.uk/blog/What-is...

So far, the letter has been published in the Derby Telegraph, Leicester Mercury, and Swindon Advertiser, among others. Read the letter in full here: apil.org.uk/letter-to-th...

Vulnerable injured people who are suffering because of awful, life-changing events are made to feel as though they are not believed. They become emotionally and financially exhausted, terrified that they will be liable for everyone’s legal costs if they fight on and fail.

Some insurance firms and their lawyers are using cynical tactics to avoid paying compensation to people who suffer serious injuries due to the negligence of others, APIL has said in a letter to press. This is an abuse of the fundamental dishonesty rules.

#FundamentalDishonesty #Negligence

Whiplash reforms have "utterly failed", government told The whiplash reforms have “utterly failed the general public and victims of negligence” and there is no evidence for insurers’ arguments to extend them.

The whiplash reforms have “utterly failed the general public and victims of negligence” and there is no evidence for insurers’ arguments to extend them.

Legal Futures reports on APIL's submission to the Government's post-implementation review
👉 bit.ly/4pgvv7z

Patients must not be forgotten in bid to tackle negligence costs Those harmed by clinical errors — as well as their representatives — are not the ones at fault in a creaking health and care system

The rising cost of the NHS’s bill for settling clinical negligence claims is not the fault of the injured patients, APIL executive committee member Suzanne Trask tells readers of The Times today. 👇
www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

Public opinion is not supportive of the whiplash reforms, fresh polling commissioned by APIL reveals. “Only a tiny fraction of the public, just five per cent, think the compensation offered for whiplash injuries under the tariff is fair,” said APIL chief executive Mike Benner.

Nominations are now open for the Clio Modern Law Awards 2026, view the categories and submit your entry here 👉 modernlawawards.co.uk

Entries are invited across the legal community, from regional practices to leading national organisations. Deadline is 13/02/26.

Arduous legal battles are avoided when NHS Trusts admit failures when they happen, which they have an obligation to do under the duty of candour. "Many injured patients who go to a lawyer have unanswered questions about what happened. They feel kept in the dark." - www.apil.org.uk/press-releas...

The system for statutory bereavement damages in England, Wales and Northern Ireland needs reform.

#Bereavementdamages #England #Wales #NorthernIreland #Scotland #Compensation #Negligence

YouTube video by APIL Rusty's Story - Rebuilding Shattered Lives

Rusty's Story, part of APIL's Rebuilding Shattered Lives campaign, has won the Best Blog, Podcast, or Video Award at the Association Excellence Awards. Rusty's Story is a powerful short film showing the impact of negligence and the importance of redress, watch it here: youtube.com/watch?v=OjV7...

APIL has laid bare the ‘irrefutable prejudice’ against personal injury claimants and ensuing erosion of their right to redress, in evidence to the House of Commons Justice Select Committee’s access to justice inquiry. 👇
claimsmag.co.uk/2025/11/poli...

Read the full release here: www.apil.org.uk/press-releas...

The Serious Injury Guide, a joint venture by APIL, FOIL and a number of major insurers, has been praised by parties on all sides as it marks the 10th anniversary of its inception. "When claimants and defendants agree to run a case under the guide, the process becomes one of collaboration."

“In the last 15 years, a series of policy decisions has profoundly undermined access to justice for injured victims of negligence, the rule of law, and the well-established principle of 100 per cent compensation,” said APIL president Matthew Tuff.
👉http://bit.ly/47rU5eO

APIL is working with Rotherham MP Sarah Champion to extend the CICS so more survivors of child abuse can apply for compensation. "For too long, survivors of child sexual abuse have been denied compensation on the basis of bizarre technicalities." 👉http://bit.ly/4nicOPO

“There are several reasons why the NHS’s compensation bill has increased, none of which are the fault of injured patients or their representatives,” said APIL executive committee member Suzanne Trask.
👉https://apil.org.uk/press-release/Negligence-at-the-root-of-every-penny

Law change risks justice for victims Plans to introduce new legal defences for alleged abusers in child sexual abuse cases could further traumatise victims and impede their pursuit of justice

Plans to give defendants in child sexual abuse civil cases a new legal route to have the proceedings against them dropped will traumatise victims further, APIL's Kim Harrison said in the latest press release. Read more here: www.solicitorsjournal.com/sjarticle/la...

The law is racing to keep up with driverless cars so that injured people remain protected. APIL has previously raised concerns about the law on liability established in the Automated and Electric Vehicle Act 2018 - read the latest blog to find out more: apil.org.uk/blog/autonom...

Compensation is calculated very carefully to ensure it meets an injured person’s practical needs, often for the rest of that person’s life, no more, no less. Whether the amount is £5,000 or £5 million, compensation is never a ‘win’ or prize.

Taking photos and videos on your phone while driving should be banned in Northern Ireland. “We see the terrible, sometimes life-changing consequences of road crashes caused by negligent motorists, including drivers distracted by their mobile phones”.
👉 apil.org.uk/press-releas...

Law Society Gazette Law Society Gazette - 19/09/2025

“Their value is best shown when a catastrophically injured person walks again with the right prosthetic, or a child with cerebral palsy accesses vital care.”

APIL’s chief executive Mike Benner on the life-changing work of personal injury lawyers. Full piece (p.22):
bit.ly/3VxDAZj

YouTube video by APIL Rusty's Story - Rebuilding Shattered Lives

Rusty's Story packs a punch in its two minutes, demonstrating clearly why the needs of injured victims of negligence must be put first in any policymaking about personal injury law. Watch the short film here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjV7...

In the 2024 National Travel Survey over 500,00 adults in England say they were injured in some kind of road traffic collision during the preceding 12 months. 46% say they experienced whiplash or neck pain.

After notching up 1.6 million views and recognition from two industry awards, Rusty’s Story is delivering real bang for buck. "What may surprise some is that such a strong film was produced in-house on a shoestring budget."
👉https://apil.org.uk/blog/Award-hopes-for-our-flagship-campaign-film