Official Injury Claim – a free service from the Ministry of Justice which helps people claim compensation for minor injuries from road traffic accidents – is unlikely to be used by unrepresented people, according to recent research.

The service went live in May and is designed for use by claimants with or without a lawyer, with the aim of reducing costs.

Minutes from an OIC advisory group meeting revealed that research had been commissioned that revealed nine in ten claims were coming from represented people.

Attendees said they wanted to establish whether unrepresented claimants are receiving ‘other advice’ as this may have impacted figures – and whether people are aware of the service and its process.

The group commented on the continued absence of claims management companies in the process (in the first three months of the OIC operating, 101 our of 41,000 claims were made through CMCs).

The idea behind the service was for individuals with potential whiplash claims to be directed to it via insurers but either aren’t taking the advice or are put off and seeking a solicitor themselves.

The Civil Liability Act prevents the recovery of legal costs for any claim valued less than £5,000. A successful claimant using a solicitor would have those costs deducted from damages.