The whiplash tariff sets base compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity in qualifying road traffic claims. Where the cause of action accrued on or after 31 May 2025, the amounts run from £275 for an injury lasting no more than three months, to £4,830 for one lasting up to 24 months.
Those figures come from the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021, amended by the Whiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025, made on 20 May 2025 and in force from 31 May 2025.
Who the tariff covers
Section 1 of the Civil Liability Act 2018 defines a whiplash injury as a sprain, strain, tear, rupture or lesser damage to a muscle, tendon or ligament in the neck, back or shoulder, or soft tissue damage associated with one.
The person must have been driving, or carried in or on, a motor vehicle on a road in England or Wales. Motorcycles are excluded.
An exception applies where the soft tissue injury forms part of, or is connected to, another injury that is not itself one of the specified injuries. This section is a summary. The Act and the Regulations govern.
Current tariff: causes of action accruing on or after 31 May 2025
Not more than 3 months: £275 whiplash only, £300 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
More than 3 months, but not more than 6 months: £565 whiplash only, £595 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
More than 6 months, but not more than 9 months: £965 whiplash only, £1,025 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
More than 9 months, but not more than 12 months: £1,510 whiplash only, £1,595 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
More than 12 months, but not more than 15 months: £2,335 whiplash only, £2,435 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
More than 15 months, but not more than 18 months: £3,445 whiplash only, £3,550 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
More than 18 months, but not more than 24 months: £4,830 whiplash only, £4,975 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
Which set of figures applies
The test is when the cause of action accrued, not when the claim was notified, submitted through a portal or issued.
The figures above apply where the cause of action accrued on or after 31 May 2025. The figures below apply where it accrued on or after 31 May 2021 and before that date. An accident on 20 May 2025 uses the older amounts even if proceedings are issued today.
Previous tariff: causes of action accruing on or after 31 May 2021 and before 31 May 2025
Not more than 3 months: £240 whiplash only, £260 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
More than 3 months, but not more than 6 months: £495 whiplash only, £520 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
More than 6 months, but not more than 9 months: £840 whiplash only, £895 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
More than 9 months, but not more than 12 months: £1,320 whiplash only, £1,390 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
More than 12 months, but not more than 15 months: £2,040 whiplash only, £2,125 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
More than 15 months, but not more than 18 months: £3,005 whiplash only, £3,100 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
More than 18 months, but not more than 24 months: £4,215 whiplash only, £4,345 with one or more minor psychological injuries suffered on the same occasion.
Both sets give base amounts for pain, suffering and loss of amenity, before any uplift or reduction, including a reduction for contributory negligence. They exclude financial losses and expenses. One tariff amount covers all qualifying whiplash injuries suffered on the same occasion. It is not multiplied across separate neck, back and shoulder injuries.
The 20% uplift
The figures are not the whole picture. Under regulation 3 of the 2021 Regulations, a court may award up to 20% above the tariff amount.
It must be satisfied that the degree of pain, suffering and loss of amenity makes a higher amount appropriate, and that either the injury is exceptionally severe or the claimant circumstances exceptionally increase that pain, suffering and loss of amenity. The uplift is discretionary and capped at 20% of the relevant tariff figure.
Duration decides the band
The band turns on the actual or likely duration of the whiplash injury. Where there is more than one, the longest duration applies, assuming reasonable steps to mitigate.
Under the current figures, a whiplash only injury lasting eleven months attracts £1,510. Exactly twelve months stays in the same band. More than twelve months moves to £2,335, a difference of £825.
The medical report provides the evidence of prognosis. It does not make the legal determination. Accurate evidence of actual or likely duration matters because the band is duration based.
Mixed injury claims
The tariff does not govern a non-whiplash injury. In a mixed claim it still applies to the qualifying whiplash element, while the remaining pain, suffering and loss of amenity is assessed under common law principles, with an adjustment for overlap. The Supreme Court set out that approach in Hassam v Rabot [2024] UKSC 11.
Separately, regulated persons must not seek, offer, arrange or accept settlement of a qualifying whiplash claim without first seeing the prescribed medical evidence.
Arranging the medical evidence
Expert Medical Examination Ltd is a MedCo registered Tier 2 Medical Reporting Organisation. We arrange medico-legal reports from MedCo accredited experts for eligible road traffic accident claims. The expert gives the medical opinion. Where a report is used as expert evidence in civil proceedings, CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35 apply, including the expert overriding duty to the court.
For context on volume, MedCo recorded 215,156 searches resulting in the selection of a medical report provider between August 2025 and July 2026. That figure covers represented and unrepresented selections and is not a count of completed reports, claims or tariff awards. Of those, 17,330 were made by unrepresented claimants through the Official Injury Claim service.
Law and tariff figures checked on 2 September 2026. Primary sources include the Civil Liability Act 2018, the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021 and the Whiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025. MedCo statistics are attributed to the MedCo July 2026 Management Information pack.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
This article provides general information, not legal advice. Expert Medical Examination Ltd is an independent MedCo registered Tier 2 MRO and does not speak for MedCo.