Key insights from the latest Compensation Recovery Unit data on personal injury claims trends.
Not only does the recently published CRU performance data for 2025/26 confirm the continued reduction in the number of personal injury claims, it also reveals a change in the composition of the claim types registered.
Whilst motor claims remain the largest category by volume, they have fallen sharply from their historic peak in 2011/2012 when 828,489 such claims were reported. The most recent figures show motor injury claims fell a further 11,416 on the previous year to 300,867. That picture is not consistent across all claim types with employers’ liability claims rising modestly from last year to 46,791 (up 2,865) and public liability claims falling to 60,399 (down 4,024).
| Year | Motor | EL | PL | Clin Neg | Other | Liability not known |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | 780,324 | 73,355 | 85,504 | 17,894 | 20,047 | 1,692 |
| 2017/2018 | 650,019 | 69,230 | 96,067 | 17,400 | 19,172 | 1,727 |
| 2018/2019 | 660,608 | 89,461 | 85,472 | 16,809 | 7,614 | 2,392 |
| 2019/2020 | 653,052 | 79,027 | 72,587 | 15,845 | 7,086 | 1,655 |
| 2020/2021 | 446,976 | 45,687 | 51,286 | 14,485 | 4,577 | 1,348 |
| 2021/2022 | 387,687 | 43,769 | 52,724 | 15,549 | 4,598 | 679 |
| 2022/2023 | 367,535 | 43,728 | 53,403 | 14,443 | 4,743 | 478 |
| 2023/2024 | 348,806 | 44,547 | 58,933 | 15,839 | 8,299 | 796 |
| 2024/2025 | 312,283 | 43,926 | 64,423 | 16,395 | 10,034 | 912 |
| 2025/2026 | 300,867 | 46,791 | 60,399 | 14,562 | 12,292 | 654 |
The above graph shows both the decline in headline reported claims and by claims type over the past decade making it easy to see that motor claims have undergone the strongest and most consistent downward trend. This appears to have been accelerated by the whiplash reforms introduced in 2021, including the tariff-based damages framework and the higher small claims track limit for many road traffic accident cases. By contrast, employers’ liability claims have stayed relatively flat in recent years after a significant fall from pre-pandemic levels, whilst public liability claims have shown more volatility and, in some recent periods, clear growth. Clinical negligence claims remain relatively small in overall volume. The overall picture, therefore, is not one of uniform decline but rather an apparent restructuring of the personal injury claims landscape.
Several factors appear to be driving the observed trends. Legal and procedural reform has materially affected the economics of lower-value personal injury claims, especially road traffic cases, whilst the pandemic disrupted both exposure patterns and claims behaviour, creating a break in historical continuity that still affects comparisons with earlier years. Wider structural changes, including remote and hybrid working, evolving workplace safety practices, digital claims processes, and shifts in claimant representation may have reduced claim frequency in some areas while increasing reporting or visibility in others.
The recent rise in public liability and some clinical negligence claims may reflect a return to normal activity levels in public settings and continuing pressures elsewhere in the system. Operational data does not by itself explain causation, and shifts in recovery volumes may reflect legal reform, claimant behaviour, insurer strategy, economic conditions, or administrative timing effects rather than changes in accident prevalence alone.
If you would like to discuss any of the trends highlighted in this article, or their potential impact on your claims strategy, please contact our casualty team.
