How long does a claim take —
the honest answer.
Most sources say "3 to 6 months" and leave it there. That figure is not wrong — it is just incomplete. The real answer depends on where you are in the process and what happens at each stage.
The short answer: most OIC claims take between 6 and 12 months from submission to settlement. The Ministry of Justice's own portal data puts the average at around 350 days.
That is not a worst case. It is an average — which means some claims resolve faster and some take longer. The figure that matters most for your claim is not the average. It is what is normal at the stage you are currently in.
This page gives you that — the official timescales at each stage, what typically happens in practice, and the factors that genuinely affect how long a claim runs.
The headline figures
Based on Ministry of Justice data from the Official Injury Claim portal. These are real-world figures — not estimates.
The 350-day average includes everything — straightforward claims and complex ones, short recovery periods and long ones, claims that moved quickly through every stage and those that stalled at the medical or negotiation phase. It is not representative of any one type of claim.
A claim where symptoms resolve in three months and liability is uncontested will typically run significantly faster than the average. A claim with an 18-month prognosis, or where liability is disputed, will run longer. The average sits in the middle of a wide range.
The first settlement offer typically arrives around 90 days after submission. This covers the liability decision window (up to 30 working days), the time to arrange and complete the medical examination (typically 4–8 weeks after liability is admitted) and the time to prepare and submit the report.
The 90-day figure often surprises people who expected something faster. It reflects how much has to happen before an offer can be calculated — and why the silence during that period is normal rather than concerning.
How long each stage takes
The official deadlines alongside what typically happens in practice. Both matter — the deadline tells you when to escalate; the typical range tells you what is normal.
The part that feels longest is largely silent.
The first 6–8 weeks after submission — the liability window — involve no visible activity on your side. Most claimants interpret that silence as a problem. It is not. The insurer is within their permitted response window. The process is running exactly as it should.
Understanding which stage you are in — and what the normal timescale for that stage is — removes most of the uncertainty. The claim timeline maps every stage with its official deadlines.
What makes a claim take longer
Some factors are within the process. Some are within your control. Most are neither — they are simply a function of how the claim progresses.
The single biggest determinant of how long a claim takes is how long your symptoms last. A claim where symptoms resolve in three months follows a fundamentally different timeline to one with an 18-month prognosis. The medical report records this — and the prognosis period it contains determines both the value of the claim and, indirectly, how long the claim runs. A claimant who is still symptomatic at the time the medical report is prepared may choose to wait until symptoms stabilise before approving it. That is a legitimate decision — and one that extends the timeline but can significantly affect the outcome.
When liability is admitted, the claim moves straight to the medical stage. When it is denied or disputed, the claim enters a different track — evidence is gathered, positions are exchanged, and the resolution may take significantly longer than the standard 30 working days. In some cases a disputed liability claim proceeds to the small claims court. That adds months, not weeks. If liability is denied, taking stock of the evidence available and considering whether regulated legal advice is worthwhile is a sensible first step.
The medical report sits at the centre of the claim — the offer cannot be calculated until it is submitted. If there are factual errors in the report that need to be queried and corrected, that takes time. If the claimant is waiting for symptoms to fully resolve before approving the report, that extends the timeline. Neither of these is a problem — both are legitimate positions. But they are the two most common reasons claims run longer than the 6-month end of the typical range.
If the first offer is close to what the claimant is willing to accept, negotiation is brief. If the gap is significant — because financial losses were omitted, or because the prognosis period is being contested — more rounds of exchange are required. Two to four rounds is normal. More than four is less common but not unusual in claims where special damages are substantial.
The OIC process has defined deadlines for the insurer. It also requires action from the claimant at several points — reviewing and approving the medical report, responding to offers, providing documentation for financial losses. Delays on either side add time. The portal records all activity with timestamps — keeping track of where the claim stands and responding promptly when action is required keeps the process moving.
What you can and cannot control
Most of the timeline is determined by the process itself. A small number of things are genuinely within a claimant's control — and they matter.
How quickly you respond to portal notifications. How thoroughly you prepare for the medical examination — describing symptoms at their worst and mentioning all effects on daily life, not just how you feel on the day. How carefully you review the medical report before approving it. Whether you include financial losses in your counter-offer. These decisions do not speed up the insurer's side of the process — but they directly affect the quality of the outcome.
The insurer's response time within their permitted window. How long the medical provider takes to arrange the examination and prepare the report. Whether liability is admitted or disputed. The prognosis period the examiner records. These are determined by the process and the specific circumstances of the claim — not by anything the claimant can directly influence.
Whether to approve the medical report before symptoms have fully resolved. Approving early closes the prognosis period at wherever it currently sits — which affects both the tariff value and the timeline. Waiting until symptoms stabilise produces a more accurate report and a higher tariff band if the recovery period is genuinely longer. The process allows claimants to advise that they are not ready to proceed to settlement — this is a recognised position and not unusual to take.
Related guidance
Timescales are one part of the picture. These pages cover the rest.
Every stage of the OIC process mapped in order — what happens at each point, what the official deadlines are, and what is normal at every stage from submission to payment.
The document that determines both the value and the timeline of your claim. What to check before approving it — and why the review window is the most important moment in the process.
When the process feels slow, silent or stuck — what is within normal range at each stage, when something has genuinely gone outside it, and what the portal provides for in each situation.
How the settlement offer is calculated, what the counter-offer mechanism involves, and what to consider before accepting — including whether your symptoms have fully resolved.
Last reviewed: 19 March 2026
ClaimTalk provides general guidance only. Not legal advice. Not affiliated with the Official Injury Claim portal or any government body.
ClaimTalk cannot respond to questions about individual claims. If you need advice specific to your situation, a regulated solicitor is the appropriate route.