Psychological injury after a road accident —
what the claim involves.
Anxiety, sleep disruption, distress about driving and more serious conditions like PTSD are all legally recognised after a road accident. Whether they are covered by the fixed tariff or assessed separately depends on their severity.
A road traffic accident affects more than the physical body. Psychological symptoms — anxiety about driving, disturbed sleep, intrusive thoughts, avoidance of roads — are medically recognised consequences of the trauma of an accident. They are also legally recognised in personal injury claims.
Where psychological symptoms are minor and secondary to a physical whiplash injury, the OIC tariff includes a slightly higher band for ‘whiplash with minor psychological injury’. Where symptoms are more serious — a clinical diagnosis of PTSD, a specific phobia, a diagnosable anxiety or depressive disorder — the claim exits this category entirely and is assessed under a different, more flexible framework.
The distinction between these two categories is made at the medical examination — based on what is described. Knowing the difference, and knowing how to ensure it is assessed correctly, is what this page exists to explain.
What psychological injury is in a claim context
Psychological symptoms after a road accident are common and legally recognised. Understanding the framework they are assessed within is the starting point.
Road traffic accidents cause psychological harm as well as physical harm. The OIC process and the wider personal injury framework both recognise this. The question is not whether psychological symptoms are valid — they are — but how they are categorised and valued.
The Civil Liability Act 2018 defines whiplash to include minor psychological injury occurring alongside the physical injury. This means some psychological symptoms are covered within the standard whiplash tariff structure. Others fall outside it entirely. The dividing line is clinical severity.
Symptoms that are frequently reported after road accidents include: anxiety about driving or being a passenger, avoidance of roads or locations associated with the accident, intrusive memories or flashbacks, difficulty sleeping, irritability, loss of concentration and low mood. These symptoms can range from mild and temporary to severe and persistent.
All of them are worth describing at the medical examination. Whether they are assessed within the minor psychological injury tariff or as a separately diagnosed condition depends on their nature and severity — but the starting point is ensuring they are on the record.
Minor psychological injury — within the tariff
The OIC tariff includes a separate, slightly higher band for claims where whiplash is accompanied by minor psychological symptoms.
Within the tariff framework, minor psychological injury is defined as a psychological symptom that occurs on the same occasion as the physical whiplash injury, is secondary in significance to the physical injury, and falls short of being a diagnosed specific phobia or clinical psychological disorder.
Practically, this covers: driving anxiety that is present but not debilitating, occasional disturbed sleep, low-level mood disruption, and general distress associated with the accident. These are the most commonly reported psychological symptoms following road accidents and they do not require a formal psychiatric diagnosis to be included in the tariff assessment.
The ‘whiplash with minor psychological injury’ tariff is slightly higher than the ‘whiplash only’ tariff across all bands. For accidents on or after 31 May 2025, the additional amount ranges from £25 (up to 3 months) to £145 (18–24 months). The psychological component adds to the whiplash figure — it does not produce a separate award.
The value is based on the whiplash prognosis period, not the duration of the psychological symptoms. If whiplash resolves in six months but anxiety about driving continues for twelve months, the tariff band used is the six-month band (whiplash) with the minor psychological addition applied to it.
Minor symptoms within the tariff.
Diagnosed conditions outside it.
The dividing line between minor psychological injury (within the tariff) and a clinically diagnosed psychological disorder (outside it) is not a sharp one in everyday experience — symptoms exist on a spectrum. But in the claims framework, the distinction has significant financial consequences. Describing symptoms fully and accurately at the medical examination is the step that ensures the correct category is applied.
Significant psychological injury — outside the tariff
Where psychological symptoms are clinically diagnosable, the claim exits the minor psychological injury framework entirely — with significant consequences for its value.
Clinical diagnoses of the following conditions exit the minor psychological injury tariff entirely: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A specific phobia directly caused by the accident — such as a driving phobia or phobia of the type of environment where the accident occurred. A diagnosable depressive disorder. A diagnosable anxiety disorder beyond the minor/adjustment category.
Psychological symptoms lasting beyond 12 months without formal diagnosis are also in a category where the standard tariff guidance does not clearly apply. Claims in this territory are more complex and are situations where regulated legal advice is the appropriate route from the outset.
Significant psychological injuries are assessed under the Judicial College Guidelines rather than the fixed tariff. JCG values for psychological injuries range considerably depending on severity and prognosis — from minor adjustment disorders in the hundreds of pounds to severe and permanent PTSD in the tens of thousands. These are not fixed figures: they are assessed ranges applied to the specific diagnosis and its impact.
Where a psychological injury is significant, the medical assessment typically involves a separate appointment with a psychological or psychiatric expert rather than the standard MedCo medical examiner. This extends the timeline but produces a more thorough assessment of the condition and its impact.
PTSD is clinically diagnosed using established criteria. Following a road accident, symptoms that may indicate PTSD include: persistent intrusive memories or flashbacks of the accident, avoidance of reminders of it, persistent negative changes in mood or thinking, and significant hyperarousal — heightened startle response, sleep disturbance, difficulty concentrating. Not all of these are required for a diagnosis, and their presence and persistence matters.
If symptoms consistent with PTSD are present and persistent, they are typically discussed with a GP and recorded at the medical examination. A formal diagnosis, where appropriate, takes the psychological element of the claim outside the minor tariff category.
The medical examination — what determines the category
The category applied to psychological symptoms — minor tariff, or significant non-tariff — is determined at the medical examination. Preparation matters.
The medical examiner assesses the psychological symptoms based on what is described at the appointment. They are not reviewing GP notes in detail or conducting a separate psychiatric assessment — they are forming a view based on the account given. This means what is said, and how fully, directly shapes what appears in the report.
If psychological symptoms are present but not mentioned at the appointment, they are unlikely to appear in the report. If they are mentioned but described briefly or dismissed as minor, the report may reflect that. If they are described fully — their nature, their frequency, their impact on daily life and their persistence — the examiner has the information to assess them correctly.
At the medical examination, psychological symptoms that have been present since the accident are relevant to record: anxiety about driving or being a passenger, avoidance of certain routes or situations, sleep disruption, mood changes, flashbacks or intrusive thoughts, difficulty concentrating, and any symptoms that have required or prompted contact with a GP or other professional.
The duration of symptoms matters. Symptoms that were present initially but resolved quickly are described differently from symptoms that have persisted for months. Both are worth describing accurately — neither exaggerated nor minimised.
How psychological injury affects the claim value
The financial difference between minor psychological injury (within the tariff) and a clinically diagnosed condition (outside it) can be substantial.
For minor psychological injury alongside whiplash, the tariff addition ranges from £25 (up to 3 months) to £145 (18–24 months) under the current schedule. This is a modest addition to the whiplash tariff value. The addition is recoverable — but it does not materially change the claim’s scale.
For clinically diagnosed psychological conditions, the JCG ranges are significantly wider. Minor to moderate PTSD may be valued in the range of several thousand pounds. Severe or permanent PTSD may be valued in the tens of thousands. A driving phobia requiring formal treatment sits in a similar range depending on its severity and prognosis.
These are not the only figures in play. Where a psychological condition has affected the ability to work, drive, or carry out daily activities, the financial losses element of the claim — separate from the injury award — may also be substantial.
Where psychological symptoms are significant, persistent, or clinically diagnosed, this is one of the clearest situations where regulated legal advice from the outset is the appropriate route. The assessment framework is different, the values are not fixed, and the claim may exit the OIC portal process entirely. These are circumstances where the difference between a well-handled and a poorly-handled claim is measurable.
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.
Psychological injury claims involving clinical diagnoses involve complexity beyond standard OIC guidance. Regulated legal advice is the appropriate route where symptoms are significant or persistent.