The letters you receive —
and what they actually mean.
During a claim, you may receive letters, emails or messages that appear formal or urgent. These documents can look significant — but it is important to understand what they actually represent within the process.
Letters can feel like the claim itself. In practice, they are only part of it. The language is formal, the structure is dense — and the consequences of misunderstanding are real, because a letter that looks alarming may require no action at all while one that looks routine may contain a deadline.
This page covers the documents claimants encounter most often — what they contain, what they mean and what the appropriate response is.
Liability acknowledgement
A letter or portal notification confirming that the insurer has admitted fault — fully or in part.
Acknowledgement does not mean the claim is complete — it confirms the insurer's position on responsibility. Liability acknowledgements vary in wording but share the same substance: the insurer accepts that their policyholder was responsible for the accident, either entirely or in part. Some use formal language like "we confirm an admission of liability" while others simply state that the claim can proceed to the medical stage. Both mean the same thing.
A partial admission — sometimes called a split liability decision — means the insurer accepts some fault but argues the claimant also contributed. A 75/25 split, for example, means any eventual settlement is reduced by 25 per cent. The admission percentage matters and is worth noting precisely.
A full admission requires no immediate action other than logging in to the portal to confirm the status and proceed with the medical stage. If a partial admission is received and the split percentage does not seem fair — for example, a claim of 25 per cent contributory negligence where you do not believe you contributed to the accident — this can be disputed through the portal.
Liability denial
A letter stating that the insurer does not accept that their policyholder was at fault.
A denial does not end the claim. It changes how the claim proceeds. A liability denial is a formal statement that the insurer disputes responsibility for the accident. It must include reasons — the insurer cannot simply decline without explaining their position. Common reasons include: they dispute the claimant's account of how the accident happened, they have evidence from their own policyholder that contradicts the claim, or they are arguing that the accident was the claimant's fault entirely.
A denial letter will often sound conclusive. It is not. It is a formal position — one that can be challenged with evidence. The strength of the position depends on what evidence is available.
Do not treat a denial as the end of the claim. The OIC portal has a formal escalation route for disputed liability. Evidence — photographs, dashcam footage, witness statements, a police reference number — can be submitted in response. If the dispute cannot be resolved through the portal, the matter can proceed to the small claims court.
Claims involving a disputed liability denial — particularly where the evidence is unclear or where the insurer's account differs significantly from yours — are situations where regulated legal advice is worth considering.
The portal is the formal record of the claim
Letters and emails sit alongside it — they do not replace it. Any deadline that genuinely matters is set by the process and visible in your portal account. If a letter implies urgency or a response is required by a specific date, verify that deadline in the portal before acting on it.
Medical instruction form
A form generated by the OIC portal instructing a medical agency to arrange your examination.
The medical instruction form is the step that leads to the medical report — the most important document in the claim. Once liability is admitted, the OIC portal generates this form. This is sent to the medical agency or expert you have selected and instructs them to arrange your appointment. The form contains details of your injury, the accident circumstances and basic personal information. It is not something you need to sign or approve — it is an internal document generated by the portal.
The medical agency will contact you to arrange the appointment. The average time between the instruction form being issued and the appointment taking place is several weeks — this is normal. You do not need to chase it unless an unusually long period passes without contact. If you have not heard anything within four to six weeks of receiving the form, contacting the medical agency directly is reasonable.
Before the appointment, it is worth preparing — thinking through symptoms at their worst, the full impact on daily life and any effects that might be easy to understate on the day. The examination typically lasts 20 to 30 minutes and the report is based almost entirely on what is said during it.
The draft medical report
Your report, sent for review before it is submitted to the portal. This is the single most important document in the process.
This is your opportunity to check the report before it becomes final. The draft medical report arrives — usually via the portal — approximately 29 days after your examination. It records the examiner's findings: your injury type, the prognosis period and the impact of the injury on your daily life. It is written in clinical language and structured for a professional audience. The prognosis period it contains is the figure that determines your tariff band and therefore the settlement value.
Read it in full before approving it. Check the prognosis period against your actual experience. Check that all injuries are recorded and correctly classified. Check that the impact section reflects what you said during the examination. If something is factually wrong — not a disagreement with the examiner's clinical judgment, but a factual inaccuracy — it can be queried through the portal before approval.
Once approved and submitted, the report cannot be changed through the standard OIC process. The settlement offer that follows is calculated directly from its contents.
Settlement offer letter
A letter or portal notification setting out the insurer's proposed settlement figure.
The figure offered reflects the insurer's position — not necessarily the final value of the claim. A settlement offer letter states a figure — sometimes broken down into injury compensation and financial losses, sometimes presented as a single total. It may include language suggesting the offer is reasonable, fair or reflective of the medical evidence. It may imply that the offer is available for a limited time. The first offer is a mechanical calculation applied to the minimum the medical report justifies. It is a starting position.
Do not feel obliged to accept or reject immediately. Check the portal for the actual deadline to respond — it is set by the process, not the letter. Consider whether symptoms have fully resolved, since settlement permanently closes the claim. Consider whether financial losses are included. If you wish to negotiate, submit a counter-offer through the portal with a figure and a brief explanation. The portal was built with this mechanism because negotiation is the expected process.
Part 36 and formal legal letters
Letters referencing court procedures, formal offers or legal rules — which appear when a claim moves toward formal dispute or escalation.
A Part 36 offer is a formal offer made under Civil Procedure Rules that carries specific legal consequences depending on whether it is accepted, rejected or beaten at trial. It is used in more complex claims or where the parties cannot agree through the OIC portal process. These letters follow formal rules, but they still sit within the overall process. Letters referencing Part 36, court proceedings, allocation questionnaires or small claims directions indicate that the claim has moved — or is moving — outside the standard OIC portal process.
If you receive a letter referencing Part 36, court proceedings or formal legal procedures and you are unrepresented, this is a situation where regulated legal advice is the appropriate route before responding. The consequences of accepting or rejecting a Part 36 offer incorrectly go beyond what general guidance covers. The legal cost rules that attach to Part 36 are specific and can affect the financial outcome significantly.
You can verify that a solicitor is authorised to practise at sra.org.uk. Many personal injury solicitors offer a free initial consultation.
Letters from solicitors you did not instruct
Unsolicited contact from law firms or claims management companies offering to take over your claim.
These letters often offer to handle the claim in exchange for a percentage of compensation. They typically arrive shortly after an accident and suggest that the recipient has a strong claim, that professional representation would improve the outcome and that engaging the firm is straightforward. They are sent speculatively — often from data purchased or obtained through third parties involved in the accident. They are marketing, not legal advice.
There is no obligation to respond to an unsolicited letter from a law firm. Claimants are entitled to manage the process themselves — through the OIC portal independently. If you do decide to instruct a solicitor — which may be appropriate for complex claims — choose one yourself rather than responding to a speculative letter. Verify they are authorised at sra.org.uk and understand their fee structure before instructing them.
Last reviewed: 17 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.