Damages Claims Portal

Over the last few years, Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service (“HMCTS”) has been developing digital services to improve the efficiency of the Courts.

HMCTS has introduced the Damages Claims Portal (“DCP”) with the intention of making damages claims accessible and efficient for legal professionals. DCP became mandatory for use by Claimants from 4th April 2022 and will become mandatory for Defendants from a date to be decided in June 2022.

What is the Damages Claims Portal?

The Damages Claims Portal (“DCP”) is an online portal used by legal representatives to file and serve key documents on the Court and the parties to the litigation.

It is a digital claims process for County Court damage claims, which facilitates digital issue of a claim.

From 4th April 2022, it became mandatory for all Claimants with legal representation in relevant proceedings to use the DCP, with Defendants having the opportunity to drop out when requested. However, this will change from 2nd June 2022, the Courts and Tribunal Service will require all legally represented Defendants to relevant disputes to use the DCP.

Types of Claims Covered by the DCP

Under the DCP all county court claims are covered for damages only including personal injury claims. However, there are a number of claim types that are not covered by the DCP including:

  • Claims where the Claimant is a protected party
  • Claims with more than three parties
  • Claims brought under CPR 8

Differences in the Way Claims are Handled

One difference in the way claims are handled by the DCP is claims can be issued outside of office hours including weekends because the DCP never closes. Therefore, a Claimant can issue proceedings 24/7. However, rules of service still apply – defences still must be filed by 4pm on the last available day as provided for in the Civil Procedure Rules.

Over time court backlogs will start to decrease because the DCP aims to speed up the administrative tasks surrounding bringing a claim for damages.

Another change in the way claims are handled by using the DCP is the Court will not automatically enter judgement regarding claims that are not responded to in the DCP. Where there is no response, the Claimant will have to apply for judgement. If the Claimant does not do so then the claim will be dismissed from the DCP after 6 months.

Making a Personal Injury Claim

If you’ve suffered injury, illness or disease as a result of someone else’s negligence, you could be entitled to make a personal injury claim. Our experienced solicitors specialise in personal injury claims and are renowned for recovering significant compensation on behalf of clients.

Whether you’ve been injured in an accident at work, road traffic accident or in a public place, our personal injury solicitors are here to support you. We will negotiate a settlement with the party responsible for your injury and secure the compensation you are entitled to. The compensation awarded can help to pay for any private medical care, adaptations to your home and loss of earnings.

Our personal injury services include:

Please note, personal injury claims are subject to strict 3-year time limits starting from the date you had the accident or first sustained the injury or disease.

If you would like to discuss making a personal injury claim please call our experienced team on 033 3344 9600 or email [email protected] with your request. A member of our personal injury team will be happy to advise you about your options in a free initial consultation.

Morrish Solicitors is a long-established law firm based in West Yorkshire providing a range of legal services both regionally and nationally. To stay up to date with the latest law-related news, case studies and updates to our legal services please sign up to our newsletter.