In reaction to a written ministerial statement, Gordon Dalyell, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) specifically addresses the lack of alternative dispute resolution being included in the whiplash reforms. He said: 

"The excuse that an effective way of resolving conflict in the new portal cannot be found is just not good enough. It treats injured people with contempt. Failure to include an effective and fair way of resolving conflict in the new portal pits the inexperienced individual against the seasoned insurer without a safety net, hoping everything will go without a hitch. It assumes that the injured person will simply accept without question what the insurer says has happened, who is at fault, and how much compensation is fair. Or, if the injured person refuses to accept what he’s told, it is assumed he will be able to take his case to the small claims court. This means paying a fee upfront and facing down the lawyers of the person who has injured him, probably without being able to afford a lawyer of his own to help navigate a court system which is simply not designed to deal with these complex issues”.