Nearly 30% of expert witnesses have been pressurised by solicitors to change their reports in a way that damaged their impartiality, according to a survey.

The latest Bond Solon Annual Expert Witness Survey found that 55 out of 186 respondents had been asked to make changes, such as removing sections of reports that were seen as damaging the client’s case.

An overwhelming majority of respondents said that better regulation is needed. More than a third of respondents (35%) said mandatory accreditation of whiplash experts, as proposed by the government, would improve expert witness standards. However, a higher percentage (40%) felt accreditation would have no effect.

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