Insurance Companies Fight Back Against Fraudulent Whiplash Claims
Whiplash injuries tally for 80 per cent of all car accident claims in the UK, but the number of pretended cases is on the increase according to Admiral Insurance.
Claims for whiplash cost the insurance industry up to ฃ1. 6 billion a term, with 250, 000 people saying to have been affected by it annually; 2, 000 of these are left with lasting disabilities.
There is no evidence of an injury immediately in most cases, in conclusion victims are likely to suffer pain and discomfort due to damage to the muscles and ligaments. This may not smooth occurrence up on an Peck - glint which makes fraudulent claims for whiplash solid to spot.
Staging a car accident is the new way criminals are laborious to exploit the insurance system. This practice involves people deliberately seat up a road smash in array for them to make a claim for injury and damage to their vehicle. Witness statements will often be sought, but these onlookers are likely to be in on the scam according to industry experts.
Admiral Insurance has recently been involved in same a court case with a driver claiming to have suffered whiplash after his car was hit from behind by another vehicle.
The motorists seeking damages claimed to have been struck by a car at 35 to 40 miles per hour, shunting him forward with severe extortion which resulted in his injuries. In conclusion the driver of the other car, an Admiral customer, vocal although he did hit the car in front, he was travelling at only 2 to 3 miles per hour and caused a pint-sized amount of damage to the bumper area.
The claimant asked for a settlement of ฃ6, 500 from Admiral who agreed to pay only ฃ548 for the damage to his car. The matter therefrom went to court where the sheriff dismissed the claimants’ myth of events and instead of awarding him a payout of several thousand pounds, ordered his side to pay the legal costs bill of up to ฃ40, 000.
A pleader for Admiral uttered, “We are obviously turned on about people faking whiplash, as the more money we pay out for assumed claims, the more money true people have to pay for their insurance. Whiplash is approximative a laborious fact to prove that someone hasn’t had. ”
Barclays Insurance Services carried out research preoccupation the causes of whiplash and found that although adept are many cases of legitimate injury, a majority of drivers and passengers in cars don’t help themselves by not adjustment their headrests to help them design any impact suffered.
This claim was backed up by figures released by the motor industry’s research centre, Thatcham, who indicate that 72 per cent of front seat occupants fail to do this.
The Association of British Insurers ( ABI ) announced the unfolding of a new assistance to help insurers’ spot people who had suffered potentially serious neck injuries more quickly to enable them to take possession the best medical care as these days as possible.
ABI uttered that although the majority of people recover from whiplash injuries relatively quickly, some cases can lead to ‘significant long term problems’ like disabling pain and depression.
Malcolm Tarling, a campaigner for ABI uttered, “Insurers are bent on to do all they can to expose these cheats so that more epoch can be given to treating actual whiplash claimants. ”
