Insurance Companies Fight Back Against Fraudulent Whiplash Claims
Whiplash injuries account for 80 per cent of all car accident claims in the UK, but the unit of concocted cases is on the increase according to Admiral Insurance.
Claims for whiplash cost the insurance industry up to ฃ1. 6 billion a past, with 250, 000 people saying to have been affected by it annually; 2, 000 of these are left with surviving disabilities.
There is no evidence of an injury immediately in most cases, hereafter victims are likely to suffer pain and discomfort due to damage to the muscles and ligaments. This may not polished spectacle up on an Mouth music - stream which makes fraudulent claims for whiplash oppressive to spot.
Staging a car accident is the new way criminals are prohibitive to exploit the insurance system. This practice involves people deliberately footing up a road smash in rule for them to make a claim for injury and damage to their vehicle. Witness statements will oftentimes be sought, but these onlookers are likely to be in on the scam according to industry experts.
Admiral Insurance has recently been involved in near 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 stuff which resulted in his injuries. Hereafter the driver of the other car, an Admiral customer, oral although he did hit the car in front, he was travelling at only 2 to 3 miles per hour and caused a pygmy 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 therefore went to court where the critic dismissed the claimants’ spiel 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 attorney for Admiral verbal, “We are obviously stimulated about people faking whiplash, as the more money we pay out for pseudo claims, the more money genuine people have to pay for their insurance. Whiplash is equal a hard means to prove that someone hasn’t had. ”
Barclays Insurance Services carried out research bag the causes of whiplash and fashion that although proficient are many cases of veritable injury, a majority of drivers and passengers in cars don’t help themselves by not alteration their headrests to help them ground zero 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 increase of a new succour to help insurers’ spot people who had suffered potentially serious neck injuries more quickly to enable them to snag the best medical care as now as possible.
ABI oral 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 proponent for ABI vocal, “Insurers are single-minded to do all they can to expose these cheats so that more span can be given to treating authentic whiplash claimants. ”
