| Whiplash injuries account for 80 per cent of all car | | | | The claimant asked for a settlement of £6,500 |
| accident claims in the UK, but the number of bogus | | | | from Admiral who agreed to pay only £548 for the |
| cases is on the increase according to Admiral | | | | damage to his car. The matter therefore went to |
| Insurance. | | | | court where the judge dismissed the claimants’ |
| Claims for whiplash cost the insurance industry up to | | | | version of events and instead of awarding him a |
| £1.6 billion a year, with 250,000 people saying to | | | | payout of several thousand pounds, ordered his side |
| have been affected by it annually; 2,000 of these are | | | | to pay the legal costs bill of up to £40,000. |
| left with permanent disabilities. | | | | A spokesman for Admiral said, “We are obviously |
| There is no evidence of an injury immediately in most | | | | concerned about people faking whiplash, as the more |
| cases, yet victims are likely to suffer pain and | | | | money we pay out for bogus claims, the more |
| discomfort due to damage to the muscles and | | | | money genuine people have to pay for their |
| ligaments. This may not even show up on an X-ray | | | | insurance. Whiplash is such a difficult thing to prove |
| which makes fraudulent claims for whiplash hard to | | | | that someone hasn’t had.” |
| identify. | | | | Barclays Insurance Services carried out research into |
| Staging a car accident is the new way criminals are | | | | the causes of whiplash and found that although there |
| trying to exploit the insurance system. This practice | | | | are many cases of genuine injury, a majority of |
| involves people deliberately setting up a road smash | | | | drivers and passengers in cars don’t help |
| in order for them to make a claim for injury and | | | | themselves by not adjusting their headrests to help |
| damage to their vehicle. Witness statements will | | | | them limit any impact suffered. |
| often be sought, but these onlookers are likely to be | | | | This claim was backed up by figures released by the |
| in on the scam according to industry experts. | | | | motor industry’s research centre, Thatcham, |
| Admiral Insurance has recently been involved in such | | | | who indicate that 72 per cent of front seat |
| a court case with a driver claiming to have suffered | | | | occupants fail to do this. |
| whiplash after his car was hit from behind by another | | | | The Association of British Insurers (ABI) announced |
| vehicle. | | | | the development of a new aid to help insurers’ |
| The motorists seeking damages claimed to have | | | | spot people who had suffered potentially serious |
| been struck by a car at 35 to 40 miles per hour, | | | | neck injuries more quickly to enable them to receive |
| shunting him forward with severe force which | | | | the best medical care as soon as possible. |
| resulted in his injuries. Yet the driver of the other car, | | | | ABI said that although the majority of people |
| an Admiral customer, said although he did hit the car | | | | recover from whiplash injuries relatively quickly, some |
| in front, he was travelling at only 2 to 3 miles per | | | | cases can lead to ‘significant long term |
| hour and caused a small amount of damage to the | | | | problems’ like disabling pain and depression. |
| bumper area. | | | | |