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Up to 1200 whiplash car insurance claims per day in Britain16 May 2011by Peter Tait According to Simon Douglas, Director of AA Insurance, there are over 200 whiplash claims on car insurance policies every day in this country. Indeed, at a national level, according to the Association of British Insurers, there are almost 1200 whiplash claims per day. Many of these are for accidents that happened up to three years earlier, even although personal injuries were not declared in the car insurance claim at the time. From 2008 to 2009, the most recent period with published figures, the number of road traffic accidents in Britain dropped by 6%, yet road traffic personal injury claims increased by 13.3%. Douglas pointed the finger at the cold-calling techniques of some claims management firms and said that the AA had received reports of a promised payment of £3,000 simply for pursuing a case. He also referred to the fact that claims management firms may pursue accident vicitims who changed their minds about claiming. As we've reported before, there is no doubt that the explosion in the numbers of claims mangement firms has facilitated access to 'justice' for the more speculative or purely fraudulent cases and this is something that the Government is aiming to clamp down on via various pending legislative changes including the current 'Jackson' white paper, although their current reluctance to abolish referral fees which would lead to the demise of most claims management companies (that are an unecessary component of the claims system) would suggest that these companies, that are bad for the cost of motor insurance, are here to stay. Increasing personal injury claims, including their high legal costs, have significantly contributed to the rising cost of car insurance which has led to more people choosing to compare car insurance online via resources such as those below. Whiplash, because its genuine occurence is common even in low impact accidents, and it relies almost entirely on patient report rather than any 'hard' clincial sign or test to make the diagnosis, is a fraudster's dream. This, coupled with the absence of any financial risk associated with no win, no fee cases, and the active pursuit of accident victims by many operatives in the claims industry which is poorly regulated and includes prominet advertising campaigns that increase awareness and encourage a 'have a go' mentality, it's not hard to see why the UK has been dubbed the whiplash capital of Europe. It has been widely reported that fraud adds around £40 to the cost of every car insurance policy although some industry experts believe that the true cost, when the cost of 'hidden' fraud is estimated, is likely to be double this figure. Addressing the high incidence of whiplash claims in this country involves various legislative changes, as outlined above, but drivers also have to look to their driving styles as they contribute to its high incidence. Tailgating, for example, all too common on our roads increases the risk of rear end crashes, the biggest cause of whiplash. Even at low speed in stop-start traffic, very often drivers do not allow enough space for the sudden deceleration of the car in front. Related articles: UK has highest whiplash car insurance claims in Europe Minimum speed for successful whiplash claim - 'No' says Minister |
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