Highway Robbery
Beware; we have modern-day "Dick Turpins'" at work on our roads. Not quite "Stand and deliver" at gun point, but there's a striking similarity.
Innocent drivers are being targeted in this frightening new crime which appears to be spreading across the country. Effectively, we have an ambush situation.
Car Insurance Fraud - This is what can happen:
These "set up" crashes commonly occur at really busy roundabouts or motorway slip roads. The instigators of these incidents are skilled at pinning the blame on the innocent motorist. These modern day highwaymen work in teams, owning and managing repair garages and car hire companies. These firms present falsely inflated invoices for work carried out, hire of a car whilst the car is off the road and so on. They then make a bogus claim on the blameless motorist's insurers, often inflating it for maximum pay-out and claiming for compensation for so-called injuries to the driver and passengers. Often the vehicle which they use is an old banger, which will probably contain the maximum number of passengers, all claiming to have been injured in some way and seeking compensation for this and probably loss of earning too. In this way a minor accident claim can escalate into a claim of £20,000 or more.
Car Insurance Fraud Bureau
Insurers are quite rightly extremely concerned about the scale of these so called "accidents" and believe there could be as many as 10,000 of them occurring per year. A single insurance company may not easily pick up on the organised fraud but working with other insurers will give benefits. With this in mind the Association of British Insurers have created an Insurance Fraud Bureau. They will monitor details of suspect claims and scrutinize millions of them to find patterns or links. It is intended that the bureau will liaise with police and hopefully will take civil prosecutions against these fraudsters to recover money which has already been paid out.
There was a case of insurers linking 400 "staged accidents" to one particular gang, involving other crimes in addition to the car insurance fraud, where the police would only get involved if the investigation was funded by the insurers. Insurance fraud may be low on the priorities list as far as the police are concerned but in view of the danger to drivers as a result of these unpleasant incidents their reluctance to get involved will have to change.
A Home Office fraud review is due out in the summer of 2006 and hopefully the Association of British Insurers concerns will be addressed in this.
Advice To Avoid Being Caught In A Car Insurance Fraud Scam...
In the meantime, some advice from Norwich Union's head of fraud, Chris Hill, who says "Keep your distance from the car in front at roundabouts and slip roads and cut your speed. Keep an eye on the vehicle in front. The occupants may turn to look at you or may even make a gesture just before the trap is sprung."
If a crash does happen, remember to get as much information as you can. Note how many occupants were in the other car, their sex and as much detail as you can about how they were dressed. Make a note of these details and make sure your insurer is aware of them.
These gangs are putting innocent drivers and their passengers at risk. It is vitally important that insurers and drivers work together in a concerted effort to stop this crime.
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"why don't you publish the names and addresses of the suspected fraudsters and leave the rest to us resourceful innocents. I guarantee we`ll stop them in their tracks. Also if the insurance companies were more diligent in weeding this scum out rather than just passing on the cost to decent people we would think a lot more of you. "
G
"I know of a taxi driver who is on his second "Comp" claim, he is just a fraudster and out to get thousands again out of some poor unsuspecting drivers insurance, they know how to set it all up, he has went from an old bucket of Mercedes to an 08 Peaugeot, I just wish I could find out if he conducted this scam from his previous address as well, not bad that two claims within a couple of years of each other, good way of paying off his mortgage, oh and his wife works for the taxi firm too! "
Hawkeye
"These insurance companies are fraudsters. For example I have fully comp with glass cover that doesn't affect No Claims (allegedly). Now I've always been a thrifty engineer DIY motorist who tries very hard to get a good job done for a reasonable price. Anyhow when I went to may car at 07:30 one Sunday morning I discovered that it had been trashed presumably by Saturday night drunks. The roof had been jumped on by three people going by the footprints some of which were size nine. The wing mirror had been kicked-off and a plank had been rammed through the windscreen. I knew that the car would be declared a write-off (total loss) at the posh body shop and I didn't want that. Instead I decided to get a new windscreen. Autoglass wanted £300! Far too much so I hired a one-man-band who has no premises and works out of a van. The job was done in a friends barn and I had to help lift the screen into place. It was a super job with a proper Pilkington Glass laminated screen bronzed and tinted, £160 for cash. Now one might expect that my insurers would be over the moon about a saving of £140 but not a bit of it. Instead there was whinging about "using a non-approved-repairer" and wanting a receipt. I got them a receipt but after three letters THEY HAVE STILL NOT PAID. As to "approved" the man's work was 100% approved by myself and I used to be a machinery technician at Rover cars Birmingham. I'm paying my insurers about £600 per annum for my cars so just why they are so tardy beggars belief. Maybe it will be fourth time lucky. Allegedly "bumping" claims and Bad Faith Insurance are now par for the course. (This ploy of not paying claims started in the USA.) As to No Claims Bonus, a yachtsman who had maximum NCB in the UK sold up and sailed to Australia. Now in Oz they drive on the left the same as here. He took out insurance in his own name on a relatives spare car which he drove. I think that the insurance company was Queensland Insurance. On returning to the UK he was told (1) his UK NCB had expired. (2) The Australian NCB was not recognised! How can this be right? Its a bit much when fifty somethings who should have full NCB have to resort to driving a 1.3 Ford Ka because anything bigger was unaffordable, FRAUD, FRAUD, FRAUD. Allegedly if one uses a global insurance company the NCB can be honoured but don't bank on it. "
Davey
"Six months ago i had a crash.I was driving home and a woman in a volkswagen polo braked for absolutely no reason in front of me.After the intial \'accident\' she got out and calm as anything asked for my insurance details. She kept on asking questions like when did you pass your test? in a bossy manner and also claiming her innocence.She wasn\'t sure which insurance company she was with. I retrived my camera from my bag and took photos of the vehcles and the scene the best i could.she did not like the fact i was taking photos and became eager to leave.Also despite giving an address less than three miles away she did not know the name of the road.I emailed the photos to my insurance company {LV} and did everything i could,the strangest thing was the insurance company emailed one of my photos back with no comment and a stills second picture of a scene from Eastenders off tv.Anyway my car was eventually written off and i was held liable for the accident.I should have disputed that given that she braked for no clear reason. i shudder to think how much my insurance will go up to on renewal {may 2011}.Also a few years ago i followed a van off a roundabout and it braked in front of me for no reason but i stopped in time partly thanks to having my cars brake fluid replaced ,i think that is the best thing i have ever done to a car."
John G Doo
"I think this has happened to my grandaughter she was driving behind another car he braked hard at green lights allthough she was observant she bumped into the back of him they both inspected the vehicles and agreed there was no damage to either car but the other driver was insistant she gave her details then one month later he decided to make a claim against her causing the insurance premium to rise rapidly. My advice to any one reading this if an event as this should happen please think and take a photo with your mobile of both cars "
concrned driver
"i was involved in a very minor bump in november 2008, the driver had stopped his car 20feet from a busy cross roads junction with his front left wheel almost touching the kirb and his rear end sticking out into the middle of the road, i hit my breaks and skidded about a foot as the road was damp, there was no damage to his car and he said he was'nt going to claim because there was no damage, i never recieved any letters from my insurance company or any other company, but when i tried to renew my insurance at the end of the year i was tol i didnt have a no claims bonus as someone had made a claim against me, they'd paid out over £5500. and refused to release my other 4 years no claims, im now 29 with ZERO years no claims and my insurance is costing me more now with 8 years driving experience and im a hgv 1 driver, than it was when i was 21 and had just gotten my licence, i cant even afford to insure a r reg astra 1.6 as its qouting me over £2000. and even when i do find a qoute i can afford they want up to £400 deposit paid there and then and up to £300 a month ....... car insurance companys are day light robbers no wonder there are so many people driving round un-insured. some thing needs to be done this is a complete joke "
carl morby
"i was involved in a slam on last year (oct \'09) the driver pulled across in front of me and slammed on his brakes. when he pulled across there was about 5 ft then immediately he stopped. i did not even have a chance to touch my brake pedal. it was the passengers who got out with proper cameras, not even camera phones. before i know it, the two passengers and the driver are claiming for being at deaths door, the car they were driving apparently needing to be towed away, (they left the scene before me) costing my insurance £3000 to repair my vehicle. i have contested this claim and whilst my insurance company are behind me 100%, my premium on my vehicle has gone up nearly 100% and my second vehicle on which i am down as a secondary driver has also raised by a whopping 150%. "
marc w
"I was parked in a supermarket parking bay checked my mirrors - all clear started to open the door when a 4 X 4 ran into my door,thought it was all sorted 5/50 as advised by my Insurers (against my better judgement) this morning a solicitors letter arrived she is claiming special damages and possible loss of earnings ther was a minute scratch on her car - as I was stationary at the time how could I be driving without due care and attention? any injury she sufered must have been down to her speed not mine"
H Lancaster
"Something similar happened to me three months ago. A taxi driver pulled out in front of me so I hit him on the side. He was to blame, but got out of the car and shouted at me that I had hit him - which of course I had. I never heard a thing until today when I received a letter from my insurance company stating the 'gentleman' involved is claiming 'multiple injuries' plus nearly £100 a day to hire a car - presumably to replace his which actually had a couple of scratches and dents. Nothing significant. He is claiming a whopping £17,000 to date and still climbing. I am furious and intend taking it all the way to court. There is no way he is telling the truth, but I fear his solicitor is in on the scam, plus any garage he uses is probably owned by a relative or friend. The insurance companies need to pull their socks up - this is costing them and the insured public billions a year. The police are neglectful in not pursuing these people, they are simply committing fraud."
G. Gordon
"my wife has just had this scam tried on her, the car in front slammed his brakes on whilst the way was clear entering onto a roundabout, luckily she braked in time and the car sped of. It was a BMW/Merc reg BAZ. Be warned people!!!"
martin
"I bump a car in front off me. I dented his bumper. my wife was in the car with me. he was moving on two the main road but stooped quick . i just touched his car. 30 hours after that I got a letter from his solicitor say his wife and him are claiming. neck and back injury and loss off earning. what can I do it making me mad. Where I live they call it the claims capital off northern Ireland ."
james poole
"I know of somebody using a different address to get cheaper insurance. In a case like this, would they be insured? They own the other property, but do not live there."
David H.
"cases like this really depress me. what was the verdict?"
Admin
"Well I had a taxi run into the rear of my car when I braked (and my car never had fierce brakes anyway). The bloke had been tailgating ("pushing") hooting and making "W**ker" signs all because I paused to allow a car to pull out of a parking space. In court the taxi driver turned out to be a champion perjurer and he even blackmailed the judge in a roundabout way by getting his solicitor to ask leading questions. (His opening gambit stated that he was a family man with kids). His solicitor then asked "What will happen if you lose this case?" to which the reply was "My insurance premiums will go up and I might not be able to work". Geddit? what he is implying is that if he loses the case he will claim the dole for himself, his wife and kids. He perjured himself saying I had reversed back into him deliberately and his statement that was false in a great many other respects described my blue hatchback as a red saloon. (The red saloon was the car I allowed to pull out of the parking space) When questioned about this he said "Oh the car was a bit dirty so I could have got the colour wrong" and as to the shape he waffled by saying "There's not much difference in shape between saloons and hatches on that model". The court case was a stitch-up from start to finish and I think that dark forces have been at work. As to British "justice" the late Lord Denning said "In British courts you don't get justice, you get law". Well I'll second that as in my honest opinion the judge deserves to be sacked and the perjurer deserves to go to jail. Still seething - and its not the money aspect that riles me, I'd give that to charity. No what riles me is losing a case because of an incompetent judge and a champion perjurer. Afterwards I heard through the grapevine that "There was a grating sound before the bump" - Oh really, that sounds like worn out disc pads to me, no wonder the taxi couldn't stop. Nice how people who witness things don't like to get involved isn't it? "
Davey