Many people involved in a car accident make false injury claims following a collision in London. If you try to do this or if you deliberately put yourself in a position where an accident will occur so you can try and make a claim you may find yourself being prosecuted for making a fraudulent claim.

You are only entitled to make a personal injury claim following a car accident if you genuinely sustained injuries in an accident and you can satisfy the third party insurers that these injuries are real. Following a car accident it is always advisable to seek medical attention from a qualified medical professional to ensure that you have not done any severe or permanent damage.

This will also help your personal injury claim because you will have medical evidence of your injuries from a trusted health professional. This is considered to be a contemporaneous record of your injuries. False injury claims cost the insurance industry millions of pounds every year and this impacts negatively on the costs of everyone’s car insurance premiums.

If you are trying to fake an injury to make a quick bit of cash the chances are you will get caught out eventually. Insurance companies do not like to make a loss and will only pay out for genuine injuries. Insurance companies that suspect a false claim is being made will go as far as investigating a claimant secretly in order to prove they are faking the injury.

This might involve following you with video surveillance, scrutinising your medical records and refusing to deal with your claim unless ordered to do so by the Court. If it is necessary for you to have to attend a Court Hearing and it is determined that there are even dishonest elements to the claim that you have made, the Court may make a finding of “fundamental dishonesty”.

This can result in all of your compensation being withheld,  a Court Order that you have to pay the Defendant’s Costs and in the most extreme cases, a custodial sentence.

Many people have been caught making false injury claims because they have claimed they are barely able to walk because of the accident and then a photograph taken of them has shown them playing football or out dancing. It is not worth the hassle and risk of making a false injury claim.

If you have been involved in a genuine car accident and have sustained a personal injury, you are entitled to legal advice about your injuries and can pursue a claim. If you try to claim for a false injury, you may be reported to the Insurance Fraud Bureau and you could risk being prosecuted in London. To avoid being prosecuted for fraud you should never attempt to make a claim for compensation for an injury you have not sustained or for an accident you caused.

Case Study

Mr. A from Islington made a genuine claim for his whiplash injuries following a none fault car accident. With the help of the professionals at Oakwood Solicitors Mr A successfully pursued his claim and was awarded £1450.00 in personal injury compensation. Mr. A was injured in a rear end collision through no fault of his own, and Oakwood Solicitors were able to work on the claim on a No Win, No Fee basis.

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WHAT TO DO NEXT

For advice about claiming financial damages after a car accident, or for help if you are having false injury claims made against you by a third party in London, call Oakwood Solicitors on 0113 200 9720 or make contact with us by one of the methods on this page.