Call in Dr Whiplash: Government recruits teams of specialists to weed out bogus car accident claims

By
Brendan Carlin, Mail on Sunday Political Reporter

Last updated at 12:48 AM on 19th February 2012

Teams of whiplash injury experts will be set up to weed out bogus insurance claims under Government proposals to slash the soaring cost of motoring premiums.

The specialist medics would vet  claims as part of a crackdown endorsed by David Cameron after  The Mail on Sunday’s campaign to expose scandals in the industry.

Today, pensioner Francis Fenton reveals how companies ‘harassed’ his family with scores of phone calls urging him to claim for injuries in  a crash he was not even involved in.

Proposals: Specialist medics would vet claims of whiplash as part of a crackdown endorsed by David Cameron

Proposals: Specialist medics would vet claims of whiplash as part of a crackdown endorsed by David Cameron

As well as tackling claims for bogus injuries, the new moves should cut the legal costs involved, forcing solicitors to reduce their fees for small injury claims from the current £1,200 flat rate to under £500.

And all whiplash claims in accidents at speeds of under 10mph could be outlawed.

The radical proposals were approved by a Cabinet summit chaired by the Prime Minister last week.

Harassed: Francis Fenton, who was urged to lie and claim for injuries in a crash he was not even involved in, and his wife Patricia

Harassed: Francis Fenton, who was urged to lie and claim for injuries in a crash he was not even involved in, and his wife Patricia

Pushy calls nothing short of bullying

Following our investigations, Transport Secretary Justine Greening admitted that action had to be taken as Britain has become ‘the whiplash capital of Europe’.

There are now more than 1,500 whiplash injury claims a day in the UK amid fears the no-win, no-fee culture is inciting people to make false injury claims from even the most minor collisions.

Insurers say whiplash claims cost them £2  billion, adding £90 to average car insurance premiums.

High on the list of priorities from the Downing Street summit, also attended by insurance and safety experts, was to root out bogus claims early by forcing all cases to be examined by medical experts, already dubbed ‘Dr Whiplashes’.

A Government source said: ‘No one
wants to stop people filing genuine injury claims. But whiplash is a
notoriously difficult injury to diagnose.

‘If
we set up teams of specialists in the condition, we will weed out the
bogus claims to the benefit of those putting in genuine complaints.’

Detailed plans will be presented to Ms Greening by the end of March.
The
move to cut solicitors’ fees  follows the decision to ban
claims-management companies charging fees for passing on injury cases
to  no-win, no-fee solicitors.

A
Mail on Sunday investigation  revealed there were an astonishing 5,399
such claims firms, although 707 of those have now been shut down for
malpractice.

Last night, Ms Greening said: ‘We are making real progress towards curbing the spiralling cost of motor insurance.

I
expect tangible progress in the coming months that I believe will go a
long way towards tackling the justified concerns of motorists and Mail
on Sunday readers.’

The No 10 meeting also agreed  to
study the ‘viability’ of copying Germany, where the speed threshold for a
whiplash claim is 15kph, or just over 9mph.

Stop taking us for a ride

Other measures included looking at ways of reducing the costs of garage fees and car hire after accidents; and examining ‘smartboxes’ which can monitor how a car is driven, potentially giving young motorists the chance of getting lower premiums.

The Association of British Insurers has welcomed the crackdown, saying: ‘There’s something wrong where the number of whiplash claims has risen in recent years, despite the road accident rate falling.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

I remember being approached by someone in a shopping centre who asked if I had had an accident in the last three years.
“No,” I said, “I’ve always looked like this.”
Exit one bemused salesman.

What a load of baloney, when we drivers get involved in an accident we get a letter sent to us from solicitors who are acting on behalf of insurance companies who say they are now acting for us and they are pursuing a claim on our behalf for injury’s. one week from my daughter being involved in an accident where she went to hospital to be checked over she received a letter from both her insurance and a solicitor acting for them saying that they were acting on her behalf. And now these same insurance companies are coming out and saying that it’s our fault that we are claiming what a load of old B^%^*S.

“Insurers say whiplash claims cost them £2  billion, adding £90 to average car insurance premiums.”
So all bills will drop by around £90 once these rules come into effect?
Please can you Green arrow if you think bills will go up or stay the same.
Please can you red arrow if you think bills will fall.

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