The Mirror...bumping up the cost of insurance

ACG

Someone bumped into me about a year ago - he lived further down the avenue... but I had never spoken to him before.

He was reversing off his drive and the sun was in his eyes. I was drivign at 5mph just sorting out my seat belt.

Fair bit of damage to my car surprisingly. We both sorted it out between us, reported to insurers... ever since i have been getting calls saying im entitled to claim... for what?!?! he paid to put it right!

I dont understand claiming for compensation for whiplash. Claim for time of work, claim for medical treatment costs or any additional costs but £3k for an accident is ridiculous on something that is usually gone in under a week.

jaydeeuk1

RichardD1970 wrote: »

Is that relevant, or just a bit of casual racism?

Lol, jump on the racism bandwagon.

Would you be saying the same thing if he said a car full of white people?

jase1

jaydeeuk1 wrote: »

Would you be saying the same thing if he said a car full of white people?

Well I would. What difference does someone's skin colour make?

RichardD1970

jaydeeuk1 wrote: »

Lol, jump on the racism bandwagon.

Would you be saying the same thing if he said a car full of white people?

Well, in all honesty, if it had been a group of white people, there probably would have been no mention of their ethnicity, or the implied suggestion that, because they are Asian, they know a bent (Asian, I assume) doctor who will falsify certificates.

UsernameAlreadyExists

RichardD1970 wrote: »

Well, in all honesty, if it had been a group of white people, there probably would have been no mention of their ethnicity, or the implied suggestion that, because they are Asian, they know a bent (Asian, I assume) doctor who will falsify certificates.

Nah, it's the Baltics these days


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/363539/Car-crash-turf-war-as-Baltic-gangs-scam-insurance-firms

And they have sparked a turf war in Britain’s insurance fraud capital by under-cutting Asian crooks who have had a stranglehold on the lucrative scam for years.

matttye

EdGasket wrote: »

My son-in-law was a victim to this scam. A car full of asians switches lane in front of him and slammed on the brakes; he nearly manages to stop but just gently bumps them; no damage to either car. They agree no damage and go on their way. Three days later he is contacted by his insurers, all 4 occupants of the other car have whiplash. He has sent photos to the insurer showing no damage to his bumper but the insurers are saying they will not go to court because the claimants have a doctor's certificate confirming whiplash. All in it together I suspect.

Then he gets a call from a claims company asking if he has claimed for his own whiplash !!! !!!!!! is going on in this country? SCAM SCAM SCAM!

GPs diagnose whiplash from description of symptoms according to the NHS website.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Whiplash/Pages/Introduction.aspx

"Whiplash can usually be diagnosed from a description of your symptoms. Tests and scans are not usually required."

There is therefore nothing to suggest the GP would be acting untoward in diagnosing whiplash if the four claimants described whiplash-type injuries.

It's unfortunate, but your son-in-law would do well to leave a safe gap in future so that he doesn't get caught out with such stunts.

EdGasket

matttye wrote: »

It's unfortunate, but your son-in-law would do well to leave a safe gap in future so that he doesn't get caught out with such stunts.

Did you actually read my post? They changed lane in front of him and slammed on the brakes; it could happen to anyone where there are two lanes of traffic; they had no need to change lane, it was obviously done on purpose to claim whiplash fees.

Ref. Asian occupants, that was fact as reported to me. Not meant to be racist but may have relevance as per the link in UserNameAlreadyExists post.

Ref. reporting to the police; I have absolutely no doubt it would be 'a civil matter, report it to your insurers'.

It is annoying that the insurance company does not take a tougher line and take it to court. If they keep paying out so easily, chancers will be tempted by this scam. Now my son-in -law will end up paying for it with higher insurance premiums as we all do.

matttye

EdGasket wrote: »

Did you actually read my post? They changed lane in front of him and slammed on the brakes; it could happen to anyone where there are two lanes of traffic; they had no need to change lane, it was obviously done on purpose to claim whiplash fees.

Ref. reporting to the police; I have absolutely no doubt it would be 'a civil matter, report it to your insurers'.

It is annoying that the insurance company does not take a tougher line and take it to court. If they keep paying out so easily, chancers will be tempted by this scam. Now my son-in -law will end up paying for it with higher insurance premiums as we all do.

I read it. If someone cut him up he should apply the brakes immediately. Considering there was contact, did none of the other drivers stop that could've confirmed what happened?

None of us were there, I'm just saying that if it's as clear cut as you're saying, i.e. there was nothing he could do about it, then you'd think an independent witness would be able to confirm that it wasn't his fault.

EdGasket

matttye wrote: »

I read it. If someone cut him up he should apply the brakes immediately.

Well that is exactly what he did do. I don't believe you could have avoided an impact either. As it was, the cars barely touched as the lack of damage shows.

If you think witnesses are going to stop on a busy road and get involved in a non-serious accident, you must believe you live in a very rosy world or had a very sheltered motoring life to date.

matttye

EdGasket wrote: »

Well that is exactly what he did do. I don't believe you could have avoided an impact either. As it was, the cars barely touched as the lack of damage shows.

If you think witnesses are going to stop on a busy road and get involved in a non-serious accident, you must believe you live in a very rosy world or had a very sheltered motoring life to date.

Just applying my own standards. If I witnessed contact between two vehicles I'd stop.