From the Telegraph 01/03/12:
A mother has been jailed for claiming she suffered whiplash injuries in a fictitious car crash after her insurers took her to court in the first case of its kind.
Samina Bashir, 28, admitted making a fake declaration for more than £5000 in damages after lodging a claim that she was in involved in a three-car pile-up, the High Court was told.
Her husband, Faisal Rauf, 27, was also jailed after he supported the family’s false claim that they were involved in an accident in Handsworth, Birmingham, on January 6, 2008.
In the first case of its kind, insurers launched a private prosecution against the couple for contempt of court after officials discovered the accident was fictious [sic] and could have left the company facing a £75,000 payout.
It seems Bashir and her family sensed the game was up and failed to attend the trial. At least she wasn’t caught boasting about her fake claim on Facebook – another favourite trick of car accident compensation fraudsters.
Bashir’s partner and parents were all handed sentences for their roles in the scam.
LV said this was the first case, in which an accident was "wholly contrived" and successfully fought by an insurance company. In the past cases were brought against individuals who had just exaggerated accidents or injury.
Perhaps the tide has truly started to turn against the RTA fraudsters? Sadly, I fear it’s going to take a lot more than one case, irrespective of whatever Dave likes to claim about the whiplash claims fiasco being tackled.
Britain is now the whiplash compensation claims capital of Europe, with people increasingly claiming for injuries sustained in the most minor of motoring bumps. The Association of British Insurers claims this has added around £90 to the average bill.
Ouch. £90!! It puts having a bit of a sore neck for day in perspective. I say bring back the ‘grin and bear it’ policy.
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