We’ve all heard of No Win No Fee compensation claims, and how they have made claiming much more accessible to those who have suffered an injury through no fault of their own. However not everyone who claims is a genuine victim, and in the last few years there are more and more con artists getting caught setting up compensation claim scams.
One such scam has been pulled across the North West of England and involves staged road traffic accidents, and the culprit-Mohammed Patel- defrauded over 1.6 million pounds worth of compensation over a three year period.
Patel targeted accident hotspots such as roundabouts and drove in such a way that another motorist would crash in to the back of him. Then he, and whoever else was in the car with him, would get out clutching their necks and complaining they felt dizzy or lethargic.
One such motorist told how the men then got out of the car, holding their necks in an almost comical manner, and also commented on how calm they were considering they’d just been involved in a crash.
An investigation was launched after Patel had a number of crashes on the same roundabout, which workers in a nearby office had seen. They alerted the police who questioned Patel leading to his eventual conviction, including a prison sentence.
At the end of the investigation it transpired that 24 other men were involved in the ‘accidents’ and compensation claims, but Patel was involved in all of them and was sentenced to prison time.
This type of scam is not just morally unsound and illegal; they are also highly dangerous and put the welfare of innocent road users and pedestrians at risk. Furthermore they can also lead to an increase in insurance premiums across the board, meaning sensible and honest drivers suffer too.
This news item is brought to you by specialist no-win no-fee solicitors Oliver & CO who have years of experience gaining compensation for those who’ve made a head, body or neck injury claim.
