Would you fake it?
Over 1.7 million motorists would consider making a personal injury claim after an accident even if they weren’t badly hurt.
Research for Gocompare.com found over 1.7 million (6%) UK motorists would make a claim for a personal injury after an accident, even if they weren’t badly hurt.
The survey of UK motorists, carried out in March 2013 also showed:
66% feel people making claims for minor injuries push up the costs of insurance for everyone
66% believe personal injury lawyers should not be allowed to cold call or text people
63% said people should only claim for injuries if it caused them to miss work or affected their life
6% of motorists would consider making claims even if they weren’t badly hurt
4% of motorists said people should do whatever they can to get money out of insurers
But despite nearly two thirds of motorists feeling personal injury claims pushed up the cost of insurance for all, nearly the same number (63%) believe it’s fine for people to try to get compensation if they’ve been seriously injured in a road accident which wasn’t their fault.
Scott Kelly, head of motor services at Gocompare.com, said: “It’s inevitable accidents will be swiftly followed by claims for personal injury. While genuine claims should be encouraged, inflated or false claims must be addressed.
“Part of the blame lies with claims companies targeting people by telling them they can make thousands of pounds by claiming for injuries sustained in accidents. New laws to ban referral fees and incentives by claims managers will go some way towards reducing fake or exaggerated claims.
“We hope government and industry initiatives will result in a more effective way of distinguishing between genuine claims and compensation chasers. If insurers can ensure they only pay out for genuine claims, this could be reflected in insurance premiums.”