Whiplash compensation is on the rise
Whiplash claims induced by whiplash injuries has increased by 25% over the past five years with 1,200 people now claiming for the neck injury every day according to the Association of British Insurers (
ABI).
Whiplash is not the most dramatic of personal injuries, but it can be extremely painful and sometimes difficult to recover from. Several factors influence the severity of whiplash, such as the position in relation to the head restraints in a car, the crash impact and how much the individual weighs.
ABI’s recent findings
A report by the ABI entitled ‘Tacking Whiplash: Prevention, Care, Compensation’ found that in excess of 430,000 people made a whiplash claim in 2007. This cost the insurance industry a hefty £1.9 billion, which is the equivalent of £66 being added onto every car insurance policy in the country.
The report also found that the UK is now the ‘whiplash centre’ of Europe with claims in the country 40% higher than the European average. It is thought that whiplash accounts for two – thirds of all personal injury claims, which costs the NHS £8 million a year in consultation fees.
AA insurance expert Simon Douglas noted that the rise in whiplash and personal injury claims encouraged higher car insurance premiums, with some insurers predicating a 10-20% rise over the coming year.
Douglas also pointed out that fraud increased too, by 17% with also contributes to the insurance hike. Fraud and whiplash partner easily, because it can be an injury that is relatively easy to mimic, the incentive to make a fraudulent claim could be the payout which is around £4,000.
One claims worker said: “There are a large number of claims firms out there so getting business was quite tough [...] when interviewing a client, the best practice was to state upfront that their whiplash must have lasted at least a couple of weeks to get any real compensation. Of course, you have to state this before the client tells you how long it actually has lasted. That way, they can make up their minds whether to lie or not and the interviewer would not be directly aware of any deception. Stating pain lasted 14 days when it only lasted 7 doesn't strike most people as being illegal in the slightest really.”
Genuine claims
Of course, the majority of whiplash claims are genuine and the recent rise in claims could be due to an increase in aggressive driver behaviour on the roads.
A major study jointly undertaken by Direct Line and the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) discovered that the main cause of whiplash injuries was tailgating.
93% of drivers under observation were bullied by other drivers to go faster, this practice can lead to anxiety, stress, reckless driving and ultimately death. Tailgating causes around 7% of car accidents on all UK roads.
Therefore, in a bid to keep every driver safe, Frances Browning from Direct Line urged all drivers to keep their distance and not allow themselves to be bullied into going faster.
Updated on 19/01/2009