Background

In a recent case undertaken by Davies, the policyholder’s vehicle was slowly reversing from a parking space when it made light contact with the claimant’s vehicle, leaving only light, superficial damage. It cost £2,284 to complete repairs, and replacement parts totalled £112.97. liability was admitted immediately, and the claim for the vehicle damage and hire was settled promptly.

However, two years later, the claimant unexpectedly escalated matters, alleging extensive physical and psychological injuries, including pain in multiple areas, shock, anxiety, headaches, and dizziness. The claimant also admitted to having never sought medical treatment, nor had they taken any time off work. The nature of the injuries compared with the minor impact of the vehicles seemed disproportionate, as well as the timing of the claim, and the matter was referred to our Special Investigations Unit.

How we helped

The team at Davies put the injury claim to strict proof, requesting full disclosure of the claimant’s medical records. Despite a number of opportunities, the claimant’s solicitors failed to produce consistent or credible evidence. When proceedings were eventually issued at the limitation deadline, we instructed our legal arm Keoghs to defend the claim.

The inconsistencies we uncovered included:

• The alleged injuries were wholly inconsistent with the low-level impact
• The claimant failed to disclose previous accidents
• Medical records confirmed that no treatment or time off work had been taken

Keoghs filed a robust defence highlighting these inconsistencies, which placed the claimant’s credibility into question.

Outcome

Following the defence, the claimant’s solicitors offered to discontinue the claim. This was accepted by our insurer client, bringing the matter to a close, and saving them a total of £22,335 in damage costs.

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