19/05/2011
By Katrina McLachlan
Insurance providers have said that there should be a crackdown on fraudulent claims of whiplash, which they say are pushing up the cost of car insurance for honest drivers.
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has called the UK the "whiplash capital of Europe", with claims being made by one in 140 people every year.
The volume of claims is being driven up by people who stage "cash for crash" accidents, as well as so-called ‘ambulance-chasing’ lawyers and claims management companies, it added.
Every day, 1,200 claims relating to whiplash are made in the UK - six times more than the number of people who claim for workplace related injuries each year.
Out of all the UK personal injury claims, 75 per cent are for whiplash, the highest amount in Europe.
The ABI estimates that the cost of whiplash claims adds around 20% or £74 to motor insurance premiums.
Speaking at the 2011 Whiplash conference in Leeds, James Dalton, the ABI's assistant director of motor and liability, said: "Despite the statistics I doubt that that the UK has some of the weakest necks in Europe.
"Often difficult to diagnose, easy to fake and exaggerate, whiplash is a fraudster's dream."
The ABI is calling on insurers, doctors and lawyers to form a partnership to help prevent whiplash and to improve its treatment, as well as cracking down on fraudulent claims.
It wants authoritative medical guidance on how to accurately diagnose and treat genuine whiplash to be developed, as well as raising consumer awareness about the importance of keeping a safe breaking distance between vehicles, as tailgating is the main cause of the injury.
