Whip Lash claims.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.parliament...ee/news/cmi---report/

We have all recently seen a huge rise in our motor insurance premiums, this has been due to the escalating rise in 'whip lash' injuries claims.

A recent report from the House of Commons Transport Committee could mean asking the government to bring in measures to curb some of these extortionate high amounts of costly claims.

http://www.mirror.co....aims-115875-23696013/

But the question that must be asked is, if they manage to get a reduction in these claims, will we see our insurance premiums drop?

Personally I cannot see it.

[ummmm]

Unlikely. Hopefully they won't continue to rise though.

[DTCwordfan]

they may drop if the problem is removed and customers aggressively shop around for the best deal......

[whiskeryron]

// We have all recently seen a huge rise in our motor insurance premiums, this has been due to the escalating rise in 'whip lash' injuries claims.//
Personally I cannot see the justification in putting up my insurance premiums because other people have made claims, I know that I am rewarded by having a no-claims bonus but surely the benefits there are negated by the annual rise in premiums.

Ron.

[rov1100]

Maybe they should be told to use the whip less forcefully.

http://www.google.co....QsAQ&biw=1016&bih=511

[cazzz1975]

I hope they do, I was involved in a car accident a few years ago, a car drove into the back of me and I hit the car in front, my car took most of the impact and I had whiplash, I decided not to claim as it was short lived and remedied with strong pain killers, the car in front was hit less severely and the whole family claimed for whiplash, apparently they also said that the kids thought they were going to die and needed emotional counselling.

I felt this was utter twaddle, it was this guys 3rd claim in that one year for accident damage. I certainly hope the law looks into this.

of course it doesnt help that you get badgered by lawyers for months after phoning you pestering you to claim.

[Ankou]

true cazz, i got shunted up the jacksy about 2 years ago and i still get text messages saying i can claim for the accident. enough already, the £20k i got was plenty for one year.

[hc4361]

Whiplash should be considered an 'acceptable risk' for every one who chooses to travel in any sort of motor vehicle, much as a twisted ankle (or worse) is an acceptable risk to wearing very high heels.

[Ankou]

yep ^^^ 2 grand from the council on account of dodgey paving.

[hc4361]

The councils are making it much harder for people to succeed in such claims now.
My friend tripped over a broken slab and broke his shoulder. His claim failed because he was running for the bus and no paying proper attention.

[ummmm]

My mate fell down a dodgy kerb and broke her leg badly. She couldn't claim because she'd had a drink. She wasn't drunk though!

[albaqwerty]

16 years ago a guy slammed into the back of my car, shoved me across the pavement and into railings. 2 year old son not hurt. I was sent for an MRI and that proved I had received damage. I am sill in pain every so often.

I can't see premiums dropping at all.

[anotheoldgit]

Time all vehicles were fitted with proper restraining harnesses, maybe?

[Ankou]

"Time all vehicles were fitted with proper restraining harnesses"

what? seatbelts and airbags aint proper? or do you mean summink else?

[Trojanfarce]

The huge rise in whiplash claims is directly linked to huge rise in ambulance chasing parasites that now seem to plague us every step of the way. Whilst these charlatans are allowed to practise, premiums will continue to rise. Incidently, it's not just whiplash claims that are the cause of rising premiums, but taking that as an example, a solicitor will claim up to £1000 to process an electronic claim for whiplash where the victim will get £700. After that, say the facts are disputed, that same solicitor will then pick up another £500 - £1000, so your £700 whiplash claim is actually costing the insurers a minimum of £1700.
And there are of course, those less than scrupulous insurance companies, whose practises are borderline legal, but again put the costs of what should be a straighforward claim, through the roof.

[chas2008]

the bit i find strange in all this is there is very little or no work out there for bodyshops, apparently over 90+ have closed down in the last few months others have made staff redundant or put them on 3 day weeks.Also insurance engineers are worried as they have little or nothing to do,we ourselves are working day to day & worrying if we have a job at the end of the week...
So quite where all these claims are coming from is beyond me..

[EDDIE51]

Read this it is frightening !

http://www.dailymail....rs.html#ixzz1k5jM6Yr7

[EDDIE51]

Read my link , in France just 5% of personal injury claims are for whiplash, in UK over 80% of claims are for whiplash !

[LazyGun]

D'Oh! And there was me thinking this thread was going to be about the slightly risque stories of a local dominatrix :(

[Nini74]

Trojanfarce - your wrong i'm afraid...."a solicitor will claim up to £1000 to process an electronic claim for whiplash where the victim will get £700. After that, say the facts are disputed, that same solicitor will then pick up another £500 - £1000, so your £700 whiplash claim is actually costing the insurers a minimum of £1700." Not true. A PI claim for an RTA valued at MORE than £1,000, and LESS than £10,000 damages will earn the Solicitor £950 profit costs total, no matter how much work is involved and how much medical evidence is obtained/needed. The only time further costs would be paid is if the claim can't be settled within the RTA portal, which will inevitably be as a result of the Defendant's Insurers being unreasonable. I don't know where you got your figures from, but if the Claimant gets less than £1,000 the Solicitor gets nothing in any event.

hc and ummmm - i think your friends may have had poor solicitors - an element of contributory negligence may apply to the cases you've mentioned, but the claims should not have been rejected totally just for the reasons you've stated....

[Nini74]

the irony of course is that its the insurance companies who sell the details of accident victims to solicitors in the first place - so why the need to increase premiums in the first place? i had a guy phone me today who reported the accident to his insurers who then sold his details to a firm of solicitors without even asking if he was injured or wanted to make a claim. the insurance industry are then the first to moan about excessive claims.....