pathetic whip lash claims
Discussion
most of the "whiplash" we see in a&e is fake, people even phone up asking what the symptoms should be, most of the rest is little worse then the results of a good gym session
it always amazes me that in all the time i've been there, i've never seen anyone who caused the accident, it doesn't matter if they hit someone or someone hit them, we always see the victim.
I do realise that with these things it's never going to be 50/50 as people tend to ignore their own fault, but you'd think in 10 years of a&e i would have seen at least one who caused the accident, they go through the same forces on impact.
I can only conclude that the way to avoid it is to drive like a lunatic and cause accidents as you'll never get injured
It is also worth noting that is it normal with time to get wear and tear in your neck which results in pain and muscle spasm, lots of this gets put down to "an accident i had 20 years ago but started hurting 5 years ago"
Interestingly africans don;t get whiplash in africa, but do when they come to europe, so maybe it's due to the cold
it always amazes me that in all the time i've been there, i've never seen anyone who caused the accident, it doesn't matter if they hit someone or someone hit them, we always see the victim.
I do realise that with these things it's never going to be 50/50 as people tend to ignore their own fault, but you'd think in 10 years of a&e i would have seen at least one who caused the accident, they go through the same forces on impact.
I can only conclude that the way to avoid it is to drive like a lunatic and cause accidents as you'll never get injured
It is also worth noting that is it normal with time to get wear and tear in your neck which results in pain and muscle spasm, lots of this gets put down to "an accident i had 20 years ago but started hurting 5 years ago"
Interestingly africans don;t get whiplash in africa, but do when they come to europe, so maybe it's due to the cold
I was driven into during a driving lesson on a large roundabout, as the van behind me had not seen me stop after edging forward. He must've hit me at 5-10mph, I basically didn't feel a thing, and the van was undamaged while my instructor's car has a small tennis ball sized dent in the rear bumper. As it wasn't my insurance policy I was only phoned once by the ambulance chasers and then again a couple of months later (talk about scraping the barrel...). However my instructor was getting weekly calls from them basically begging for myself or him to suddenly become tragically injured.
The compensation companies/ambulance chasers put Fifa to shame in the corruption stakes.
The compensation companies/ambulance chasers put Fifa to shame in the corruption stakes.
My experience is insurance companies don't want to fight it
How about this senario
a car is hit in a car park 5mph max - dented wings (poor reversing skills on the part of the driver) and being a decent sort they knew who's car it was (shared parking area in a small residential area) so they knock on the door - the owner arrives at the door in his PJ's and the driver explains they'd hit the car but are late for work so will provide insurance details that evening
Yes the car owner lodged a claim for whiplash - yes the insurance company didn't want to contest it........
It's all fugged up.....
How about this senario
a car is hit in a car park 5mph max - dented wings (poor reversing skills on the part of the driver) and being a decent sort they knew who's car it was (shared parking area in a small residential area) so they knock on the door - the owner arrives at the door in his PJ's and the driver explains they'd hit the car but are late for work so will provide insurance details that evening
Yes the car owner lodged a claim for whiplash - yes the insurance company didn't want to contest it........
It's all fugged up.....
Pit Pony said:
Not being funny, but whilst you have a point, accidents happen. They shouldn't. But they do. Most people learn from their mistakes.
Now this whiplash thing. I removed the headlight of a car, from behind, as I overtook it and it turned in front of me. The impact was actually quite low. I suspect that a mechanical engineer, with access to finite element analysis software and the car companies data, could have shown that the minor damage to my car, (although written off) and the point of impact on the other car, could not cause much of anything. But of course there was a claim. And of course my insurance company paid up. And my insurance premium went down, because people learn from mistakes and apparently I'd be less likely to crash again. Soon, all cars will have data recorders that record the shock at impact, and that data will be used to refute claims.
The last time I looked, cars don't feel pain. Now this whiplash thing. I removed the headlight of a car, from behind, as I overtook it and it turned in front of me. The impact was actually quite low. I suspect that a mechanical engineer, with access to finite element analysis software and the car companies data, could have shown that the minor damage to my car, (although written off) and the point of impact on the other car, could not cause much of anything. But of course there was a claim. And of course my insurance company paid up. And my insurance premium went down, because people learn from mistakes and apparently I'd be less likely to crash again. Soon, all cars will have data recorders that record the shock at impact, and that data will be used to refute claims.
PanzerCommander said:
I quite agree on the hire car thing. I was told "unfortunately we can't give you a car that is the equivalent to yours", my response was "as long as its reliable, gets me to work and back I really don't care what it is" I had a Ford Focus for a couple of days last week whilst the exhaust was being made and have a Kia Cee'd Estate for a few this week whilst the rear bumper was being done. I'd have been happy with a 107 to be honest.
I wouldn't say it's entitlement, but if you're paying higher insurance, higher monthly payments and general running costs etc for such a car it's not unreasonable to expect something similar. If you have estate for lugging bikes and kit around a Fiesta isn't going to cut it. You're paying for it and now don't have it for x days because of someone else. I don't own a Boxster. If I was paying for one and it was off of the road for two weeks of the summer and was given a hatchback I'd be a little bit miffed. Not sure if I'd complain, as I've not been in that situation. But not unreasonable to want to be able to enjoy some top down motoring. If a neighbour damaged your window with a ball you wouldn't let them replace it with plastic. You'd want double glazing, frosted glass, or whatever was there before.
It's not the driver who's hiking up the premiums. It's the accident management companies who charge £300 a day for a Focus ST. The costs and fees should be monitored as mentioned by another member and be more online with standard rental charges.
For the record I've never had a courtesy car from an insurance company and I've never claimed for whiplash. I'm still called three years later about the accident that I had.
Edited by Birdster on Thursday 21st August 00:59
Edited by Birdster on Thursday 21st August 01:05
Birdster said:
I wouldn't say it's entitlement, but if you're paying higher insurance, higher monthly payments and general running costs etc for such a car it's not unreasonable to expect something similar. If you have estate for lugging bikes and kit around a Fiesta isn't going to cut it. You're paying for it and now don't have it for x days because of someone else. I don't own a Boxster. If I was paying for one and it was off of the road for two weeks of the summer and was given a hatchback I'd be a little bit miffed. Not sure if I'd complain, as I've not been in that situation. But not unreasonable to want to be able to enjoy some top down motoring.
If a neighbour damaged your window with a ball you wouldn't let them replace it with plastic. You'd want double glazing, frosted glass, or whatever was there before.
But I wouldn't insist on double glazing with frosted glass made with the breath of 1000 virgins for a TEMPORARY repair which is intended to keep it secure until the real repair can be done. If a neighbour damaged your window with a ball you wouldn't let them replace it with plastic. You'd want double glazing, frosted glass, or whatever was there before.
It is another thing that needs controlling the charges for hire vehicles. I had a company car a Jaguar X type estate. A young girl drove into the rear os wing denting it, her fault insurance co admitted liability. They sent instructions to take it into their repairer for estimate. £1495 plus vat. so not a big job, you need to leave the car with us, but they could not give a start date. It was fully drivable, paint not broken but the insurance company insisted on it had to be left with them. So they sent an equivalent car, E class Merc. Now that was not necessary or equivalent.
The car took over 6 weeks to fix and the hire cost was £3500 for something I would have been okay with a mondeo.
Queue ambulance chasers, which my wife who was driving declined. Six months later the girl put a claim in against our insurer for whiplash claiming that here insurer had admitted liability when it was not, she had by this time got a passenger and a witness. Never got anything but she should have been prosecuted for fraud.
The car took over 6 weeks to fix and the hire cost was £3500 for something I would have been okay with a mondeo.
Queue ambulance chasers, which my wife who was driving declined. Six months later the girl put a claim in against our insurer for whiplash claiming that here insurer had admitted liability when it was not, she had by this time got a passenger and a witness. Never got anything but she should have been prosecuted for fraud.
spaximus said:
It is another thing that needs controlling the charges for hire vehicles. I had a company car a Jaguar X type estate. A young girl drove into the rear os wing denting it, her fault insurance co admitted liability. They sent instructions to take it into their repairer for estimate. £1495 plus vat. so not a big job, you need to leave the car with us, but they could not give a start date. It was fully drivable, paint not broken but the insurance company insisted on it had to be left with them. So they sent an equivalent car, E class Merc. Now that was not necessary or equivalent.
The car took over 6 weeks to fix and the hire cost was £3500 for something I would have been okay with a mondeo.
Queue ambulance chasers, which my wife who was driving declined. Six months later the girl put a claim in against our insurer for whiplash claiming that here insurer had admitted liability when it was not, she had by this time got a passenger and a witness. Never got anything but she should have been prosecuted for fraud.
You didn't have to have that car but regardless that's a low daily rate so presumably not a credit hire by you or your wife?The car took over 6 weeks to fix and the hire cost was £3500 for something I would have been okay with a mondeo.
Queue ambulance chasers, which my wife who was driving declined. Six months later the girl put a claim in against our insurer for whiplash claiming that here insurer had admitted liability when it was not, she had by this time got a passenger and a witness. Never got anything but she should have been prosecuted for fraud.
To all those saying that people jumping out of cars ranting and raving and seeming to be perfectly fine after an accident, then putting in claims for whiplash later on, you do know that it can take 3-5 days for whiplash to present itself don't you?
I've had proper whiplash (I was in a head on collision which wrote my car off) and it hurts. Mine only came on after a couple of days or so but I was off work for a week or so due to being in a lot of pain.
I agree though that a lot of people do seem to "swing the lead" when it comes to these claims; it's easy money and claims are supported by GP's who prepare medical reports at £500 a time. Do the maths; if they do 5 reports a day (which they do), 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year that's £600k per annum! Big business!
I've had proper whiplash (I was in a head on collision which wrote my car off) and it hurts. Mine only came on after a couple of days or so but I was off work for a week or so due to being in a lot of pain.
I agree though that a lot of people do seem to "swing the lead" when it comes to these claims; it's easy money and claims are supported by GP's who prepare medical reports at £500 a time. Do the maths; if they do 5 reports a day (which they do), 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year that's £600k per annum! Big business!
We are stuck privately renting, unable to afford a deposit for a mortgage. Our close friends recently bought their first place.
Guess who got a big payout recently for a false whiplash claim?
That is the only difference. They would have been foolish to turn the money down, as there was no effort required on their part. About £6k a-piece (they were both in the car at the time).
Self-respect, dignity and shame aside, if something similar happened to me then I would be foolish to turn away the money. And that ladies and gentlemen, is the biggest problem.
Being crashed into is actually a fantastic opportunity for a lot of people to make money.
Guess who got a big payout recently for a false whiplash claim?
That is the only difference. They would have been foolish to turn the money down, as there was no effort required on their part. About £6k a-piece (they were both in the car at the time).
Self-respect, dignity and shame aside, if something similar happened to me then I would be foolish to turn away the money. And that ladies and gentlemen, is the biggest problem.
Being crashed into is actually a fantastic opportunity for a lot of people to make money.
Bill said:
Nezquick said:
Sensible stuff, then: and claims are supported by GP's who prepare medical reports at £500 a time. Do the maths; if they do 5 reports a day (which they do), 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year that's £600k per annum! Big business!
What utter tripe!Nezquick said:
I agree though that a lot of people do seem to "swing the lead" when it comes to these claims; it's easy money and claims are supported by GP's who prepare medical reports at £500 a time. Do the maths; if they do 5 reports a day (which they do), 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year that's £600k per annum! Big business!
And complete bks.
Vaud said:
Show us a GP making 600k a year.
You misunderstand....these aren't your run of the mill GP's who you see down at your local surgery. These guys are in private practice doing reports for whiplash claims on a full time basis. I work in a business which deals with PI claims on a daily basis (thankfully on the Defendant side....not ambulance chasing) and some of the invoices I see from some experts for medical reports would make your eyes water; sometimes tens of thousands for a single report (albeit these are in the more serious PI cases).The £600k per annum was, I admit, very crude maths but I did it to make the point. Make no mistake though, these experts are on hundred's of thousands a year just from the PI industry and from insurers paying for reports.
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