Court dismisses suspected ‘cash for crash’ claims

Six men suspected of conspiring to cause accidents at roundabouts in Leeds have had their claims for compensation thrown out of a court in Bradford.

The men have also been ordered to pay the legal costs of their cases.

Bradford County Court heard that the men were all involved in similar accidents near the White Rose shopping centre between April and August 2004.

Three of the accidents were at the same roundabout while the fourth took place at a roundabout close by.

Three of the drivers brought claims for compensation as did three passengers. The driver of the fourth vehicle did not pursue his claim.

In each case, the other drivers involved had claimed that the men had pulled out at the roundabout then braked sharply, causing them to run into the back of their vehicles.

Further investigations showed that the men and their associates had been involved in previous cases claiming damages totalling over £250,000, some of which were successful.

The judge said it defied common sense that the accidents could be simple coincidences, the claimants all came from the same area, the accidents were effectively at the same place in the same circumstances and they all used the same accident management company.

Only one of the men turned up at court and his case was struck out on the grounds that it was not genuine, and the other cases were dismissed due to non-attendance. The judge ordered Abdul Raziq and one of the other men to repay with interest money which they had already received from their insurers.

Anthony Dale of legal firm DWF said: “It is no longer the case that a driver who bumps into the back of another is automatically considered at fault. Collisions which are caused deliberately are becoming more common. These ‘cash for crash’ cases represent a significant threat to public safety and a major problem for insurers.

“The courts are now prepared to look beyond the simple facts of the claim, to consider all the surrounding circumstances and to recognise where accidents have been artificially created with a view to claiming compensation.”