'Crash for cash' conman jailed for 12 months

A ‘crash for cash’ conman has been jailed for 12 months after LV= uncovered a £250,000 fraudulent claim following a staged accident.

Balraj Singh Thumber from Wolverhampton made a claim with his insurer, LV=, for whiplash, vehicle damage and a replacement vehicle after his Audi A4 was involved in a collision with a car driven by Viktor Sivak.

But the insurer’s claims crime prevention team was instructed to investigate the accident after several factors led them to question the validity of the claim.

The insurance policy had been taken out just two days before the claim, and on further investigation LV= uncovered that Thumber and Sivak were acquaintances despite denying knowing each other.

A forensic engineer also concluded that the damage was inconsistent with the alleged circumstances of the accident.

After LV= denied the claim, Thumber started legal proceedings against the insurer, before withdrawing the case just before it went to trial.

LV= then began proceedings against Thumber for contempt of court and he was sentenced to 12 months in prison at the Royal Courts of Justice on 15 July.

LV= managing director John O’Roarke said: “Every year there are tens of thousands of staged accidents, like this one, which put the safety of innocent motorists at risk. LV= takes a hard line on fraud, investigates all suspicious claims and pushes for the toughest sentences for those who are prosecuted.

“The evidence in this case was overwhelming and as a result Thumber received a custodial sentence. We hope this sends a message to other fraudsters to deter them from committing this type of crime.”

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