So on friday night driving home, outside lane of a dual carriageway chap pulls out into me. Dents the passenger side wing bumper alloy etc. Were both ok, his cars probably wrote off. Anyway long story short insurance company said, are you hurt at all…you could get a couple of hundred quid if you are, we’ll call back in a week to find out if you’ve got any aches.
First thoughts, no and why are you even suggesting this but 90% of people i’ve spoken to boss/mates have all said go for the money.

What have you done / would you do?

i would – if i was genuinely hurt.

i was in a bike crash a couple years ago – full on across the bonnet of the car job.

felt fine after it.

2 days later i felt like he had run me over.

thats when i would claim.

Was in an accident 4 years ago(completely other guys fault) they stiffed me (in my opinion) over the price of the car. Fast forward 4 years and I called a recovery truck for someone who was in an accident and now am getting up to 4 calls a day wanting me to claim for ‘my’ accident, seems the only way to stop this is by actually claiming, But some expert will be on in a minute and tell you this is shite,

^ Is how i’ve always felt about it. I only got the legal cover as i got hit by an uninsured biker (Zx9R) who clipped my car then did a runner leaving the bike in the middle lane on the approach to the blackwall tunnel…it wasnt you was it!?

I just dont know how i feel about it anymore, my family’s not exactly well off, were not skint but the money could help sort a lot of problems. 😐

I ‘claimed’ (genuine and it ruined a weekend away in London at the time). mrshora didn’t as she was asleep at the time in the passenger seat. I’ve not had one ‘you’ve had an accident call – ever’!

As above, you’re probably better off claiming, if only to forestall the hundreds of calls you’re going to be receiving over the next few years.

I’ve claimed previously when I did get whiplash. I’ve also not done so previously when I probably should have. Both times the other driver’s fault.

It’s not that complex really, is it? For me I had a slightly stiff next by the end of the day that got worse over the next couple of days and lasted a couple of months.

Prepare yourself to be rung twice a day for the next six months “on behalf of the third party insurers about your recent accident” by ever-different claims companies you’ve never heard of.

I’m going through this process at the moment. I’ve had two rear-end shunts semi-recently, in the most recent I wasn’t injured but I was in the previous, which I’m currently claiming for. I’ll say two things:

1) The process isn’t difficult so far as it goes, but is nowhere near as simple as the “tick this box and we’ll send you the money” approach that they’d have you believe. I’ve filled in forms, attended medical examinations, had to release medical records and so forth. They keep that bit quiet when they’re giving you the silver tongued spiel.

2) Some of the practices employed by these people beggar belief. I’ve had cold callers pretty much straight out tell me to lie; tell me that the nasty insurance companies have stolen the money that’s been “put aside” for me; been met with incredulity when I’ve said that no, actually, I wasn’t injured and therefore won’t be making a bogus claim; lied to about the extent of injury required to make a claim; had the entire call dressed up as a “we can make all these calls stop,” half an hour of to-ing and fro-ing before it transpires that yes, they can, if I make a claim through them. I could go on and on. If you do go through with a claim, choose wisely who will be representing you.

I’m at a stage now where we’re serving papers on the third party saying “see you in court.” If they call our bluff then I’ll be telling a judge about my injuries. You feeling game for a spot of light perjury?

Also,

Since when can you get whiplash from a side impact to your front corner? Is that a thing?

I got whiplash from one of the aforementioned accidents where it was a head on but I’d turned my head to try and see if I could reverse. I’d be surprised if you couldn’t get whiplash from a side impact.

A quick google says yes, you can get it from a side impact.

You feeling game for a spot of light perjury

quite 😕

I get calls and/or texts at least once a week saying I can claim compensationfor my accident etc etc.

I’ve never had an accident in my car, at work, or anywhere else.

Random half the time innit. They only need 1:1000 to say ‘oh yes, I have had an accident…’

Since when can you get whiplash from a side impact to your front corner? Is that a thing?

Afraid so – it’s just a name given to a soft tissue injury caused by the ‘whip’ effect. The side impact can actually be worse than front or rear due to the natural freedom of movement the neck has.

Every day’s a school day.

I get calls and/or texts at least once a week saying I can claim compensationfor my accident etc etc.

I’ve never had an accident in my car, at work, or anywhere else.

Sure, some are just chancing their arm. My mum gets them, she’s never driven.

quite

The wording on their most recent letter detailing what we’re alleging – well, threatening to allege, I suppose – in court comes with a covering letter which in their own words is a “stern warning.” Basically says that if the statement of facts aren’t correct to the best of my knowledge I could be personally held in contempt of court. They don’t tell you that either when you’ve got some oily little shit on commission cold-calling to suggest that so long as I took a couple of Paracetemol I could be entitled to thousands.

I’m quite happy that everything on the statement is true. I’ve even bounced it back and got them to change parts I wasn’t happy with – at one point they allege that he was driving too fast, I challenged it saying I’ve no idea whether he was or not and in any case if he was then I must have been too given that I was in front of him. The reply I got was that it was standard on all claims 😯 (Interesting to know next time you’re looking at statistics of accidents where speed was a factor.) But yeah; if I was making a bogus claim I’d be pooing myself about now.

Sorry Cougar i wasnt having a go at you, lets not sugar coat this I am basically asking if anyone would feel ok putting in a claim for this as it seems like ‘the done thing’ which of course doesnt make it right…

im just undecided, its going to come down to individual ethics at the end of the day, i think karma would give me an OTB for this though 😆

I am basically asking if anyone would feel ok putting in a claim for this

Really simple answer. I’d feel fine about it and have done when I have had an injury. I’d not if I didn’t.

Plenty of people do it anyway, from my experience it wouldn’t be difficult to give the doctor the right answers even if you had no issues and beyond that it’s basically impossible to prove anyway.

Karma though…

I might claim if I was actually injured but definitely wouldn’t claim if I wasn’t injured or had something very minor.

I used to be motor claims manager for an insurance company. If you are hurt, and it can take a few days to kick in, then claim for it. It won’t be a quick process, but you are entitled to be compensated for your loss, it’s what we have insurance for.

If you are not hurt, then you have no legal claim. Report anyone who tells you they have put in a dodgy claim for fraud. We all pay for bogus claims in terms of premiums and the delays insurers take trying to sift the genuine claimants from the lying, cheating criminal scum who abuse the legal system in this way.

My opinion may be tarnished, of course.

If I wasn’t injured and thinking about putting in a dodgy claim for injuries, what I wouldn’t do is ask about it on a public forum.

it was the legal guys that called and just said

“are you hurt at all, you could get a couple of hundred pounds if you are ill call back in a couple of days just to make sure”

it just felt like they were suggesting you to do it which just shouldnt happen, I think im going to stick with my morals on this one

If I wasn’t injured and thinking about putting in a dodgy claim for injuries, what I wouldn’t do is ask about it on a public forum.

But STW is the place to ask these questions, well that or mumsnet!
😆