Insurers urge crackdown on whiplash fraudsters

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said the UK was now the “whiplash capital of Europe”, with one out of every 140 people claiming for a whiplash injury each year.

It said the activities of ambulance-chasing lawyers and claims management firms, as well as staged “cash for crash” accidents, were driving up the number of claims.

Whiplash occurs when the soft tissue in the spine is stretched and strained following a sudden forceful movement, such as being hit from behind in a car. But it is often difficult to diagnose, while it is easy to fake or exaggerate.

The ABI estimates that the cost of whiplash claims adds around 20 per cent or £74 to motor insurance premiums.

At the 2011 Whiplash conference in Leeds, the ABI’s assistant director of motor and liability James Dalton said: “Whiplash is a fraudster’s dream.”