Birmingham tops “Crash for Cash” league table for sixth consecutive quarter

Published: 09/02/2012

Birmingham City may be sitting pretty in the Championship playoff places but the city should be less pleased about their top ranking position in the Crash for Cash table.

For the sixth consecutive quarter, the West Midlanders have come top of the Insurance Fraud Bureau’s (IFB) regional hotspot league table on Crash for Cash.

Crash for Cash is the term used to describe a road traffic accident which has been staged for financial gain. The fraudster will then exaggerate their injuries in order to claim compensation.

Such scams are one of the primary reasons why the personal injury industry is currently facing so much criticism, with MPs slamming the validity of whiplash claims and blaming them for the rising cost of insurance premiums.

IFB have been working with polices forces to crackdown on Crash for Cash activity. To date, there have been over 486 arrests and 119 criminal convictions and sentences including over 91 years imprisonment.

It is also the responsibility of brokers and personal injury solicitors to help clean up compensation claims. However, it is vital this does not come of the expense of genuine claimants who need to be supported and encouraged in their rightful claim for compensation because, at the end of the day, if a person has been genuinely injured due to someone else’s negligence, why shouldn’t they be compensated?

¹Insurance Fraud Bureau (Aug 2011)

Content correct at time of publication