Personal injury claimant found in contempt of court

Published: 13/10/2011

A personal injury claimant has been sentenced to six months imprisonment after being found in contempt of court.

The claimant has been seeking damages for personal injuries sustained in a road traffic accident. However, the fault driver and his insurer applied for committal of the claimant and her husband and daughter who had acted as her witnesses for contempt after the claimant signed statements of truth on her witness statements and schedule of loss which were verified by statements from her husband and daughter.

It was later discovered these statements were not true.

The claimant and her witnesses admitted their deception and, despite appeals from the claimant that she had not been initially advised of the consequences of signing a statement of truth attached to false information, they were sentenced to six and three months imprisonment respectively.

Each, however, will serve half of those periods.

Content correct at time of publication