A CLEAR ROUTE TO CLAIM

Fraudulent claims are costing every UK household an additional £50 through increased premiums and fake car crashes are the biggest cause. Last year 59,900 attempts were made to cheat the industry out of a shocking £811m.

It is little wonder then that insurance providers are more cautious in the process of claims and why drivers need to be better prepared to provide legitimate evidence to validate a claim when required to do so.

At this time of year driving in the dark is almost inevitable bringing an increased chance of having an accident. Following on from C&C Insurance Brokers recent advice -‘Why insurance companies don’t pay claims’- drivers are being reminded to take measures to ensure fewer chances of settlement disputes in the future.

Richard Bower – Lowe, Claims Director of C&C, offers some sound advice in securing evidence to avoid claim issues:

“In the event of an accident, it is vital that the evidence is carefully written, recorded and photographed. Failure to capture evidence can ultimately lead to difficulties in pursuing recovery of costs incurred or defending claims being made against you. As well as the third party details, collect witness and Police Officer details; note the number of passengers and approximate ages in the other vehicle; take photographs of any vehicle damage and note any nearby CCTV cameras”.

Unfortunately contrived accidents are now almost commonplace. Commercial vehicles are considered an easy target as they are certain to be insured but we are all vulnerable and need to be aware of some of the most popular scenarios adopted by criminals. Keep a safe distance in case the driver in front suddenly stamps on the brakes leading to a rear-end collision – in this instance, the criminals, often with the help of bogus witnesses, then claim compensation for injuries, damage, car hire, etc. amounting to many thousands of pounds payment resulting in increases to your insurance premiums.