header-logo header-logo

11 January 2013 / David Sawtell
Issue: 7543 / Categories: Features , Personal injury
printer mail-detail

Hold the cynicism

istock_000010397050medium_2

How should courts approach personal injury claims where fraud is alleged? David Sawtell reports

Fraudulent personal injury claims are hard to detect. It is even more difficult to prove their falsity. The medical evidence is often based on the claimant’s own account to the experts and is generally unsupported by any objective data. The vehicles involved in “cash for crash” claims might be repaired before the defendant insurance company has had an opportunity to examine them (if, in fact, any collision took place). Repair invoices and credit hire agreements might not be worth the paper they are written on. Given such difficulties, it is often tempting to allow suspicion to masquerade as evidence. The Court of Appeal has reminded trial judges that they must not approach cases where fraud is alleged with undue cynicism.

Hussain v Hussain

Despite their names, the two drivers involved in Hussain v Hussain and Anor [2012] All ER (D) 224 (Oct), [2012] EWCA Civ 1367 were not related. On 7 January 2009 the defendant driver drove into

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Harper James—Lottie Hugo

Harper James—Lottie Hugo

Commercial law firm announces appointment of corporate partner

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Partner joins corporate and finance practice in British Virgin Islands

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Firm strengthens children department with adoption and surrogacy expert

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
The winners of the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2026 have now been announced, marking another outstanding celebration of excellence, innovation, and impact across the legal profession
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
back-to-top-scroll