Personal injury news

Surgeon questions Vibration White Finger compensation claims

Fraudulent claims for Vibration White Finger compensation are easy to make, according to a leading surgeon.

Speaking at a recent conference, David Charlesworth, a consultant vascular surgeon at South Manchester University Hospital, said that patients have a good knowledge of VWF symptoms before visiting a specialist.

He believes that many Vibration White Finger and Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome compensation claims are based on little evidence with patients making inaccurate descriptions of their symptoms.

He said, "It is remarkable how often claimants who allegedly suffer from HAVS give inconsistent answers when tested.

"The problem is that the methods for testing neurosensory symptoms are subjective and based solely on responses from claimants."

With a large number of workers being exposed to vibrating machinery in the UK, the amount of Vibration White Finger compensation claims being made each year is unlikely to decline.

Mr Charlesworth believes that because there are no objective tests for diagnosing sensation, a number of personal injury claims will have to be based purely on a patient's description of their injury.