Road accident claim news
25/04/2008

Private investigators prove insurer is suspicious

A Yorkshire care home worker who suffered serious injuries in a 2005 car crash has won nearly £1.8 million compensation after making a road accident claim for the incident.

The road accident claim payout comes despite the fact that the woman was tracked by private investigators acting for the liable party's insurance company trying to prove that she was exaggerating the extent and impact of her personal injuries.

While tailing the woman, the private investigators recorded DVDs of her movements, which were then shown at court to try and prove that the claimant had "underplayed" her independence.

However, the female judge hearing the compensation claim had little truck with the arguments of the insurance company, saying that all the DVDs proved were that the 63-year-old makes efforts to "psychologically fight" against the level of her disability. She commented, "I am satisfied that [the claimant] has not been deliberately exaggerating her current disability... I do not accept the contention of deliberate deceit."

She added, "Before the accident, she was able to do fine art work, examples of which I have seen, but since then she has been unable to do so."This was an important part of her life and something which she did for her own pleasure as well as part of her work."

The road accident claim was paid out by insurers acting for the employer of the truck driver who hit the claimant's BMW after successful representation was made by her personal injury lawyer.