Police forces urged to tackle car crash claim gangs
The AA has said that all UK police forces should follow the lead of the Metropolitan Police in London and seek to target the "cash for crash" gangs who stage accidents so as to claim injury compensation, usually for whiplash.
The Metropolitan Police has responded to concerns about the whiplash scammers by setting up a specialist road policing unit that trains officers to spot the signs of collisions that may have been staged so as to allow "cash for crash" criminals to mount compensation claims.
The Association of British Insurers estimates that such fraudulent claims cost around £730 million each year and add around £44 to the cost of each motor insurance premium.
However, police have enjoyed some success recently in prosecuting fraudulent whiplash claimants, with the members of a notorious Bradford-based car crash gang recently receiving lengthy prison sentences for their fraud.
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