One new survey has revealed that a vast majority of GPs have dealt with a rise in the number of false injury claims. Doctors have pointed the finger at the so-called ‘compensation culture’ as the impetus behind the rising claims.
90 per cent of all GPs have experienced patients playing up their injuries said the survey. The reasons for such behaviour are for these patients to win personal injury compensation claims. However doctors have said that many of their patients are completely fabricating their injuries altogether.
Over the last two years more than 50 per cent of doctors surveyed saw the problem get worse. This accident claim fraud can end up costing the NHS and the nation’s insurance companies as well.
The survey also identified several factors that have led to the rampant compensation culture in the UK. It especially highlighted that lawyers who advertise ‘no win no fee‘ services and the role they play in the problem.
Personal injury lawyers have spent more than £80 million on advertising over the last 12 months. Two out of every three members of the public have taken notice of the campaigns, according to statistics.
For every six personal injury claimants, one of them has admitted to make their claim after seeing an advert for a personal injury firm.
One common marketing tactic employed by such firms is to rely on unsolicited marketing and text messages to accident victims. The hope is that bombarding victims with such messages will encourage a large enough percentage of them to make injury claims.
Many firms advertise their services to consumers as as ‘no win no fee.’ Such agreements actually increase insurance premiums, however. Personal injury law firms charge their fees to the company they are making their claims against instead of their clients directly.
This in turn results to rising insurance costs. Every £1 an insurance company pays out in compensation, an additional 87 pence needs to be paid in legal fees and costs.