Over 37 years of experience
Insurance Claims
Investigating & Validation of insurance claims
While it is expected that most claims made on insurance policies are genuine, there is an alarming rise in the number of potentially fraudulent claims submitted each year in the United Kingdom. Statistics will show, that the fraudulent claims being made are across the whole of the insurance industry. The amount of compensation now paid out in personal injury claims resulting from road traffic collisions can be substantial. Claims paid out for damage to property is another area of insurance where substantial financial compensation is paid out. While we all pay our insurance premiums to compensate us in the unfortunate event of an accident, the cost of our premiums can only be adversely affected by the number of fraudulent claims being made.
Since 1985, JC Associates Investigative Services has been involved in investigating fraudulent insurance claims. Our highly skilled investigators have the expertise to validate an insurance claim and investigate where fraudulent activity is suspected.
Claim validation
It is not always the case that an insurer has reason to suspect that a claim is bogus. However, it is incumbent upon the insurer to ensure that all elements of the claim are correct. It could be, that the insured is attempting to claim more financial compensation than what an item is worth, or for non-existent property damage, for example. In the case of personal injury, it is a regular occurrence that a claimant will exaggerate the level of injury sustained or attempt to claim for a non-existent injury.
Stopping the insurance fraudster
The private investigators at JC Associates Investigative Services, have been engaged for many years in tackling the insurance fraudster. Our evidence reports have been able to show where a claim for personal injury, for example, has been unduly exaggerated or completely fabricated. Our expert evidence has been instrumental in having many insurance claims significantly reduced or rejected altogether. We have found that the quality and amount of evidence required to dispute a claim, particularly when it concerns a personal injury, is high. Our court-formatted evidence reports are very detailed in content with a clear factual account of the observations made and supplemented with photographic and video evidence. We believe, that a well-constructed report and good video evidence, can often be enough to deter the fraudulent claimant from persisting with their fraudulent claim.
We investigate the following range of insurance claims:
Personal injury claims
Over a long number of years in investigating personal injury claims, we have witnessed the lengths that a fraudulent claimant will go to in order to gain a financial settlement. It is where a claimant attempts to keep up the pretense of having suffered a more serious physical injury than they have.
It is not natural, for example, to consistently affect the symptoms of injury, where none exists. In public, the fraudulent claimant will try to maintain the pretense of injury. However, with the time it takes for a personal injury claim to be processed, it is natural for a claimant to return to some, if not all, of their previous physical activities. It is where such activities are inconsistent with the claimant's alleged injury, is where a skilled private investigator can make all the difference to the level of liability on the insurer.
Where it is alleged, that some physical injury has been suffered by a claimant, we can establish if such an injury is either, genuine, unduly exaggerated, or a complete fabrication. Our reports will be accurately detailed and supplemented with appropriate video evidence.
It is a policy of JC Associates Investigative Services to always maintain professional standards when conducting investigations into personal injury claims. We believe, that failure to do so, could work to the advantage of the fraudulent claimant. Where a fraudulent claimant is able to make a counter claim of invasion of privacy or one of harassment, for example, this could effectively take the focus of their false claim.
Property Theft
Our personnel are experienced in criminal investigations. We investigate all types of property theft. Where our private detectives can produce the required evidence to support a prosecution of theft, they will prove their evidence at any subsequent court hearing.
Motor Claims
We can investigate road traffic collisions from their inception. The investigation will determine liability and will include expertly recorded witness statements, detailed sketches, locus reports, and photographic/video evidence.
Our skilled personnel can also evaluate medical reports in respect of the physical injuries allegedly suffered by a claimant. We have successfully negotiated fair and reasonable settlements with the legal representatives of the injured, without the need for court action. This can be a substantial financial saving to the insurer, and in many cases, the final amount of monies paid out as compensation for personal injury is considerably lower than what was initially claimed.
Recovering Costs from losing Plaintiffs'
Insurers' will incur substantial fees when defending an action against them. While this maybe expected, particularly when an insurer is fully liable, it is totally unacceptable when a false claim has been made.
In many cases, a fraudulent claimant who loses their case against an insurer, believes that they will not be pursued for the recovery of costs.
While many insurers' are now successfully pursuing the losing plaintiff for the recovery of costs, it should become normal practice throughout the insurance industry. At the very least, a debt judgement should registered against the losing plaintiff. We believe, that this practice of registering judgments, could act as some deterrent to the fraudulent claimants' who make vexatious and false claims.
While it could be the case, that a losing plaintiff does not have the means to satisfy a judgment registered against them, it could very well be the case that they do have enough income and assets to pay such a debt.
JC Associates Investigative Services, can provide status reports on a person's financial circumstances in respect of income and assets and assess their ability to satisfy a judgment against them. As a means of not incurring unnecessary expenditure in pursuing recovery of costs, the status reports are an excellent way of informing the insurer of the best course of action.
JC Associates
Investigative Services
Address:
P.O. Box 606,
Belfast,
BT17 9BY
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