Road accident casualties fall yet personal injury claims rise
Personal injury claims have increased even though the number of people hurt in road traffic accidents has dropped by 8%, recent studies have shown. Compensation claims have risen dramatically from £8.8 billion in 2006 to £9.6 billion this year.
There has been some speculation that the lower casualties are a result of the current economic climate; with high petrol prices, there are less cars on British roads. This could also explain the rise in personal injury claims, with some people resorting to their accidents for financial gain.
The director of AA Insurance, Simon Douglas, has stated that these figures suggest that “those involved in accidents are much more inclined to make personal injury claims, even for non-serious injuries such as minor whiplash cured by painkillers over a couple of days.”
Last year, there were on average 1,300 whiplash claims each day. It can only be expected that personal injury claims will be significantly higher for this year.