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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if this would occur to you?

52 replies

MarmiteMagic · 17/02/2012 13:19

A woman crashed into the back of my car the other week. We were both going quite slowly so there was minimal damage - a slight scuff on my bumper and and a teensy scratch on hers. Nobody was hurt and no point doing anything to the cars as damage barely visible and both cars over 5 years old,so we decided not to bother swapping details.

Now three people I've told this to have asked why I didn't take her details so I could put in a claim for whiplash! Really? Would you? I wouldn't do it and it never occurred to me.

So would it occur to you and would you go through with it? Just curious, I'm not judging ( on this occasion anyway!)

OP posts:
ginmakesitallok · 17/02/2012 13:20

No it wouldn't occur to me as it's fraud and illegal and it's part of the reason our premiums are so high.

RagamuffinAndFidget · 17/02/2012 13:21

Surely it's fraud (or something like it?) if you claim for injuries you didn't actually sustain? I wouldn't do it!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 17/02/2012 13:21

No, it wouldn't occur to me. Clearly, because I am not a lying cheating scumbag. The three people you've spoken to all sound like morons tbh.

RagamuffinAndFidget · 17/02/2012 13:21

x posted with gin

Cubtrouble · 17/02/2012 13:22

gin. DITTO.

and theres been a big thing about fraudulent claims on insurance at the moment so I wouldnt bother.

Gloribe · 17/02/2012 13:23

Actually, if you had genuinely been injured due to the negligence of others then you have every right to claim.

ByTheSea · 17/02/2012 13:23

No, it wouldn't occur to me. It's a lie.

rhondajean · 17/02/2012 13:23

No it wouldnt occur to me although something similar happened to a work colleague with no visible damage, they went on their way then later she couldnt open her boot and there was thousands of pounds of unseen damage to her car - so on that basis i would always swap.

But to claim for whiplash?? No never!

TheOneWithTheHair · 17/02/2012 13:24

There is no way I would do that. It's fraud and also morally wrong. The blame culture is too strong now. We all pay for it in the end.

wildfig · 17/02/2012 13:24

Did you notice the news at all yesterday?

Sure, you put in a claim for whiplash and we'll all pay a bit extra on our insurance towards it

Pandemoniaa · 17/02/2012 13:24

If you have no qualms about telling blatant lies, committing an illegal act and are quite happy for insurance premiums to rise because of false claims then go ahead. But it would never occur to me to do it. Clearly you are mixing with people who have forgotten where they left their consciences.

BodaciousTatas · 17/02/2012 13:24

Yanbu, I had those stupid no win no fee people call me weekly after someone hit me, they were putting a lot of pressure on me to admit I was injured (I wasn't) and claim compo.

worldgonecrazy · 17/02/2012 13:24

I would definitely have taken her details, plus photos of the accident, etc. not to claim for whiplash, but to ensure that in two months time she doesn't make a claim against you.*

*I live in one of the 'hotspots' for false claims.

CailinDana · 17/02/2012 13:24

My friend had a neighbour who openly admitted that he saw a trailer without reflectors parked on the side of the road, drove around the block, came back and deliberately crashed into it so that he could claim from the owner! As far as I know, because the trailer was on a public road without reflectors the owner had to pay damages to fraudster as well as his insurance having to fork out for the car repairs.

What those people were advocating is fraud. There are plenty of shits out there who would think nothing of claiming fraudulently.

Haziedoll · 17/02/2012 13:25

I wouldn't put in a claim if I didn't have whiplash but I would have taken her details as you can sometimes start feeling pain after the event.

ginmakesitallok · 17/02/2012 13:25

Gloribe - of course if you were injured due to negligence of others then you have every right to claim! But OP wasn't injured?

BehindLockNumberNine · 17/02/2012 13:25

No, it would not occur to me.

Besides that it is fraud and just plain morally wrong!

yousankmybattleship · 17/02/2012 13:26

I think it would have been sensible to swap details, but deifnitely not so that you could claim for something that didn't happen. That is fraud!

OnTheBottomWithAWomansWeekly · 17/02/2012 13:35

OP, the fact you didn't even think of claiming cheers me up - I work in insurance and the false claim thing really annoys me - everyone seems to think it's a "victimless" crime. It increases premiums for everyone eventually and in the short term reduces the company's income, so the salaries of the normal people (like me!) take the hit.
Nice to hear your automatic reaction was the honest one!
But as the other posters say, it's good sense to swap details in case the other person comes back with a claim.
Having said that, where I am it's the person who crashes into you from the back that is liable, so you are probably fine.
Also, in case you're still not keen on swapping details, I once tipped the back bumper of a Lexus Blush, no damage, swapped details, and never heard from them again. So not everyone is looking to make a quick buck from a false claim

Original poster
MarmiteMagic · 17/02/2012 13:42

It did make me wonder a bit about the people who said it, but before we'd had that conversation I would have said they were all fairly moral. Obviously not.

OP posts:
Ephiny · 17/02/2012 13:44

I would (giving the benefit of the doubt) hope they meant in case you started having pain or problems afterwards - sometimes with accidents you can think you're OK at the time but once the shock wears off you realise you're not.

If they were suggesting you make a false claim though, then I agree with what others have said, that's fraud, it's illegal, and no I don't think it would have occurred to me to even consider it!

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 17/02/2012 13:49

I drove into the back of someone once, it was completely my fault, but I barely touched the other car. There was a tiny bit of my paint on his car, and nothing to mine, but as it was my fault I handed over my details even though at the time he said there was no need.

He decided to claim for whiplash and got paid £9000 for it. He might have been telling the truth, but I very much doubt it. It was years ago and my premiums still haven't recovered.

maybenow · 17/02/2012 13:53

would never put in a claim unless it was an actual debilitating injury that caused me expense or loss of earnings (so not even mild to moderate whiplash)...

BUT... i would take details in case the other person did claim later.. because i wouldn't trust them not to.

LaurieFairyCake · 17/02/2012 13:53

£9k would suggest he actually had to prove damage as usually people get about £1500 after a couple of physio appointments.

MateyMooo · 17/02/2012 13:54

i have two views on this,

a bloke reversed his car into the side of my car while i was reversing in a supermarked car park. the damage to my car was crush over the rear wheel arch, completely impossible for me to have casued the damage on my own. because he got a witness, who? i lost. the witness lied but the insurance company were not interested even when the damage could not have been caused the way he said it had

i was rear ended in a slow motion crash. i was 2nd in a line of 4. car was written off. two days later my shoulder froze up and it took 18 months of physio to recover from my whiplash injury.

my policy is always tell the truth, but sometimes the liars do win, but at least i can sleep at night and my concience is clear!