This program will be one of two the company will introduce on 30 January in an effort to eliminate unneeded legal costs and detect claims fraud. Bob Robbits, the Technical Claims Manager at Allianz said, “We will guarantee that the customer receives the same level of compensation but by handling it ourselves, we can substantially reduce associated legal costs by £1m a year.
Valid claims will be handled directly by the company, allowing the customer access to a medical examination and medical reports. However, at any time during the process, the client is allowed to seek a private assessment and legal advice and the legal costs will be covered as part of the claim.”

The company also plans on identifying and taking on fraudulent claimants by training processors to investigate whiplash claims where speed of the vehicle involved was a factor, Rabbits stated, adding that “”Claims will be measured against fraud indicators and investigated by our claims handlers. Claims that fail will be dismissed and where the company believes the policyholder is a credible witness, defended in court.”

Allianz Cornhill said that they had identified about 10% of all whiplash claims as being fraudulent due to the success of the two pilot programmes.

Whiplash is defined as an injury to the neck or spine that is the result of sudden and violent forward/backward direction changes, or rapid starts and stops. Headrests were added to autos to help prevent this injury from happening. The Quebec Task Force on Whiplash-Associated Disorders defined whiplash as follows: The consequences of whiplash range from mild pain for a few days, to severe disability caused by restricted head movement and persistent pain. Treatment for whiplash can be simple, such as rest, somewhat complex, such as having to wear a neck brace, or severe, such in the cases that require some types of surgery.

It is Allianz Corhill’s hope that not only will internalizing the processing and investigation of whiplash claims reduce legal costs it also hopes that their actions will make people think twice about filing fraudulent claims.

A no-claims bonus is a discount that an insured driver receives each year that insurance is purchased and no claim is made on the policy. This can amount to a substantial discount off the cost of annual insurance premiums for drivers that are accident and claim free for 5 or more consecutive years.

Typically the bonus starts at approximately 15% after 1 year and climbs to 60% or more after 6 or more claim free years. A claim in this instance is any payment made under the policy whether it is to the insured or a third party. Non-fault claims that are covered by the ‘knock for knock’ agreement do not count as a claim under this scheme. Also, most consumers do not understand that claims reported to the insurance company but closed without cash outlay do not affect the no claims bonus.

Insured individuals in the UK are willing to relinquish from £235-£1,100 out of their own pockets to repair the damages due to collision rather than file a claim with their insurance company, even if the accident was not their own fault. The fear of losing the no-bonus claim along with a ‘black’ mark on their insurance record leaves them with a temporary, but unnecessary lack of funds. There are still others who not only do not report a claim to their insurance company, but do not repair the damages and continue to drive with the collision damage intact.

What most consumers are unaware of is that a protection clause is available for purchase. Insured individuals can apply to have a ‘protected no-claims bonus’, so that in the event of an accident, the consumer does not lose the no-claims bonus. Most insurance companies offer the “protected no-claims bonus” terms in their policies but it is more expensive. In most cases, it is worthwhile tp pay it. For example, a 40% no-claims bonus on a motor insurance policy costing £2,000 before discount, is worth £800 per year in savings. So the small additional premium amount of £50, for example, is well worth the right to protect the no-claims” bonus and still be in a position to make a claim when an accident occurs.

After such an accident, sometimes the symptoms may take a few hours or days before they present themselves. If the symptoms are mild, they may go away without treatment. If severe, the injury may take an indefinite period of time to heal.

Some common symptoms include stiffness and pain in the neck, stiffness and pain on shoulders or stiffness and pain in the lower and upper back. Headache, dizziness, pain in the jaw or pain when swallowing are other symptoms.

If you have such symptoms, it would be advisable to see a doctor. Diagnosis of this injury can be made by the doctor taking your history, performing neck and head examinations, x-rays to check for any bone fractures and use of medical imaging to find out the extent of the injuries. If the injuries are severe they could lead to various complications including chronic pain and severe disability of the cervical spine.

There are several things that one can do to treat this condition especially if it is mild. Firstly you could exercise the neck to keep it active. Try to move it as normally as possible and also try to rest it for some time. The doctor may also recommend painkillers or muscle relaxants to deal with the pain and relax the muscles respectively. Using a firm pillow when sleeping may also offer some relieve. If the problem persists, a physiotherapist or doctor can give further advice.

Such an accident bring you some inconveniences depending on the extent of the injuries. Sometimes one is forced to spend money seeking treatment including traveling costs, doctor’s fee and medication. That is why this type of personal injury is classified under motor accidents in many countries. It is therefore possible for the injured person to claim for compensation. In many countries these claims form a large percentage of compensation claims made every year.

The amount to be claimed may vary depending on the severity, amount of pain caused, duration of symptoms and how much you have lost/spent financially. This includes medical expenses, travel expenses and loss of earnings. All these factors help the court to come up with the final settlement. The law classifies such injuries into various categories such as minor, moderate and severe with each category attracting different amounts of compensation.

If you decide to seek compensation, it would be advisable to seek the services of a solicitor who has knowledge and experience in this area of law. This is because such a case can be quite complex at times. It is important to make the claim as soon as possible because there is a set time limit. The law requires you to start proceedings not later than 3 years after the incident.

After such an accident, it is important to inform the necessary authorities such as the police and the doctor. This is essential if you plan to seek compensation. The police record details of the accident while the doctor records details of the injuries by carrying out the necessary tests. These two people may be required to give evidence in court if need be. You could also take the names and contacts of any witnesses present at the time of the accident as they can also help you when seeking compensation.

Many solicitors are ready to give legal advice to such clients. They assess your injuries based on your medical records. This helps them to determine how long the injury has lasted or whether it is ongoing. They also assess the impact the injuries have on your life socially, psychologically and financially. After this, they can launch the claim in court.

Most of the solicitors usually prefer a “no win no fee” agreement. This is in law is known as conditional fee agreement (CFA). This means that if you lose the case, you do not pay legal costs to the solicitor. You may however be required to settle costs incurred by the other party. If you win the case, you pay the solicitor a success fee and legal fees. Most people treat car whiplash injuries just like they treat other motor accidents by seeking compensation in a civil suit.