FRAUDSTER JAILED AFTER STAGING ALMOST 100 CAR CRASHES
FRAUDSTER JAILED AFTER STAGING ALMOST 100 CAR CRASHES
Mohammed Patel caused 93 separate smashes a fraud that cost the insurance industry £1.6m. Charging people £500 a time he would cause an accident, pretend that the owners were in the vehicle and allow the owners to claim compensation for injuries, such as whiplash, hire car charges, accident damages to the car and storage costs for the damaged vehicle. Each of these claims averaged £17,000.
He would drive on to a roundabout and slam on his brakes so that the vehicle behind would hit him.
After repeated accidents at the Eden Point roundabout on the A34 in Stockport, Mohammed Patel was finally caught out by staff across the road at the offices of Bovis Homes after they witnessed the same driver managing to get involved in low-speed crashes again and again at the same spot as he inexplicably slammed his brakes on, leaving the helpless driver behind to hit his car.
Greater Manchester police stated Patel targeted the area as it was wealthy and vehicles were likely to be expensive and insured. After causing two crashes on the roundabout within an hour staff secretly photographed the aftermath. Insurance companies carried out inquiries and passed on their findings to the police.
Van driver Kevin Mair, 30, of Audley, Staffordshire, hit a Toyota Yaris driven by Patel on the roundabout.
"I pulled over and got out and said: 'Why did you stop?' and the driver said: 'Didn't you see the motorbike?' It was a bit comical because the passenger and driver got out of the car holding their necks and saying they were in pain. Most people know whiplash is not instantaneous."
He said the driver's details were neatly written out and "it was as if it was all scripted".
Patel, from Bolton, admitted conspiracy to defraud, six dangerous driving charges and four of driving while disqualified. Patel was jailed for four and a half years and banned from driving for three and a half years. The court was told he spent the money on expensive holidays and cars for himself and his unemployed girlfriend. Judge Bernard Lever told Patel it was not a victimless crime. "The victim may have been an elderly person, a person with a heart condition, a person of a nervous disposition."
He would drive on to a roundabout and slam on his brakes so that the vehicle behind would hit him.
After repeated accidents at the Eden Point roundabout on the A34 in Stockport, Mohammed Patel was finally caught out by staff across the road at the offices of Bovis Homes after they witnessed the same driver managing to get involved in low-speed crashes again and again at the same spot as he inexplicably slammed his brakes on, leaving the helpless driver behind to hit his car.
Greater Manchester police stated Patel targeted the area as it was wealthy and vehicles were likely to be expensive and insured. After causing two crashes on the roundabout within an hour staff secretly photographed the aftermath. Insurance companies carried out inquiries and passed on their findings to the police.
Van driver Kevin Mair, 30, of Audley, Staffordshire, hit a Toyota Yaris driven by Patel on the roundabout.
"I pulled over and got out and said: 'Why did you stop?' and the driver said: 'Didn't you see the motorbike?' It was a bit comical because the passenger and driver got out of the car holding their necks and saying they were in pain. Most people know whiplash is not instantaneous."
He said the driver's details were neatly written out and "it was as if it was all scripted".
Patel, from Bolton, admitted conspiracy to defraud, six dangerous driving charges and four of driving while disqualified. Patel was jailed for four and a half years and banned from driving for three and a half years. The court was told he spent the money on expensive holidays and cars for himself and his unemployed girlfriend. Judge Bernard Lever told Patel it was not a victimless crime. "The victim may have been an elderly person, a person with a heart condition, a person of a nervous disposition."
THE INCARWITNESS SOLUTION
How can you protect against the fraudulent activities of people like Mohammed Patel - who is not the first person to be caught faking accidents. The swindler carried out a £12million 'crash for cash' scam, staging car accidents almost every day for three years.
With the incarwitness installed in any of the victims vehicles it may have been possible to capture this fraud in the act thus ending his run against the insurance industry and protecting the victim against fraudulent claims.
Each one of those claims drove up the insurance premium of someone else, who was entirely innocent. Really, it is more akin to theft than to fraud.
As with everything else in life, it is the venal few who spoil it for the rest of us. The insurance industry is already very wary of fraudulent claims and frequently ignores the time limits imposed by the courts for investigating cases.
With the incarwitness installed in any of the victims vehicles it may have been possible to capture this fraud in the act thus ending his run against the insurance industry and protecting the victim against fraudulent claims.
Each one of those claims drove up the insurance premium of someone else, who was entirely innocent. Really, it is more akin to theft than to fraud.
As with everything else in life, it is the venal few who spoil it for the rest of us. The insurance industry is already very wary of fraudulent claims and frequently ignores the time limits imposed by the courts for investigating cases.
