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Doctors under pressure to be a part of the £2bn whiplash claims industry

Tahmina Mannan
Written By:
Tahmina Mannan
Posted:
Updated:
20/09/2012

Whiplash is hiking up the nation’s car insurance premiums as doctors see an increase in the number claiming whiplash injuries, says AXA.

As part of AXA’s on-going campaign to understand the culture of PI claims in the UK, the car insurer has carried out research to highlight the increasing numbers of whiplash patients taking up surgery time.

In the poll of doctors across the UK, an overwhelming 88% of those surveyed said they felt government should introduce new measures to control whiplash claims for motorists.

Sarah Vaughan, motor director at AXA insurance, said: “We are determined to put a stop to the totally unnecessary levels of compensation payments being made for whiplash in the UK.

“We have already made a first step towards doing this through campaigning for and securing the banning of referral fees. But we believe that compensation is still far too easy to come by.

“Our study clearly shows that the medical profession is under real pressure in this area and crying out for more guidance and support to help them deal with a rapidly growing number of whiplash patients.”

Over a fifth of the doctors polled stated that they have seen a substantial increase in the number of whiplash patients.

These doctors believe that on average, 37% of patients who come to them with whiplash as a result of a car accident are fraudulent, while a third of doctors believe this number to be over 50%.

One of the biggest problems faced by doctors is the accuracy of whiplash diagnosis – only 7% believe it is very easy to accurately diagnose, and that to improve the situation there needs to be more detailed guidelines around whiplash type injuries.


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