A leading UK medical evidence provider is calling on medical agencies to put “stringent measures in place” and to improve communications to combat insurance fraud.
Mobile Doctors [1], a Legal Futures Associate, has highlighted a global trend in which a growing number of fraudulent claims are made in the aftermath of road traffic accidents. Bogus medical reports using stolen information are used to generate exaggerated claims payouts from insurers, the company says.
It says that in Canada, a number of rehabilitation firms have been found guilty of stealing the identities of medical practitioners to forge medical reports, often sharing the profits with claimants. The claims are often made in “crash for cash” cases, with the fraudster controlling the entire claim.
In one case, 10 insurance companies identified false claims and documents in the name of a single occupational therapist, at a cost of C$174,000 (£107,000). The company that made the bogus claim was convicted and fined C$8,000.
The key to reducing high levels of personal injury fraud is effective communication between insurers, medical reporting firms and rehabilitation firms, says Mobile Doctors, along with selecting a medical reporting firm that is robust and reliable.