Zen Law Solicitors, Manchester-based personal injury specialists, have commented on news that eleven have been arrested for fraud
 

Police last week were successful in arresting 11 people in the UK on suspicion of making injury insurance claims which were exaggerated or untrue.

The Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) of the City of London Police played a significant role in the insurance sting, with arrests falling under their Trip and Slip day umbrella. In total, 60 police officers were involved in the operation.

The suspects included 4 women and 7 men aged between 20 and 60. The nationwide investigation resulted in suspects being apprehended in Cleveland, Essex, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Leicestershire, West Midlands and West Yorkshire. It was also revealed that 4 others went to police stations to attend interviews.

A number of cases were of interest as part of the operation, including a £200,000 claim resulting from a bus crash in Pakistan.

DCI Dave Wood, Head of IFED, spoke on the sting.

“Today’s ‘trip and slip’ day of action marks a major step forward in our nationwide investigation targeting people suspected of trying to con insurers with bogus insurance claims,” he explained. “Those who lie about injuries suffered in real or fictitious accidents can also expect an early-morning knock at their door from IFED detectives.”

The IFED team was set up as little as three years ago and currently has 29 detectives and 10 support staff. The unit looks into roughly 300 cases each year, the majority of which are passed on from the insurance industry.

Zen Law Solicitors specialise in personal injury claims, including road traffic accidents, and they often share their views on the latest industry news and studies. Reacting to the story, a spokesman for the company said such arrests will do a lot to deter criminals.

“It’s no secret that in the last decade there has been a surge in the number of people making fraudulent insurance claims. But it’s also true that companies like our own are limited in what we can do, outside of passing on valuable information.

“It’s great to see the IFED going from strength to strength, building strong cases and helping to really make an impact on criminal gangs who think the injury insurance sector is an easy target,” said a Zen Law Solicitors representative.

Zen Law Solicitors are well versed in road traffic accidents, workplace accidents, industrial diseases, medical negligence and more. The firm is based in Manchester but provides their expert services throughout the United Kingdom. Visit their website today www.zenlaw.co.uk for more information.