Cash for crash scams are poised to absolutely ruin the van insurance industry, driving up rates for legitimate drivers – and one man has had enough.
In fact, a van hire firm owner from Bolton, Stuart Lever, has gone on the warpath in a major way. He was interviewed both on BBC Radio 5 Live and on the BBC Victoria Derbyshire news about this very subject. He’s on a quest to put cash for crash criminals on notice, especially since he and his company have been targeted in the past by these fraudsters.
In fact, Lever had to fit his rental vans with tracking tech in order to dispute fraud claims made against his company. He was able to walk away unscathed after the fraudster reported the made-up accident occurring at a location that his van simply wasn’t, based on the tracking data.
Still, the fact that he had to go to such lengths to stop fraudsters in their tracks makes the man’s blood boil, he said. Everyone thinks it’s just big laugh when you rip off a car insurance or van insurance company, he remarked, but fraudulent claims ratchet up the premiums of companies that rely on fleet insurance – sometimes enough to drive them right out of business.
Thankfully, things have gotten better for Lever and his firm. Prior to fitting his fleet with the tracking technology, he would get something like four claims a year, but after catching the last fraudster in the act he hasn’t had one claim come across his desk. Still, he says that motor vehicle insurance fraud needs to be clamped down on by the police before other businesses succumb to the practice.
For what it’s worth, I can’t agree more with the bloke. When it comes down to running a company that relies upon a fleet of vans, cars, lorries, or whatever else you want to put on the road, having to field a barrage of cash for crash claims is more than just a headache – it’s a threat to your company’s survival. That’s not to say that insurers aren’t completely innocent either, but it’s obvious in this case that fraudsters have been making this small business owner’s life completely hellish for far too long.
For what it’s worth, I hope Lever’s message gets out over the airwaves loud and strong. Insurance fraud is horrid as it drives up premiums for people innocently targeted by it, and it’s already expensive enough to keep a motor vehicle on the road without having to worry that you’ll be a victim of it.
