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A Romford-based account manager has been ordered to pay legal costs after fraudulently claiming £74,000 in damages for injuries and losses he falsely alleged occurred during a road collision involving his £81,000 Porsche.
Mr Brooks, 33, claimed he had been seated and wearing a seatbelt in his Porsche at the time it was struck by a lorry, and filed for compensation totalling £74,209. His claim included:
- £63,435 for damage to the car
- £5,000 for personal injury
- £2,400 for medical treatment
- £3,374 for loss of earnings
However, his story unravelled when dashcam footage from the lorry clearly showed Mr Brooks standing in the bushes at the roadside at the moment of impact.
Dashcam Exposes Fake Claim
Damian Rourke, partner at Clyde & Co, the law firm representing AXA Insurance, said:
“Mr Brooks claimed he was sitting in his Porsche, belted up and injured. The dashcam showed him in the bushes. We still don’t know what he was doing there – but we do know he wasn’t in the car.”
Following the revelation, Mr Brooks withdrew his claim and agreed to pay £4,000 in legal costs to AXA, the insurer of the HGV involved in the crash.
Insurer: Technology Crucial in Fighting Fraud
Deborah Talbot, Claims Operations Manager at AXA, praised the role of onboard technology in exposing fraudulent claims:
“This case highlights how technology is helping us to fight claims fraud.
The dashcam footage provided clear evidence that Mr Brooks wasn’t in the car at the time of the collision, avoiding a potentially costly and lengthy court hearing.”
Broader Implications for Fraudulent Claims
Insurance experts say this case underscores the growing importance of dashcam and telematics evidence in protecting companies and drivers from false claims. Industry figures show that fraudulent motor claims cost the UK insurance industry hundreds of millions each year.
AXA and other insurers continue to urge drivers to install dashcams as both a deterrent and evidential tool in the fight against fraud.
