Casualty Fraud

We are nationally renowned for our civil-fraud work, with unparalleled depth and breadth of experience and an outstanding national reputation for defence work within the insurance sector.

The team

Our barristers have been at the forefront of the fight against insurance fraud on the industry’s behalf for over 12 years and from the very outset of the recognition of the problem. They have led the development of this area of law, including acting in the first case in which an insurer obtained a finding of fundamental dishonesty (Richard Paige) and the first ever private prosecution by an insurer for insurance fraud where 21 fraudsters were convicted, the majority receiving immediate custodial sentences (Matthew Smith). Our members are nationally renowned for their work in this field and are instructed to travel all over the UK. We also advise insurance companies directly on strategy and tactics, regularly meeting with insurers and solicitors, identifying growth areas of fraud and formulating procedures and processes to deal with them. We have trusted advisor status with many companies and firms.

In the latest edition of Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide, 2 out of only 5 Counsel rated Band 1 in the whole of the UK in insurance fraud were from Park Square Barristers, namely Judy Dawson (described as “very thorough” and “a pleasure to work with”) and Peter Wilson. Matthew Smith was described as “an outstanding senior junior” and “really excellent”. Peter Wilson was noted as “an excellent choice if you want to win your fraud cases” and Judy Dawson’s “particularly adept at defending against fraudulent claims” was complimented in the Legal 500 (2020).

“Park Square Barristers offers a strong selection of barristers who are experienced in motor insurance fraud claims, and is described by a peer as “a leading set in the space.” Members are skilled at handling committals for contempt of court and claims regarding incidents that are alleged to have been staged or exaggerated.” – Chambers & Partners (2018)

“Excellent counsel on forefront of fraud knowledge” – Instructing solicitor

“Park Square Barristers is unparalleled in terms of fraud expertise” – The Legal 500 (2016)

“Expertise includes staged accidents, low velocity impact matters and exaggerated losses cases.” — The Legal 500 (2015)

Specialisms

We handle all types of insurance fraud cases, road traffic accidents (including organised fraud rings), public liability and employer’s liability cases. The members of the team are particularly experienced in cases involving staged accidents (‘crash for cash’), induced/contrived accidents, low-velocity impact (LVI) matters, bogus passenger claims, credit-hire fraud, and exaggeration of loss. We also have experience of fraud in the context of travel and home-insurance claims. Our barristers are experienced in cases which involve careful liaison with the police and other authorities. Due to our very strong team mentality and constant updating of knowledge, we have pioneered work on technical defences (such as service points particularly in the field of untraceable/non-existent policy-holders) and insurance indemnity points, to enable insurers to strike out cases at an early stage without cost escalation.

Work with insurers

Fraudulent insurance claims have become endemic within society, but Park Square Barristers is very well-placed to help the insurance industry and their solicitors in presenting a strong stance against this growing problem. We have been advising most of the leading insurance companies and solicitors’ firms ever since awareness of road traffic fraud began to grow, and we continue to work with insurers in formulating strategies for dealing with criminal gangs. Our contacts within insurer fraud departments ensure that we are made aware of developments within the sector as they happen, including changes in trends relating to the way in which false claims are presented by fraudsters.

Fraud rings

Our fraud team has extensive experience with fraud-ring cases, including those involving criminal gangs, and are used to handling fraud-ring-linked cases on behalf of multiple insurers, obtaining orders for consolidation and the hearing together of claims arising out of purportedly unrelated accidents, and dealing with high volumes of data and similar fact evidence. Matthew Smith recently obtained a finding of fraud against the actual ringleader of the fraud ring.

Holiday sickness fraud

Since 2015 the travel industry has seen a massive upsurge in the number of holiday sickness claims, many of which are fraudulent. The skills that members of Park Square Barristers have developed in defending fraudulent insurance claims has allowed them to lead the field in defending holiday sickness claims. At a preliminary stage members have advised travel companies, insurers and solicitors on investigation and litigation tactics, advised on individual cases, drafted pleadings and questions to medical experts and represented clients in Court. Park Square Barristers have acted for most of the major holiday companies and many of the smaller ones

Services

Our civil fraud barristers provide pre-litigation advisory services and have excellent reputations for drafting complex and robust defences, undertaking client/expert conferences and presenting cases at trial. We also offer a mediation service.

Public Access

Please contact us if you would like to instruct a barrister directly, without a solicitor as an intermediary.

Contact the clerks

Leeds based Clerks

Senior Clerk – Andy Reeves on 0113 213 5252

Talia Webster on 0113 202 8609

Joshua Duree on 0113 213 5246

Mike Alexander on 0113 2135268

Ben Ellison-Tope on 0113 2135207

Middlesbrough Based Clerk

Senior Clerk – Dan Foulger on 01642 232523

The team

{{ barrister.name }}