A steady number of car crashes means steady profit at the shop, right? By all rights, Mohammed Patel should have been UK body shops’ BFF (best friend forever) with the number of crashes he caused and provided to them between 2005-2008: 100 in all. Problem is, he was intentionally causing those crashes so his clients could file fraudulent insurance claims, Reuters reported.
The one-man collision creator extraordinaire, who was sentenced to
4-1/2 years in jail on Wednesday for conspiracy to defraud, dangerous
driving and driving while disqualified, was paid £500 ($830 U.S.) per crash to drive his clients’ cars and brake suddenly so the vehicles behind him couldn’t stop. He would then convince the drivers who rear-ended him that they were at fault, according to the Mirror.
Prosecutor William Baker told Manchester’s Minshull Street crown court, where Patel was tried, that the scam bankrolled a “luxury lifestyle” for Patel and his unemployed girlfriend, the Mirror said. According to Reuters, Patel used the cash to buy two luxury cars and to pay for several trips.
After the crashes, Patel’s clients would file insurance claims, collecting an average £17,000 ($28,000 U.S.) per claim and costing the UK insurance industry £1.6 million ($2.6 million U.S.), the Mirror said. The phony claims included injury compensation, vehicle damage and rental cars. Patel was caught when an insurance company noticed an unusual number of accidents happening at the same roundabout.
More information:
• STRANGE BUT TRUE: Driver Fined After Following Trusty GPS to Cliff
• California Shop Owner and Manager Arrested for Insurance Fraud
