Keoghs has secured a custodial sentence against a man who forged his daughter’s birth certificate in an attempt to claim damages of £600,000 following a workplace accident.
The insurance law firm worked together with QBE Business Insurance to pursue 20 counts of contempt against Mark Hilton, who was sentenced to 10 months in prison during a hearing on November 17.
The Dartford, Kent, resident had initially sought damages for significant soft tissue and psychological injuries, loss of earnings, and care costs resulting from a workplace accident in the summer of 2015.
The incident involved a fuel hose falling from a height at a construction business insured by QBE.
Hilton alleged that he suffered from severe mobility issues, including being confined to a wheelchair. However, investigators found inconsistencies regarding the circumstances of the incident and the types of injuries that Hilton sustained. Surveillance footage showed him being able to drive and walk without assistance. His attempt to link his psychological issues to the workplace accident also fell apart when medical records revealed pre-existing depression dating back to his daughter’s birth.
When confronted with this information, Hilton claimed his medical records had been mixed up with another person of the same name at his GP practice. He then forged his daughter’s birth certificate and submitted it with a witness statement, it was stated.
Hilton ultimately defaulted on a number of directions, which led to the claim being struck out. The Qualified One-Way Costs Shifting (QOCS) was disapplied and he was ordered to pay £10,000 in costs due to his conduct obstructing the proceedings.
Following the claim’s dismissal, Keoghs and QBE sought permission to bring committal proceedings against Hilton for 21 counts of contempt of court. The court granted permission on 20 counts, and Hilton admitted to the contempts during the recent hearing.
The judged described Hilton’s level of dishonesty as “egregious” and said his attempt to defraud insurers was “most calculated, if inept.”
In an emailed news release, Keoghs head of counter-fraud Damian Ward expressed satisfaction with Hilton’s 10-month custodial sentence.
“I am delighted that we have been able to work closely with QBE on this important landmark case,” said Ward. “It underlines the ongoing commitment that our market-leading team has to work across the insurance industry, to stamp out fraud and bring those responsible to account.”
Charlotte Gray, special investigations unit (SIU) claims manager at QBE, also made note of the “exceptional” level of deception involved in the case.
“Instead of admitting to exaggerating his injuries and misrepresenting the circumstances, the claimant kept coming up with new lies to cover up his previous lies,” said Gray. “It totally snowballed. It is a relief that the court called it out.”
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