Court case dropped, resulting in £200,000 saving for Allianz

A recent court case for a complex injury claim has been dropped after surveillance footage and social media evidence brought to light concerns over legitimacy of claim, ultimately resulting in a £200,000 saving for Allianz.

In the case of Akram v Fizah Grocers (HG) Limited, the claimant, Mr Akram, a butcher from Manchester, alleged severe injuries to his left arm after an accident at work involving a knife. At the time while liability was admitted, concerns about the legitimacy of the claim and the extent of the injuries prompted Allianz to engage legal advisors Keoghs to investigate further.

Through surveillance and social media analysis, Keoghs uncovered evidence that contradicted the claimant’s assertions of disability and inability to work, discrediting the medical and psychiatric evidence that had been submitted by the claimant. This included evidence of Mr Akram attending social gatherings and working as a butcher, using his left hand, despite claiming that he rarely left home due to fear of going out and losing the ability to grip or lift objects in his left hand.

Ben Fletcher, Head of Counter Fraud at Allianz UK, commented, “Our partnership with Keoghs has been pivotal in this case and our fight against fraud. Having seen a 50% increase in similar casualty frauds, within the last two years, this case underscores the importance of our collaborative efforts. We take all fraudulent incidents seriously and will continue to leverage advanced technologies and investigative techniques to protect our law-abiding policyholders and the integrity of the insurance industry.”

Nicola Pennington, Associate on the Complex Injury team at Keoghs, said, “This is a fantastic result that has been achieved through great collaboration between the team at Allianz and Keoghs. We are continually committed to preserving the integrity of insurers and uncovering the truth behind illegitimate claims to detect and fight insurance fraud and hope this result serves as a warning to others.”

Image provided by Allianz