Motoring Discussion > Police taking money from ambulance-chasers Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Mike Hannon Replies: 17

 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - Mike Hannon
I'd have to agree with Jack Straw - this seems absolutely scandalous to me. Or have I been away from the UK too long?

tinyurl.com/anmmcsm

Shouldn't data protection legislation come into this somewhere?
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - midlifecrisis
If Police attend an RTC they fill in a collision book. The insurance companies involved can pay £50 to obtain a copy of the report to see what the Police conclusions are and who (if anybody) they feel is at fault.

This £50 is the same for a major incident or a minor bump. The Insurance companies approach the Police for their own benefit in the hope of reducing their liability. It has been this way for the 20 years I've been in the job.

A typical trash journalist story, which twists the facts to make it sound like there's a police market stall offering information.

Why anybody believes anything written in todays 'news' papers is beyond me.

 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - Cliff Pope
>> The insurance companies involved
>> can pay £50 to obtain a copy of the report
>>

So the police would have to have notified the companies of the accident in order for the companies to decide they wanted to buy a copy?

How do non-involved accident companies get the information then?

 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - R.P.
They send a letter - the accident is identified by admin staff from the info provided- there is legistlation that the Police have to comply with (Road Traffic Act 19??) so it's not an option.
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - Bromptonaut
Welcome back MLC.

Your insights into life in blue are greatly missed.
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - midlifecrisis
"So the police would have to have notified the companies of the accident in order for the companies to decide they wanted to buy a copy?"

No. The people involved in the accident inform their insurance company and if Police attended, supply the incident number. Insurance company then request report, hoping to use Police conclusion to apportion blame to the other party (or not)

Insurance company then provide details to third party ambulance chasers.

The press would love you to believe that there are Police Officers stood in the town square with a little placard stating 'where there's blame, there's a claim'. It's completely codswallop of course, but the press do like to stick the boot in.
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - Cliff Pope
>> "So the police would have to have notified the companies of the accident in order
>> for the companies to decide they wanted to buy a copy?"
>>
>> No. The people involved in the accident inform their insurance company and if Police attended,
>> supply the incident number. Insurance company then request report, hoping to use Police conclusion to
>>

That's not what happened at an incident last year involving our company van. Police attended the scene, said that the other driver was clearly to blame, gave our driver an incident number, but said that we need take no action as they would inform the insurance company.

This they duly did. The police contacted the insurance company, not the other way round.
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - midlifecrisis
"Welcome back MLC.

Your insights into life in blue are greatly missed. "

Thanks. I won't be a regular contributor as I decided the minsinformation being posted on Internet forums just wasn't worth the effort. People still like to argue that black is white because the Daily Mail said so. I'm happy to leave them to get on with it now.

But glad to see the forum is still up and running.
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - R.P.
The fees are fixed by law and are updated via the Home Office - they cover admin costs probably. Non-story made up by the press for their own purposes.
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - Alanovich
>> People still like to argue that black is
>> white

It is.

query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F30F17FB385E15738DDDAE0894DF405B8984F0D3
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - R.P.
White is the new black...
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - Mike Hannon
Ok, obviously I have been away from the UK too long.
I just feel unhappy that my personal details might be exchanged for money, involving people not necessarily acting in my best interests.
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - Lygonos
>> involving people not necessarily acting in my best interests.

Insurance companies have never worked in your interest - the fact they may give you some money (or more likely take it from you) is a side-effect of what they do.
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - Boxsterboy
I though black was the new white?
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - CGNorwich
Brown is the new black. Grey is the new white. Don't you read the fashion pages?
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - Zero
Its all shades of grey.
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - Armel Coussine
>> People still like to argue that black is white because the Daily Mail said so.

Be fair mlc. Some of us do it ourselves just to be contrary. And sometimes of course because black is sort of white in certain contexts... but no, I must stop.

:o}
 Police taking money from ambulance-chasers - Pat
Yes, welcome back from me as well, you were missed.

Pat
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