https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/garda-squad-on-the-way-to-combat-road-insurance-fraud-judge-37505093.htmlGarda squad on the way to combat road insurance fraud - judgeNovember 8 2018 2:30 AM
Rioad crash fraudsters have been warned by a judge of An Garda Síochána's intention to set up a special squad to investigate them.
The warning was issued by Judge Jacqueline Linnane in the Circuit Civil Court, after she threw out three claims for a total of €180,000 damages.
These were for personal injuries allegedly suffered by three men in a rear-ending incident on July 7, 2016.
Judge Linnane said the court had not been convinced Piotr Czaderski, Eugeniusz Perkowski and Maciej Kostka had suffered any injury in the low-impact collision on Crumlin Road, Dublin.
The judge told barrister Conor Kearney, counsel for motorist Aisling Kelly, The Ward, Co Dublin, and Aviva Insurance, there was low impact contact between Ms Kelly's car and the Volkswagen Passat of Czaderski.
However, she believed he and his work colleagues, Perkowski and Kostka, together had planned taking proceedings against Ms Kelly.
Judge Linnane, referring to the proposed new fraud squad, said the court claims had been orchestrated by Czaderski.
The court heard Czaderski (38) of The Moyle, Prospect Hill, Finglas Road, Dublin; Perkowski (67), Addison Road, Dublin 3 and Kostka (25) The Plaza, Coultry Road, Ballymun, Dublin, were fellow workers in a waste collection company.
Mr Kearney, who appeared with BLM Solicitors, said the three men, and a fourth man who had not gone through with a claim, worked for Panda Waste and had gone to work directly after the collision.
He put it to each of them that they had afterwards got together and decided to bring claims. According to medical reports all of them had reported pain in their upper back and neck.
Counsel said Ms Kelly's 78-year-old mother had been in her daughter's car at the time and had not been injured. He told Judge Linnane he was prepared to call her to give evidence, but the judge said it would not be necessary.
Following the dismissal of all three €60,000 claims, Rob Smyth, head of fraud at Aviva said it welcomed the decision.
"As part of our zero tolerance strategy to fraud, we intend to take all necessary steps to recover all our costs and will also make a formal criminal complaint," he said.
Irish Independent
