11th Oct 2013

Abbey Solicitors are working on a case involving a gang who crashed a bus with 26 passengers on board as part of a fraud conspiracy, and who has been described as ‘highly organized’ by police.

Four people were found guilty at Sheffield Crown Court of being implicated in a ‘crash-for-cash’ claims scam worth almost half a million pounds.  Seven other individuals had already pleaded guilty.

Inquiries began, reported the South Yorkshire Police, when a seemingly minor collision involving the 12-tonne bus and a Vauxhall Zafira occurred in Sheffield earlier this year.  Investigations into claims following the bus crash then led to a wider inquiry into the activities of City Claims 4 U, a Sheffield-based accident claims company.  It was discovered that the business had been submitting fraudulent claims to insurance companies.

A spokesperson said the force then went on to identify suspects involved in ten incidents in Halifax, Sheffield and Rotherham.  The driver of the bus was also found to be in on the scheme.

The leader of the investigation, DC Mark Wootton, said: “This was a professionally planned, highly organised group of individuals who set out to defraud several insurance companies by making deliberate false claims and pocketing the money for themselves.”

“The police must protect life,” said Graham Wragg, South Yorkshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit manager.  “While some of the accidents were fictitious, others involved members of the public and placed them in danger.

“After their convictions today, the police will use the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover, as far as possible, any benefit these fraudsters had from their criminal activity.”