Man Awarded Jail Time for NHS Claims Fraud

The Severity of Attempting Claims Fraud.

A man who exaggerated the effects of negligent hospital treatment has received a three-month-long jail sentence. This is a pure indication of the consequences that await claims fraud. The man originally was offered a settlement of £30,000. This was clearly not enough for him as he continued to claim the total damages was worth £837,000. Thanks to The NHS, the court was finally informed about this. In order to show the severity of making a false claim, the court had to make an example. The court even stated, “Those who make false claims and get caught must expect to go to prison”.  What this man did is a clear violation of claims law.

The Man Accused of Claims Fraud.

Sandip Singh Atwal, the perpetrator, sustained an injury during an attack. This initially led him to seek medical treatment. For the fractures strained, Sandip went to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary in order to deal with his injuries. The injuries Sandip sustained were a cut to his lip as well as both hands had broken fingers. The hospital failed to take proper care and Sandip ended up with loss of power in his left hand and a completely deformed right hand. His lip was luckily healed properly. The right thing to do was to lodge medical negligence claims, which he did. However, it was later on revealed that the severity of the negligence wasn’t at all keeping him for doing day to day activities.

The court awarded Mr Atwal compensation of £30,000 back in 2011 on which NHS Foundation Trust immediately accepted. Mr Atwal declined the compensation and continued to pursue a higher amount. He claimed the damages sustained was far worse as to what they really were. He insisted that a fair settlement will be £837,000. This is truly a lot more than originally offered. To back up his claim, Mr Atwal claimed he was unable to operate a motor vehicle. This resulted in him being unable to pursue his career as a deejay.

The Punishment for Claims Fraud.

The court received video evidence proving that Sandip Singh Atwal was, in fact, exaggerating the severity of his injuries. The video surveillance revealed where Sandip was driving with one hand while talking on his mobile phone with the other hand. Additional footage also revealed Sandip lifting heavy objects with ease. Further investigations provided photos where he is still deejaying as if nothing happened.

The clear evidence of claims fraud forced the court to take action. At the beginning of June 2018, the court disproved Mr Atwal’s statement and immediately made the decision to take him into custody. The court stated that this will be a direct warning to future perpetrators. Sandip Singh Atwal was also court ordered to pay fines up to £75,000 in costs. Negligent hospital treatment is a serious matter and not at all a get rich quick scheme. Helen Vernon, the Chief executive of NHS Resolution even said, “The decision sends a very clear message that the NHS is not an easy target and that you cannot submit fraudulent claims with impunity.”

Additional Advice.

If you find yourself at the wrong end of negligent hospital treatment it’s important that you appoint a negligence solicitor to lodge your claim. They have the right amount of experience in order to inform you of what a fair settlement might be. Let a trained personal injury lawyer assist you throughout the entire claims process.