The husband and daughter of a woman who lied about the extent of her injuries after she was hit by a bus in order to claim £1.5m in compensation, have been found guilty of contempt of court.
After the accident that took place in November 2005, a claim for personal injuries against Brighton and Hove Bus Company by Thereza Daoud, 55, but it was revealed by investigations that she had exaggerated her injuries.
It was revealed that the husband, Nabil Tadrous, 63 and daughter, Sherihan Brooks, 30, of the injured woman had presented false pictures to medical experts that exaggerated Daoud's disabilities following the accident.
"It is an extremely rare case because it is one of the few occasions where contempt of court proceedings have been pursued in a Civil Court and also as the case only related to the witnesses involved and not to the claimant herself,” said Mark Whittaker, a partner at DWF, the law firm that took action on behalf of the Brighton and Hove Bus Company.
"Defendants and their insurers have had their fill of dealing with grossly exaggerated claims. This is the latest in a series of cases where those involved in lying about the extent of a claimant's injuries have faced criminal sanctions. Times are tough enough for transport companies, the last thing they need is to be defrauded. It's a welcome outcome for the client and a stern warning for fraudsters," he added.
The exaggeration in injury claims was revealed by video evidence filmed over 26 months that showed Daoud struggling on a walking frame at a surgery on London's Harley Street for a medical examination - despite being spotted earlier walking without an aid. Furthermore, the injury claims were weakened by footage of her celebrating her daughter's wedding, shopping, and going to the local salon despite claiming she was struggling with substantial mobility issues.
A settlement of £40 000 down from the original £1.5m, was agreed upon by Daoud after the revelations of the surveillance were disclosed. However, the money was not received by her as it was used towards paying the bus company's legal fees.