Greenwoods Solicitors

Greenwoods’ Counter Fraud Group handles a wide range of commercial and property frauds, advising insurers faced with suspicious or exaggerated first party claims. Typically we deal with suspected arson, staged theft and other deliberate or exaggerated material damage claims.

Our work in this area is extremely varied, ranging from quickly identifying clear evidence of arson to unravelling the insurance position behind sophisticated schemes such as carousel frauds or the churning of successive companies. As well as dealing with high value motor trade and property fraud on a regular basis we also handle many high net worth domestic cases often involving houses, yachts and high performance cars.

Our deep knowledge of fire risks and investigation comes from handling some of the UK’s largest claims. In the first instance, we look for obvious signs of criminality, such as over-insurance, last-minute increases in cover and inconsistencies in statements. We can then deploy forensic experts as necessary to investigate our suspicions.

With the support of our Intelligence Resource and Minotaur, our market leading range of database products, we work closely with the loss adjusters and the insurer’s own special investigations unit to ensure that investigations are pursued in a disciplined, focused and coordinated fashion and are concluded as quickly as possible.

When there is insufficient evidence to prove fraud, we have the required expertise in policy coverage to provide insurers with other possible lines of defence, such as non-disclosure of material facts by the insured and breaches of conditions or warranties.

Throughout the process, we remain sensitive to the public relations implications of cases of this nature.