Wedding video sinks crash claims
Four wedding guests who sought thousands of pounds in compensation after a coach crash have been caught out by their own wedding video.The four were among 26 guests who claimed to have been injured when their coaches were in collisions on the way to the wedding and reception.
Two claims were successful, but 20 others were dismissed at an earlier hearing when a video showed some of the "injured" dancing enthusiastically at the reception. The groom, who was one of the claimants, is seen performing a jig while sitting on the shoulders of one of his guests.
The four remaining claimants, all from Longsight, Manchester, continued their action, claiming to have whiplash and shoulder and back strains after a separate incident when their coach bumped a wall.
Balwinder Kaur-Singh, 63, claimed that she had gone for treatment and did not attend the reception in Preston. But she is seen eating and drinking on the video. Mahangi Kaur, 41, tried to claim for herself and two children.
The claims were dropped on the second day of the trial at Manchester county court and the claimants ordered to pay £25,000 costs.
Ian Birkinshaw defended the coach operators Hollins Travel in the action, which originally saw no fewer than 73 claims being lodged over the incidents in July 2004.
Yesterday he described the unsuccessful claims as a "spectacular deceit".
"The firm said that a low impact collision could not have caused such injuries and pointed to a range of irregularities in the evidence.
"The claimants were motivated by greed and some went as far as to perjure themselves and include children in their deception in an attempt to claim compensation from the coach company," said Mr Birkinshaw.
Papers from the original hearing have been passed to the Director of Public Prosecutions, while Greater Manchester police confirmed yesterday that it was aware of the episode.
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