Case study: Ashfield In2Focus

Phantom passengers appearing in an insurance claim are a sure sign that a crash may be suspect, according to Kate Forknell, commercial services manager and head of the fleet department at Ashfield In2Focus.

She says: “Accounts regarding passenger numbers can vary. We have found on occasion that when a third-party submits their claim regarding an incident, they state that their car was full. However, at the time of the incident, our driver has specified that only the third-party driver was present.”

The best way to combat the problem is to provide drivers with the right tools and for the fleet team to monitor claims for discrepancies, while ensuring insurers take a close interest.

Forknell says: “We work very closely with our insurance company, Allianz. We have regular meetings with them to go through each claim. If there are discrepancies, then we might call the driver in to review the incident in more detail.”

To ensure the fleet receives the most accurate picture of the incident as possible, drivers are also provided with help in case an incident occurs.

Forknell continues: “We have run a ‘golden hour’ campaign to make sure drivers ring to inform us of any incidents within an hour. We get a much better picture when drivers report the incident quickly.

If they leave it, then they may have a less clear picture of what happened. We also provide a ‘bump card’ that provides clear guidance on what they need to do.”

Monitoring incidents so closely can be time-consuming, but Forknell says it was something managers had to make time for.

She adds: “It takes time and these cases tend to be drawn out, but it is important to get involved and be proactive.”