A workman’s desperate £50,000 compensation claim has spectacularly backfired after a video showing him stair-surfing, rock climbing, skiing and swimming.
Christopher Clinton, from Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, sought £50,000 compensation after a car accident on the A66 in Middlesbrough, back in 2016.
After the video emerged on his social media, Christoper must now pay thousands of pounds in costs, TeesideLive reported .
At the time of the crash, the 29-year-old claimed he had injuries to his spine, hips and right shoulder.
He said he was not fit to work as an asbestos remover as his job required a lot of physical activity.
In 2017, Christopher made a claim for loss of earnings because he couldn’t work and the ongoing pain.
Insurance company AXA UK reserved up to £50,000 for the claim, as well as a further £40,000 for his legal costs.
However, due to the relatively uncomplicated nature of the crash and his age, the insurance company launched an investigation.
This is when they discovered social media posts and videos showing Christopher taking part in extreme sports as well as surfing down a staircase on a construction site after he had had the accident.
He was also filmed rock climbing, skiing and swimming.
Damian Rourke, from law firm Clyde & Co, said: "Mr Clinton’s posts showed a very active individual, carrying out extreme and demanding physical activities shortly after the accident.
"These included activities like rock climbing and skiing that simply couldn’t be carried out or even contemplated by someone with the reported ongoing physical problems."
When Mr Clinton was confronted with the evidence from his social media, he discontinued his claim in October 2021.
Deputy District Judge Crammond, sitting at Middlesbrough County Court on January 21, ruled that Mr Clinton had been "fundamentally dishonest" and ordered him to pay £4,439 in costs.
Mr Rourke added: "Insurance companies and the courts will not tolerate any attempts to exaggerate injuries in order to get money.
"Mr Clinton certainly didn’t help himself by filling his social media with videos of sports and activities, none of which could have been done if his claims were true.
"Also, at a time when the pandemic has created a log jam throughout the legal system, his action was a complete waste of the court's time and delayed other more worthy cases."
Tom Wilson, Head of Counter Fraud Operations at AXA UK, added: "The decision against Mr Clinton should serve as a warning to anyone who is considering making a fraudulent claim.
"This was a clear attempt by Mr Clinton to take full advantage of an incident through exaggerating his insurance claim.
"The visual evidence found on Mr Clinton’s social media after the event highlighted the extent of the deception."
