INSURANCE CLAIMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21919, 1 October 1934, Page 10

INSURANCE CLAIMS

FALSE NAMES GIVEN MAN'S MANY ACCIDENTS SUMS OBTAINED BY FRAUD OFFENDER TO BE SENTENCED The story of a man's extraordinary series of accidents, with resultant clainm urtder false names on. insurance com ,p panics, was told in the Police Court on Saturday, when a labourer, Leonard Lock, aged 40, pleaded guilty to 14 charges of obtaining sums from a large number of insurance companies by false pretences, by using false names, . and by representing that he hod .never been previously injured and thaij he had never previously claimed against a.n insurance company. The dates of the offences ranged from January, 19t)l, to August, 1934. and the amount, of money received totalled £lB7 12s lOd. Mr. Singer, who appeared for accused, asked for summary jurisdiction. "Some of the offencesi apparently occurred in Wellington, and ib would save the police a great deal of trouble and expense to deal with the matters here, he said. Mr. W. E. McKean. S.M.: I do riot know that that factor should enter into the question. "An Unfortunatj Epidemic" Counsel said that the suggestion of the police was that accused assumed different names in taking out accident policies and making claims. I; could not be said that the actual claims were false. "The worst onei can say about this man is that he suffered from an unfortunate epidemic of accidents," Mr. Singer added. "He insured himself against accidents and. then, unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the accidents occurred. They must be genuine accidents, because the most reputable and excellent doctors gave him certificates." Mr. McKean: I am just wondering whether accidents is not too euphemistic a term. Mr. Singer said the only trouble was that accused experienced the accidents under the wrong names. There was: no suggestion that the accidents were not real. Inspector Edwards: Perhaps even if they were real they were intentional. Mr. McKean: I &c:e he had about eight accidents last year. Mr. Singer: Oh, 1933 was a bad year for everybody. * Information Not Disclosed Inspector Edwards said that since 3.931 accused had taken out personal accident insurance policies with a number of companies in New Zealand,, In every instance he failed to disclose that he had ever been previously insured or that he had made claims against insurance companies. By failing to disclose these essential facts to the companies, he obtained excellent covers with 12 different companies between January, 1931, and August, 1934. In every instance except the last policy taken out, he met with an accident, usually within two months of the policy becoming effective, and claimed the insurance benefits. In several instances he claimed from two different insurance companies in respect to the same alleged accident, and submitted doctors' certificates in support of each. In some cases, his claims succeeded, in others they did not. "A summary of the various accidents accused is alleged to have suffered since January,, 1931, shows that on no fewer than 25 different occasions he has met with accidents," saiid Inspector Edwards. Of that number five were ini'uries to the right hip, five to the right :nee, six to the left knee, three to the left tip, three to the right ankle, two to th<s left ankle, and one to tha back. These injuries had all been the subject of claims on some insurance company, accused having claimed a total of nearly £4OO in cash, which did not include three instances in which the companies refused to pay out. Genuine Nature Claimed figures refer to personal accident claims only," Inspector Edwards added. "Other inquiries have shown that accused met with four different accidents while engaged iia work, on different ships in port. In each case the alleged accident happened within a very few days of his commencing work, and for these accidents accused drew £lO2 in "workers' compensation. He admits these amounts, but says the accidents were genuine. It is also known that he met with a number of accidents at Lyttelton before going to Wellington." Mr. Edwards handed the magistrate a list of accused's accidents and claims. Mr. McKean: I see accused has a habit of slipping. He slipped down stairs, he fell down isome more staiirs, he slipped on some orange peel, he slipped off the copper— Mr. Singer: I think we may look on this as his last slip. Mr. Singer added that accused was a married man with a family. He fyad never been before the Court before. Mr. McKeau: What is his occupation, I mean apart from thisP Mr. Singer: He is a waterside worker. Accused was convicted on all the charges and remanded to appear to-day for sentence