A barrister who claimed she could barely walk 100 yards in a bogus £250,000 car crash insurance claim has been struck off after photographs showed her completing an arduous six-mile waterfall hike.
Claire Thomas said she suffered soft tissue injuries, migraines, and psychological problems some three years after a van crashed into the rear of her stationary car in 2016.
But her insurance claim was thrown out after it was found she had also attended a pop concert, travelled to Rome and Venice, attended Six Nations Rugby games and volunteered at a music festival in the years since.
LV=, the insurance company whose policyholder had admitted liability for the crash, grew suspicious of her symptoms and asked a law firm to investigate.
It found the barrister had been “fundamentally dishonest” in her account after social media pictures showed her take part in various “strenuous” activities, including a hike in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales.
‘No credible explanation’
The lawyer has now been disbarred for her “dishonest” behaviour after a disciplinary tribunal found she “presented inaccurate accounts of her symptoms”, which she “knew to be false”.
Thomas, 41, insisted her mobility was severely restricted in her claim, adding that even on a good day she could walk a maximum of 100 yards before stopping.
The barrister said her ability to stand was limited to between 10 and 15 minutes at a time and that she always required a handrail on steps.