Car crash ‘followed suspicious pattern’

An allegedly fraudulent car crash, said to closely fit a pattern of six suspicious accidents that could cost up to €500,000 in damages and costs, was thrown out by a judge yesterday at the request of Zurich Insurance.

Counsel Paul McMorrow told the Circuit Civil Court that, throughout the chain of apparently linked accidents, comprehensive insurance policies would be taken out only days before the accidents followed by the disappearance of the drivers and the old cars they used in rear-ending collisions.

“The driver in the case before the court has since become untraceable, all part of a pattern of six accidents which happened in darkness, all at ‘T’ junctions in remote locations throughout the country without any independent witnesses,” said Mr McMorrow.

Mr McMorrow, who appeared with DAC Beachcroft Dublin, solicitors for Zurich, which was defending the claim on behalf of the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland, said it was usual for potential defendants in these cases to become untraceable.

David Culleton, a solicitor with DAC Beachcroft Dublin, stated in a sworn affidavit that Lilija Timermane had been a passenger in a car on a remote road near Portlaoise, Co Laois, three days before Christmas 2012.

Andrius Bajoras, the purported owner and driver of a 12-year-old Rover had crashed into the back of the car in which Ms Timermane was travelling. Mr Bajoras purported to have taken out insurance cover shortly before the accident with Zurich Insurance but neither he nor the old Rover had been traceable since.

Mr McMorrow told the court that Ms Timermane had failed to turn up for two examination appointments with the bureau’s medical adviser Robert McQuillan and had failed to deal with a notice for particulars from DAC Beachcroft Dublin.

Counsel said Mr Bajoras had purportedly taken out insurance with Zurich 26 days before the accident “for what appears to have been fraudulent purposes.”