Possible proof has emerged that lawyers are indeed responsible for the growth in personal injury claims arising out of road traffic accidents - but not because of aggressive marketing or dodgy no win, no fee agreements, as the tabloids would have us believe, but because they may cause lots of them in the first place.

A survey of the occupations of those involved in a million accidents in the US has found that lawyers are the third most accident prone, with their use of mobile phones while driving perhaps part of the reason (about to be outlawed here, of course).

But the good news for those unfortunate enough to have a collision is that there's a sporting chance that there will be a doctor on hand, for after students, doctors are the most likely occupation to be involved in a crash.