A solicitor who made a false insurance claim for a road traffic accident has been struck off the roll.

Farrukh Abbas, admitted in 2014, made the claim when his vehicle was involved in an accident while it was being driven by a colleague who was not insured. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal heard that Abbas instructed London firm Prime Law Solicitors, where he worked as a self-employed consultant mainly on immigration law, to represent him in a claim for personal injuries and losses.

Abbas claimed he had been the driver at the time of the accident and had suffered whiplash and soft tissue injuries.

As part of his claim, Abbas signed a witness statement containing a declaration of truth ‘knowing that the statement was untrue in material respects’. He also provided instructions to a medical expert which were untrue.

Eventually the firm decided not to proceed with Abbas’ claim and no damages were paid out.

The Insurance Fraud Bureau reported Abbas to the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Abbas admitted he had falsely submitted a claim.

Abbas, a self-employed consultant, admitted his actions were dishonest. The tribunal heard that his decision-making ability had been hampered at the time. 'He was sleep deprived, stressed, and in a poor state financially.'

The tribunal found the allegations proved in full. Considering mitigating circumstances, included Abbas’ ‘deep remorse’, the tribunal said: ‘Whilst there had been no breach of trust per se, Mr Abbas had abused the trust placed in him by the firm which he had used as a vehicle to carry out the fraud.’

The tribunal added that Abbas had not been charged with a criminal offence but the ‘damage to the profession was very high’ and the ‘misconduct so serious that a reprimand, fine or restriction order would not be a sufficient sanction’.

The tribunal said: ‘This had not been a momentary lapse, and Mr Abbas had not acted in blind panic. The dishonest misconduct had taken place over a nine-month period and was pursued actively by Mr Abbas, wherein he attended a medical examination and physiotherapy sessions in which he feigned symptoms of whiplash and other problems he contended had been suffered in the accident.’

A costs order against Abbas was not made as it would be ‘unjustifiably punitive’.