A family doctor made up medical reports for personal injury claims under “no-win no-fee” deals struck with lawyers, a tribunal heard yesterday.
Lawrence Adler, 63, is accused of charging about £350 to sign off fictitious reports in which injuries were fabricated or exaggerated after agreeing that he would be paid only if his expert opinions led to compensation payouts.
In one case, a claimant said that he knew nothing about a personal-injury claim made on his behalf. The 21-year-old driver was unhurt in a crash and claimed £800 for damage to the car.
When he received a cheque for £2,400 from insurers for “injuries” he refused to bank it and asked for his case file. He found that his medical records contained documents that included his forged signature and claims from the GP that he required “intensive physiotherapy” for months after the accident.
Dr Adler, of Radlett, Hertfordshire, was investigated by police and the Insurance Fraud Bureau before being reported to the General Medical Council, where he faces misconduct charges alleging dishonesty, which he denies.
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The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester was told that the misconduct was alleged to have taken place when he was working in Harrow, northwest London.
Paul Raudnitz, counsel for the GMC, said that Dr Adler had a ‘‘financial interest” in the outcome of claims and lost any independence as an expert witness. He also failed to declare his arrangement to the insurance companies being sued, the hearing was told.
In the case of the 21-year-old driver who was unhurt, Mr Raudnitz said the man had never spoken to Dr Adler. He discovered two fictitious reports and an invoice for £350.
Both reports were different — one said he was a telesales executive and another described him as a student; one said that he was a back seat passenger and the other said he was the driver, the tribunal heard. The first report also said he took a week off work and had been advised to have “intensive physiotherapy” for eight months,
In another case, Dr Adler tailored conclusions for two reports for a 19-year-old shop assistant, who had been involved in road accidents between 2007 and 2009. It is alleged that he had amended each report for each insurance company acting for each driver to maximise payouts.
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Dr Adler admitted writing the medical reports and said that he examined a patient he believed to be the first claimant and filed a report based on what he was told. In the case of the second, he said that he assumed that each insurance company would have seen both reports, and denies deceit.
In 2010, he was charged in connection with a £4 million fraud and accused of involvement in laundering £89,000, but the case collapsed due to lack of evidence.
The tribunal continues.