A Birmingham DJ has been found in contempt of court after his hospital negligence claims were questioned by the NHS Trust due to him being filmed performing tasks and work projects that he claimed he couldn’t due to injury.
Sandip Singh Atwal had first contacted a professional negligence solicitor in 2008 after he claimed to receive negligent treatment after a hospital visit that left him unable to find work and dependent on others to live. He had been attacked in 2008, suffering injuries to his lip and hands, which led to the hospital visit. Despite this claim of negligence leading to unemployment, the DJ was filmed dancing in a music video for a single he was to release under his stage name Sunny, as well as working for a courier firm. It is thought that the NHS Trust had not brought these types of proceedings against a claimant of medical negligence prior to this case, but the court agreed and found Atwal in contempt of court on 14 counts.
The NHS Trust issued a statement that said Atwal had submitted ‘dishonest and exaggerated claims’ and that this was the consequence for all those watching who had considered similar false claims in order to gain compensation from hospital negligence claims.
It was back on 20th June 2008 that Atwal was attacked with a baseball bat as he was working for the taxi firm that his family run. He was treated at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary for injuries to his lower lip, as well as a fracture to the index finger on his right hand and the left hand ring finger.
His professional negligence solicitor brought a claim against Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, being offered a £30,000 settlement, which was rejected by Atwal, who instead was seeking £837,109 in order to cover the future loss of earnings as well as future care due to his incapacitation and inability to work. Atwal claimed to be suffering from disability, as well as being uncomfortable and self-conscious about the injuries to his hands and lip, had become dependent on painkillers and alcohol and was unable to continue work as a DJ or courier between 2010 and 2015.
Surveillance footage during this period was found (after the NHS Trust became suspicious of Atwal and placed him under surveillance and investigation) to show Atwal lifting heavy items and showing no visible signs of pain. He then stated that he would accept the original settlement offer of £30,000 in March 2016, but the entirety of the offer was to pay the costs of the Trust and Mr Atwal was left with a bill of £5,000 owed to the NHS Trust.
It is the first time that an NHS Trust has brought this type of proceedings against a claimant believed to have made dishonest hospital negligence claims in order to gain compensation. Atwal could end up facing a prison sentence of up to two years unless he can succeed with a legal challenge before June 1st.
