Insurer Allianz UK and DWF have successfully defended a £250,000 personal injury claim after a court found that the claimant, Martin Matonhodze, had advanced a fundamentally dishonest claim arising from what the Court determined was a very low-speed road traffic accident.
The claim arose from a road traffic accident in September 2019 involving a lorry insured by Allianz. Although liability for the collision itself had been admitted, Allianz and DWF challenged the nature and extent of the injuries alleged by Mr Matonhodze and maintained throughout the proceedings that the claim had been dishonestly advanced.
Mr Matonhodze sought damages of up to £250,000, alleging that the accident had caused a wide range of significant and long-term injuries affecting his ability to work and carry out everyday activities. Allianz and DWF pursued a judicial determination on the issue of fundamental dishonesty.
At a hearing before District Judge Sullivan at Brighton County Court on 3 July 2026, the Court accepted Allianz and DWF's case that the collision was a minor impact occurring at no more than walking pace. The Judge accepted the evidence of Allianz's insured driver and rejected the claimant's account that he had been struck by a lorry travelling at 30–40 mph.
In a strongly worded judgment, the Court found that Mr Matonhodze was "unreliable in every conceivable respect" and concluded that he had dishonestly exaggerated both the circumstances of the accident and the injuries he claimed to have suffered. The Court further found that multiple experts had been provided with inaccurate information regarding the severity of the collision and the damage to the vehicles involved.
The Claimant had alleged that the force of the impact caused him to strike his mouth on the steering wheel, damaging his lip and teeth. The Court rejected that account. District Judge Sullivan noted that the claimant was approximately 6'5" tall and specifically questioned how an individual of that height could have struck the steering wheel in a collision occurring at no more than 2–5 mph.
The Court also examined claims that the accident had caused significant hip and shoulder problems and had exacerbated pre-existing conditions. Having reviewed the expert medical evidence and the claimant's medical records, the Court concluded that those complaints could not be linked to the accident. The Judge found that the Claimant had sought to attribute unrelated symptoms and conditions to what was, in reality, a very minor collision and ultimately determined that none of the injuries claimed were caused by the accident.
District Judge Sullivan therefore found that the claim was fundamentally dishonest and that the Claimant had been repeatedly dishonest in advancing it. The Court further concluded that none of the injuries claimed were attributable to the accident.
As a result, the Court ordered Mr Matonhodze to pay Allianz's legal costs. Those costs were assessed at £35,804.68.
Ben Fletcher, Director of Fraud and Financial Crime at Allianz UK said:
“Where we believe there’s dishonesty we will challenge a claim, and this judgment sends a clear message that Allianz will take action. Exaggerating a claim is insurance fraud, and we use a number of tools to assess whether the evidence, account and claimed costs are accurate and consistent. Doing this means we protect our customers with their genuine claims and help keep the cost of insurance down.""Our skilled investigators, intelligence, data analytics and technology help us to continue the evolving fight against fraud, and tackling it is a collective industry effort. We welcome the Court's findings in this case and we hope this sends a message that attempts to exaggerate injuries for financial gain will have serious consequences."
Jonathan Head, Partner at DWF said:
"This outcome reflects the close working relationship between Allianz and DWF. We are very pleased to have been able to support Allianz in defeating such an egregious claim.""Allianz remained committed to pursuing the issue of fundamental dishonesty even after the claim was discontinued. The Court's findings vindicate that decision and reinforce the importance of taking a robust approach where there are genuine concerns regarding the presentation of a claim."
"Cases of this nature require significant commitment from a wide range of people over a number of years. We will continue to tenaciously support our clients in achieving the best possible outcomes to dishonest claims."
William Stobart of DWF Law LLP and Simon Hughes of Farrars Buildings acted on behalf of Allianz.
The proceedings were heard before District Judge Sullivan at Brighton County Court on 3 July 2026.
The claim arose from a road traffic accident on 3 September 2019.
The claimant discontinued the substantive claim on 9 April 2024. Allianz subsequently pursued a finding of fundamental dishonesty.
The Court found the claimant and the claim to be fundamentally dishonest.
The claimant was ordered to pay Allianz's costs of £35,804.68 and the protection normally afforded to personal injury claimants under Qualified One-Way Costs Shifting was removed.
