Insurers have decried the UK as the whiplash capital of Europe with nearly 1,200 claims made every day.

The Association of British Insurers says one in every 140 people claim whiplash every year in this country.

The ABI states that whiplash injuries account for three-quarters of personal injury claims in the UK, more than anywhere else in Europe, with insurers paying out almost £2 billion a year in claims.

Solicitors have condemned the figures as out-of-date and misleading.

Speaking today at the 2011 Whiplash conference in Leeds, James Dalton, the ABI assistant director of motor and liability, said the industry could no longer tolerate the number of claims.

‘Despite the statistics, I doubt that the UK has some of the weakest necks in Europe.

'Often difficult to diagnose, easy to fake and exaggerate, whiplash is a fraudster’s dream.

‘We seem ill-equipped to effectively identify and treat whiplash; our compensation system is too slow in paying fair compensation and offering rehabilitation to genuine claimants, and our compensation culture encourages fraud.’

Dalton’s remarks come at a time when the insurance industry is lobbying hard for changes to litigation rules, claiming premiums are rising steeply because of the number of claims coming in.

The ABI wants the government’s civil justice reform, which pushes some of the burden of legal costs back onto the claimant, to be implemented swiftly, as well as a crackdown on so-called ‘cash for crash’ motor accidents.

The association has also called for more research into effective diagnosis and treatment of whiplash injuries, which occur when soft tissue in the spine has been strained following a sudden forceful movement.

APIL president David Bott, accused the ABI of trotting out the ‘same, tired arguments’ about people’s right to compensation.

He added: ‘It must be remembered that genuinely injured people are fully entitled to compensation and treatment.

'Insurers’ constant belittling of this right can ultimately dissuade the most vulnerable people from claiming the care and compensation they badly need.’