A DISPOSABLE camera worth less than £10 kept in a driver's vehicle glovebox saved his company more than £3,500 in accident costs when he was involved in a collision.

The camera evidence was used to successfully challenge a third party claim because it was clear from the pictures that the value of damage to the other driver's car had been inflated.

The firm's insurer, which has asked for names not to be used for legal reasons, claims photographic evidence was paramount in negotiations and successful defence of the claim.

The broker is now preparing to launch a trial scheme in which it will scrap its insurance excess if drivers use a camera to record damage immediately after an accident.

A spokesman for the insurance broker said: 'The scheme will only work if the fleet managers are in full support and we are able to demonstrate the extent of the savings on the renewal premiums.

'We are aware of the growing increase in inflated and fraudulent claims and are currently looking into running a pilot scheme with a few of our major policy holders to assess the full extent of savings that the initiative can have.'

In the claim, the third party had demanded £3,000 for vehicle repair, but only received about £800. As a result, a £970.55 charge for providing the third-party driver with a replacement car was thrown out, along with a £408 storage and recovery bill.

Details of the scheme were revealed following an article in Fleet News examining the benefits of glovebox cameras (August 14).

Fleet News columnist Stewart Whyte said: 'The photographic evidence must be of reasonable quality. But the concept remains absolutely sound, especially in these days of increasing concern about culpability, compensation claims and the rest, where photographic evidence can play a very important part in a successful claim of defence.'