Steven Keenan

Steven has over 10 years’ experience advising and acting for clients across a wide range of insurance based claims and is dual qualified (England & Wales & Northern Ireland).

Steven specialises in the defence of motor injury and casualty injury claims with a particular focus on fraudulent claims. Steven is regularly instructed by major insurers to represent their interests in cases involving low speed impacts, phantom passenger claims, stage accidents and a wide range of EL and PL fraudulent based claims including fabricated and exaggerated accidents at work. Steven has also acted for packaged holiday providers and tour operators in the defence of bogus travel claims.

Supported by the intel and technologies of the wider DACB fraud team, Steven identifies trends and develops strategies tailored to opponents and local judicial approach. Steven has achieved significant success in defeating fraudulent based motor injury and casualty injury claims within the province. He works with his Dublin colleagues and adopts a “oneteam” approach to detecting and defeating cross border claims.

Steven has built and maintained strong relationships, particularly with SIU/CIU claims handlers in a number of major insurers and is trusted to provide training with a particular focus on fraudulent claims on a regular basis.  

Relevant recent experience includes:

• Acting for a major insurer in the Defence of a personal injury and damage claim. The policyholder was alleged to have fitted a defective tyre to the Claimant’s vehicle, which had suffered a blowout. Specialised engineering expert was swiftly ascertained to confirm the claim was opportunistic as the tyre was not defective and was simply in poor condition. The case was subsequently dismissed.
• Acting for a major insurer in the Defence of a former employee’s alleged accident at work. The Claimant reported he had sustained sort tissue injuries while carrying out his duties. The accident was not reported at the time nor was it witnessed. The Claimant’s employer had concerns that the incident had not taken place. The Claimant claimed for both physical and psychological based injuries, with a focus on his inability to return to sport. Steven quickly ascertained that the Claimant had played football three days post-accident and had not missed a competitive match in 6 months. The case was withdrawn at an early stage, which not only presented savings for the Insurer but also a swift resolution for thankful Insured/employer.
• Acting for a major insurer in the defence of 2 related personal injury claims, where indemnity had been withdrawn from their policyholder due to concerns regarding a staged accident. The plethora of evidence including social media links was presented to the Court and the District Judge dismissed both actions. The three further claims that had not yet been litigated subsequently did not proceed, which afforded further fraud savings for the insurer.