Florida leads the country when it comes to car accident insurance fraud, and this has made many insurance companies crack down on fraud. Unfortunately, innocent drivers who follow all the rules are often caught in the middle. Law-abiding drivers may be caught up in a car insurance scam and even injured in a staged traffic collision in Homestead. The injuries from these accidents are often all too real. In addition, car insurers may be looking more closely at legitimate claims. This can make it harder for law-abiding drivers to get the insurance money they deserve.
Unfortunately, staged car accidents and other types of car accident fraud occur every day. One of the most common types of car accident insurance fraud involves a staged car accident. This is just what it sounds like: fraudsters create an accident (with you as the victim) and then make an insurance claim, escalating the supposed injuries and costs to extract more money. If you’ve been in a staged car accident in Homestead, you may not even know it. Fraudsters who stage car accidents do several things, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau:
•They target cars that are more likely to be well-insured, such as newer cars and luxury cars. There are also staged truck accidents in Homestead and other communities because big rigs are often well insured.
•They target distracted drivers, younger drivers, women drivers, and elderly drivers, often because they hope these drivers will not start a loud and strong protest, which could call attention to the scam.
•They drive older cars that they don’t mind junking after the staged car accident and they fill the car with passengers, so that there are multiple claimants.
Even if you are in a newer car and are hit by an older car filled with passengers, however, do not assume that you have been the victim of car insurance fraud. In many cases, it really is just a car accident in Homestead. In many cases, you may have simply a sneaking suspicion that something is amiss. In other cases, you may notice that a witness steps forward and claims a different chain of events than what you saw happen. In some staged car accidents, you may be blamed for the accident even though you know that is not the case. For example, a common staged car accident occurs when a fraudster waves a car into a lane and then crashes into it, later alleging that they did not wave the victim forward. In some cases, you may be pressured to pay cash rather than reporting the accident to your insurer or the other driver may insist that you use a specific professional for the claim.
If your gut is telling you that something is not right or if you suspect fraud, the best thing to do is to contact the police and your car insurer. They can investigate the accident and can look for signs of fraud. You can also make an anonymous report at the National Insurance Crime Bureau phone lines: 1-800-TEL-NICB (1-800-835-6422).
Charles Flaxman and the rest of the legal team at the Flaxman Law Group represent those injured in car crashes, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents and other types of accidents. Contact the Flaxman Law Group today to arrange for a free case consultation.