Staged Auto Accidents Increasing, According to Insurance Crime Bureau
By Jim Greene
Published on June 10, 2010
Staged car accidents are on the rise, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). From 2007 through 2009, questionable claims (QC) filed for suspected staged accidents rose 46 percent, according to a bureau report.
The purpose of a staged accident is to make fraudulent damage and injury claims against the insurance carrier of an innocent victim. The NICB says criminal gangs using two to four vehicles employ one of several practiced scenarios to cause the crashes.
Over the two years of the study, the five states with the most staged accidents were Florida (3,006), New York (1,680), California (1,619), Texas (792), and Illinois (433). New York City, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, and Houston were the cities with the most suspected staged accidents.
Common Scenarios Involve Staged Rear-end Collisions
One of the most common ploys is one in which a perpetrator cuts in front of a victim in the right lane of traffic and slams on the brakes, while an accomplice pulls alongside the victim in the left lane, preventing an evasive maneuver. The victim rear-ends the first perpetrator while the accomplice drives on.
In another common scenario, a perpetrator pretends to yield to an oncoming vehicle making a left turn into a parking lot, although the perpetrator has the right of way. As soon as the victim begins the left turn, the perpetrator moves ahead to block the victim, whose car is intentionally hit from behind by a second perpetrator who pretends not to be able to stop in time.
If you are involved in an accident that seems suspicious, try to get the police to respond, so that the circumstances can be documented. Next, contact an experienced attorney. If the perpetrators succeed, it will appear that you were at fault, which could adversely affect your driving record and your insurance costs. Even if you don't take your case to court, your attorney will fight to see that the incident is properly investigated and you are not found liable for an accident that was not your fault.
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