Unfortunately, there are people out there who will do almost anything to get money. Car insurance scams are very common and it’s important to watch out for these potential scams.
Rear-Ending
One common scam is to pull in front of you and then slam on the brakes to force you to rear end them. Since most rear end collisions are seen as the fault of the driver in back, many scammers use this to get money for their car and fake neck or back injuries. This can happen even at seemingly low speeds.
Fake Injuries
Many people will file claims saying they are injured even if they are not just to get insurance money out of the accident. Some people will go as far as to get doctors or physical therapists to write reports of their injuries for a payout. Although it can be difficult to fight, the best thing you can do is file a police report regardless of the severity of the accident. An insurance company is far less likely to pay out an injury claim if the accident was just a minor accident.
Fake People
Some people will file injury claims even if they weren’t in the car. For example, if there were two people in the car, who were both hurt, but then a third files a claim after the fact. In order to combat this, if you are in an accident, be sure to see who is in the other vehicle and take pictures of everyone involved at the scene.
Staged Accidents
On top of a staged rear-ending accident, there are several others that can take place. One is for someone to wave for you to turn in front of them, but then hits your car. They will deny waiving you through and you will be liable for turning in front of them. Another is for scammers to watch for vehicles who drift out of their lanes while turning and intentionally hit them, leaving you liable for drifting out of your lane.
While you can’t control when people are going to act unethically, you can drive as safe as possible. Always follow the law and look out for other drivers who are doing weird things or who are driving too close to you. Being a defensive driver will help you avoid getting into an accident.
If you have questions about how to avoid accident scams, please feel free to contact us at 949-496-7000.
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